Stay focused, trust your judgment, and never let pressure push you into the wrong decisions.
The people you follow matter, so always choose guidance, leaders, and mentors with care.
Not every battle deserves your energy; wisdom is knowing when to push and when to let things go.
My daughter says I drive like a man. Like, what does that even mean? Do you have any idea what it takes to survive driving in Lagos? Madam, you may want to keep quiet there before I park this car and offload you to find your own way 😒.
Anyway.
As a military kid, I spent my growing-up years in different parts of Nigeria. Even though today my work takes me out of Nigeria frequently, Lagos has been home for most of the last 20 years or so. And if you’ve lived in Lagos, you know it’s not for the faint-hearted. In fact, Fisayo, my best friend from the University of Ibadan undergrad days, opted not to move to Lagos despite her husband working here.
Lagos is better experienced than described. The melting pot of cultures, the hustle, the noise, the traffic… and the driving, which honestly deserves its own national award category.
I know grown men and women who flat-out refuse to drive in Lagos; I mean, top executives who have conquered the business world. Because Lagos driving is not just driving. It is survival. Strategy. Psychology. Sometimes prayer. In between dodging potholes, calculating which danfo is about to cut in or where a keke might just appear from, and guessing whether that indicator actually means anything, you start to learn a few things from driving in Lagos.
Interestingly, many of those things translate neatly into career lessons. Here are 7 career lessons straight from navigating the streets of Lagos:
1. Never assume the other person has their act together
In Lagos, indicators lie. Drivers change lanes without warning. Someone can be cruising gently ahead of you and suddenly remember their grandmother lives on the next street.
Same thing at work: never assume everyone around you knows what they’re doing. Titles don’t equal competence. Seniority doesn’t always mean clarity. People are figuring things out on the go, just like you. Give yourself the freedom to ask questions, double-check, clarify, and build your own judgment.
2. Don’t let anyone rush you into making a wrong turn
There’s always that car behind you honking like your father owes them money. Ogbeni, ki lo de gangan? Mr, what exactly is the issue? But if you make a wrong turn just to “please” traffic, you will be the one looking for how to redirect yourself from some mysterious street. God help you if Google Maps chooses that day to have a tantrum and you are running behind schedule for a critical appointment.
Career-wise, pressure is also constant. Between deadlines, bosses, colleagues, and even your own expectations, there will always be things that keep breathing down your neck. However, decisions made in panic rarely end well. Pause. Breathe. Choose a direction you can live with, because you’re the one who will deal with the consequences, not the people shouting from the sidelines.
3. Follow who know road, but choose your “leaders” wisely
One of the greatest driving hacks in Lagos is to drive steadily behind someone who clearly knows the shortcuts. But follow the wrong person, and you may just find yourself in a one-way situation, praying for mercy and your vehicle papers from one traffic official or the other.
At work and in business, mentors matter. Role models matter. The people you pattern your career after can either accelerate your progress or derail you completely. Don’t follow popularity; rather, be intentional about following sense, integrity, and proven results.
4. There’s a time to be aggressive and a time to mellow.
Lagos driving can be a dance of controlled madness. If you’re too gentle, no one will let you into traffic. If you’re too aggressive, you’ll end up fighting someone in Ojota or getting your car damaged by some danfo driver who has nothing to offer you.
Same thing in your career.
Sometimes you need to speak up, push through, ask for that raise, or take that opportunity. And sometimes, the smart move is to relax, observe, and allow things to play out. Skill alone is never enough; you must also learn discretion, timing, and emotional intelligence.
5. Not every battle is worth fighting. Some battles cost too much
You can’t chase every car that annoyed you. You can’t argue with every danfo, keke or dispatch rider. You can’t descend to madness every time someone acts mad.
At work, not every disagreement deserves energy. Not every slight needs a reply. Not every challenge needs confrontation. Sometimes, peace is the real power, and you must learn to choose the battles that are truly worth fighting.
6. Know your route, but stay flexible
Even the most predictable Lagos roads can shock you with an unexpected roadblock, a broken-down trailer, or police checkpoint that appears from thin air. You must always plan for surprises that can spring up at any time.
Same for your career: have a plan, but hold it loosely. Opportunities shift. Industries change. Life happens. Adaptability is one of the most underrated professional skills.
7. Keep your eyes on the road, but also on your mirrors
In Lagos traffic, you must know what’s happening ahead, behind, and beside you, all at the same time. One careless second could land you at the panel beater’s workshop.
Work is like that too. Focus on your goals, yes. But also be aware of office dynamics, team changes, emerging risks, and new opportunities. This might feel like paranoia, but it actually isn’t. Awareness is an important survival skill.
Conclusion
Lagos driving may test your patience and your blood pressure, but it also teaches you a certain sharpness. If you pay attention, the same instincts that keep you alive on the road can help you thrive in your career. It’s about honing your ability to read people, adapt quickly, and move with intentional confidence.
You can still prepare for growth even when budgets are unclear or exhausted.
Planning, reviewing past performance, and tightening weak spots require zero spend.
Teams that stay proactive start the new year with momentum that others lack.
Every year between December and January, there tends to be an interesting quiet that shows up in many companies. Not in all cases, but plenty enough to inspire my writing this week. And that’s what I call the “no budget, no movement” trap.
Budgets are almost exhausted, and the numbers for the new year haven’t been approved yet. As a result, many teams are essentially on hold, waiting for clarity before making any real moves.
While the “between years” lull is understandable, it’s also one of the biggest hidden productivity opportunities in many organisations. This period can easily become a default pause button, where some teams interpret no budget to mean no activity.
But the truth is, some of the most strategic groundwork happens before the new year officially kicks off. And teams that use this window well typically start the year sharper, faster, and far ahead of the pack.
Here’s how to hit the ground running, even before next year’s budget lands on your desk.
1. Review What Worked In The Current Year
This is the perfect moment to evaluate campaigns, processes, and partnerships without the pressure of monthly reporting rituals. Dig into the real drivers of performance and ask yourself, what genuinely moved the needle? Where did money leak quietly? What did your team spend too much time doing manually? By the time budgets are finalised, you’ll already know where to double down and what needs to be removed from your growth mix.
2. Clean and Consolidate Your Data
Your dashboards are only as clear as the data behind them. This period is perfect for some housekeeping. Clean up CRM entries; merge duplicate customer profiles; organise performance data into usable formats; identify tracking gaps you don’t want to carry into a fresh year etc. When the new year begins, you’ll be running with sharper insight instead of carrying over clutter.
3. Rebuild or Refine Your Processes
A surprising amount of inefficiency hides in workflows that “everyone just follows because that’s how we’ve always done it.” Year-end is a great time to document your actual processes (not the imagined ones), and remove redundant steps. Set up automations for tasks no one should still be doing manually, and identify dependency bottlenecks that need to be removed. Strong processes help your team move with purpose, even before new spending kicks in.
4. Align Your Team Early
This is when you talk strategy before the rush begins. Not in a big, formal retreat, but with simple, intentional conversations within the team. Some areas to cover could include asking what are our non-negotiables for next year? What opportunities did we miss this year? What skills do we need to strengthen in the team? What should we stop doing altogether? What this achieves is that when the budget finally arrives, everyone already knows the direction.
5. Re(Build) Relationships
Partnerships, vendors, regulators, internal stakeholders….relationship equity can be built without spending a dime. Now is the perfect time to reach out, sync, and reconnect. This smooths the runway for collaborations when the new year switches back to full speed.
Growth Marketing Hack? Start Strong, Start Early.
Budget or no budget, progress is still possible. Momentum doesn’t always come from money; it often comes from clarity, alignment, and being well prepared for what’s ahead. Teams that treat this crossover period as a strategic season don’t just start the new year… they launch into it.
If you’d like help shaping your marketing or growth readiness for the year ahead, whether it be around process, strategy or team capability, I’m always open to a conversation. Let’s ensure your next cycle starts on the strongest footing possible.
GEO is all about helping ChatGPT (and other AI tools) actually find and recommend your business.
Businesses win when they keep content clear, locally relevant, and trustworthy.
This isn’t a one-off task—check in regularly, update your info, and watch how people are finding you.
Globally, most digital and product marketing teams already “do SEO.” But search is shifting. People now ask AI answer engines (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, Gemini) direct questions and get answers with links to sources, without ever seeing the classic “10 blue links.” What that means is that if your content isn’t considered trustworthy or easy to use by these models, you won’t show up at all. What is this shift? What does it mean for businesses? How can marketing teams adapt their strategies?
It’s normal to wonder if all the buzz around AI search means a real shift or if it’s all just guesswork. Research has a formal term for this shift, thought, and that is Generative Engine Optimization (GEO). This shows that content can be optimized specifically to increase visibility inside AI-generated answers (not just on Google). In fact, some early studies found GEO tactics can meaningfully improve a brand’s visibility in generative answers.
Meanwhile, AI search usage is growing, and it’s evident in how even the platforms themselves are evolving. ChatGPT added a full web search experience (with linked sources), Perplexity highlights citations by design, and Google now publishes guidance for how sites get considered inside its AI features. What this all means is that your content must be answer-ready, source-worthy, and technically clean.
How to Get Generative Engine Optimization Right
1) Be “answer-ready” (not just keyword-rich)
Write clear, self-contained answers to the questions customers actually ask about pricing, availability in specific locations, delivery timelines, how to get support etc
Add a brief summary or FAQ block on key pages, as AIs love compact Q&A structures that are easy to quote.
Keep pages fresh with updated dates, stats, and policies. Generative engines synthesize concise explanations, which means that clarity and freshness are strong trust signals. If you have stale information, it is likely to be ignored by answer engines.
2) Build authority that the AI can verify
Publish original insights such as industry benchmarks, pricing realities, and regulatory nuances versus generic listicles.
Earn citations and get referenced by industry bodies, respected publishers, and credible local partners.
Maintain consistent facts across your site and profiles, as AI surfaces sources it deems reliable, with consistent facts that are corroborated across the board.
3) Structure your content so models can parse it
SEO principles around content structure remain useful. Use clean headings (H1–H3), bullet points, tables for specs, and schema markup (Organization, Product, FAQ).
Keep the page experience fast, mobile-friendly, and easy to scan, especially for users with low-bandwidth internet. This is because Google’s AI features still lean on classical technical best practices around pages.
4) Cover the “who/what/where/how much”
Be clear about your operations and coverage areas (e.g., “same-day delivery; 48–72 hours upcountry or 1 week for overseas orders”).
Note payment options your target actually uses (transfers, cards, wallets etc), and support channels (WhatsApp, phone, email).
Flag local constraints honestly so answers remain credible.
5) Create topic hubs that are “source-worthy”
Build a topic hub for your niche (or instance, a bank could have “SME lending in Nigeria: rates, requirements, timelines”).
Link out to credible references (CBN circulars, NCC rules, NITDA guidelines). Being a good “web citizen” helps AIs place you in the knowledge graph.
Keep author bios with real names, roles, and (if applicable) LinkedIn, as these are all signals of expertise. AEO/GEO practitioners emphasize the depth of your topics, outbound citations, and clear authorship to earn inclusion.
6) Make it easy for engines to cite you
Place concise, quotable snippets near the top of pages (“TL;DR” or a 3-line summary).
Use canonical URLs and avoid splitting the same topic across many thin pages.
Host supporting assets (charts, PDFs) on crawlable pages with captions and short context.
7) Track AI referrals like you track Google
Add UTMs to shared links; watch for referrals labeled as ChatGPT/Perplexity in analytics (they’re showing up more often).
Compare “answered” topics vs. “ignored” ones; double-down where you get cited.
Keep a simple GEO log of question, page cited, tweaks made, next review date. Marketers are reporting measurable AI-driven referrals; treat them as a real acquisition channel.)
8) Don’t “set and forget” (audits matter)
Re-audit quarterly to refresh facts, update FAQs, replace dead links, and remove outdated claims.
Watch for model behavior shifts and security concerns (e.g., prompt-injection risks that can distort answers). AI search evolves quickly; both platform guidance and investigations show you need ongoing diligence, not one-off fixes.
9) Repurpose content with GEO in mind
Turn webinars into short Q&A posts (one question per page can work well).
Convert case studies into problem, approach and result summaries with concrete context.
Clip podcasts into quote-ready snippets with timestamps and transcripts on page.
10) Stay current with platform moves
ChatGPT’s search continues to evolve; it now surfaces answers with linked sources more like a traditional engine, so monitor how your pages appear.
Perplexity emphasizes source transparency; ensure your pages load fast, are legible, and contain the exact answer a user expects to see.
Keep an eye on Google’s AI features docs for technical signals that still influence inclusion.
Conclusion: Does GEO Equal Gaming ChatGPT?
GEO isn’t about gaming ChatGPT. It’s about earning the right to be included in AI search results by being the clearest, most useful, most trustworthy source on the question someone is asking, whether they’re in London, Singapore, or in Dubai searching for a Nigerian vendor. By treating AI answer engines like real distribution channels, you increase the chances that your brand will be cited in the answers people actually read.
Want to make your content AI-search-ready and start seeing measurable results? I can help. Reach out, and let’s get started on the journey to optimizing your visibility together.
It’s the 21st century, and I think we marketers can be honest enough with ourselves to admit that automation has spoiled us a little.
There are all sorts of fancy tech tools at our disposal, from scheduling platforms to automated email sequences and AI-powered content creation platforms. It’s tempting to believe our marketing efforts can run like a slow cooker where you just throw everything in, press start, and come back when it’s “done.”
But the truth? “Set it and forget it” can be a trap. A very convenient one, but potentially equally dangerous. And if you’re not careful, it can quietly undo all the good work you’ve been doing.
A Marketing Lesson From the Trading World
A while ago, I did some contract content strategy work for Nurp, an algorithmic trading company based in Miami with super smart folks, using brilliant tech to help clients automate their forex trading. But what stood out was that they never stopped reminding clients to check in on their accounts.
Their software handled a ton of the heavy lifting, but they knew that even the best algorithms couldn’t predict everything. Market volatility, unexpected events, or even client-side settings gone wrong could throw things off. In that world, failing to monitor your account could mean real money lost, even when automation was doing its job.
Now swap “trading account” with your marketing funnel, content strategy, email campaign, or ad spend. The same principle applies.
Why Marketing Audits Matter
Marketing audits sound boring until you realise they’re often what saves your business from slowly bleeding out behind the scenes.
Here’s why they’re worth doing:
Things break silently.
Maybe your website’s lead form stopped working. Or your Facebook Pixel isn’t tracking properly anymore. You won’t know unless you look.
People change.
Your audience might be responding differently now than they were 3 months ago. Maybe your messaging feels stale. Maybe your offer isn’t resonating anymore. An audit helps you catch that before results dip.
Tech evolves.
The platforms you use are constantly updating. Something that worked perfectly last quarter might now require a new integration, setting, or approach.
You grow.
As your business scales, strategies that used to work might not cut it anymore. Audits help you assess what still fits, and what’s now holding you back.
In Summary: Set It and Keep Checking
It’s not that you shouldn’t use automation. That would not be sensible, considering how much of a difference automation can make.
But you should also schedule regular check-ins, which could be monthly, quarterly, whatever works for your business. Walk through the customer journey. Run test campaigns. Audit your content. Review your analytics. Talk to your audience. Make sure the engine is still humming.
Because great marketing isn’t just about setting up systems. It’s about making sure they’re still doing what they’re supposed to do, especially when you’re not watching.
Digital marketing audits are non-negotiable health checks for your business.
Each area requires specific focus, including SEO, content, social, ads, email, and user experience.
The goal isn’t perfection, but continuous improvement.
Too many businesses learn the hard way that marketing is not something you set up once and forget. To get the best value over time, treat your marketing like your health, where you check in regularly, before small issues quietly build into major problems. It’s quite interesting, therefore, that not all companies give this the attention it deserves. I’d previously written about types of digital marketing audits and tools needed, so this article focuses more on some useful steps to follow.
Regular digital marketing audits are important for one singular reason – things change. The campaign that was delivering so many leads or new customers three months ago might be wasting money today. That blog post pulling in more than 25% of your organic traffic last year could be buried on page three now. And your social posts? They may not even be reaching a fraction of the audience they did before.
Digital marketing audits are not just about catching mistakes; they’re about spotting opportunities. Done right, an audit tells you:
What’s working and should be doubled down on
What’s underperforming and needs fixing
Where you’re wasting time, effort, or money
The Foundations of a Strong Digital Marketing Audit
Think of an audit like a full-body health check for your business. You would not skip your car’s oil change or routine maintenance because it “ran fine last week.” The same logic applies here, given that the online environment changes constantly. Search algorithms shift. Consumer habits evolve. Platforms roll out updates that rewrite the rules.
A strong digital marketing audit rests on three principles:
No channel works in isolation: Your website, ads, content, and email should all pull in the same direction.
Tools make things easier, not foolproof: Google Analytics, HubSpot, and SEMrush can give you loads of surface insights, but they don’t replace critical thinking.
Consistency beats perfection: A quarterly check-up keeps your marketing machine running better than carrying out one massive clean-up every two years.
Website and SEO Audit
For many businesses, your website is your home base. If it underperforms, every campaign suffers. Here’s what to check:
Site Speed: Slow sites bleed visitors. Use Google PageSpeed Insights to see how you stack up. Mobile Responsiveness: Over half of searches happen on phones. If your site igives a terrible experience on mobile, you’re losing. Broken Links & Errors: A 404 page is a red flag (in fact, a red banner!) that screams “we don’t care”
SEO Basics: Meta titles, descriptions, H1 tags, internal linking, schema markup. In fact, that blog post that ranked first in 2021? If you haven’t updated it, chances are it slipped to page three while you weren’t looking.
Content Audit
Content can be a strong salesperson, but only if it’s fresh, relevant, and aligned with your goals. For instance, you may have a post driving thousands of views but delivering zero leads, which by any standards is wasted potential. Sometimes all it takes is adding a relevant CTA or updating outdated numbers.
What to audit:
Traffic: Which pieces pull in visitors, and which ones are ignored?
Engagement: Time on page, bounce rate, scroll depth.
Conversions: Does your content actually lead to sign-ups, demos, or sales?
Accuracy: Outdated stats, old screenshots, broken CTAs.
Social Media Audit
Social moves fast, audiences change, trends come and go really quickly, and so do interests. What worked yesterday won’t always work tomorrow. Remember when Instagram Reels were optional? Now they are must-have. Even channels can be the same.
When it comes tos social, the audit checklist includes:
Engagement Rates: Are likes, comments, and shares trending up or down?
Reach and Growth: Are you actually gaining followers or just talking to the same 500 people?
Brand Consistency: Does your tone and design feel the same across platforms? Content Mix: Are you stuck posting product plugs when your audience wants behind-the-scenes stories?
Paid Media Audit (PPC and Social Ads)
Many businesses let old campaigns run until the budget dries up, even if the ads aren’t performing anymore. That’s the fastest way to let money slip through the cracks, as even as little as a 10% increase in ROAS through an audit can mean thousands of dollars saved or earned.
Audit checklist:
ROAS (Return on Ad Spend): Are your ads profitable?
Targeting: Still reaching the right audience, or has it drifted off target?
Ad Fatigue: Are you showing the same creative so often it annoys people?
Conversion Tracking: Is your pixel or tag working correctly?
Email Marketing Audit
If you’re sending emails designed for last year’s audience, don’t be surprised when this year’s audience ignores them. Email lists are like gardens, and if you leave them alone, weeds (inactive subscribers) take over.
Here’s a handy audit checklist for email:
Open and Click Rates: Still healthy or falling off?
Deliverability: Are your emails even landing in inboxes?
Segmentation: Are you still sending “one-size-fits-all” campaigns in this age where customers expect and even demand personalization?
Automation Flows: Are welcome emails, cart abandonment, and nurture sequences still relevant?
UX and Customer Journey Audit
If your customer has to think too hard to use your website, you have already lost them. Even the best campaigns collapse if your website frustrates users.
To ensure your journey works as it should, here’s the list of things to audit:
Navigation: Can visitors find what they want in three clicks or less?
Forms: Are they too long or confusing?
Checkout: Smooth, or full of friction points that drive cart abandonment?
Conversion Paths: Does every page guide the visitor toward a next step?
Competitor Benchmark Audit
Benchmarking isn’t about copying, but keeping up to date with what others in your space are doing. You’re not just competing with yourself, so it’s key to identify gaps and opportunities.
Here’s what to check:
Content Strategy: What topics are your competitors owning?
Ad Spend Signals: Where are they investing?
Social Engagement: Are they beating you on TikTok or LinkedIn?
SEO Footprint: Who’s ranking above you, and why?
Bringing It All Together
An audit is only useful if it leads to action. Depending on the sale of your operations, platforms and digital marketing, it could be a major task to handle. Here’s how to make it manageable:
Twice a year: Full SEO audit, email segmentation cleanup. Annually: Deep competitor benchmark, UX overhaul.
It’s not enough to just audit, findings must be analysed and any needed improvements implemented. It’s always advisable to prioritize high-impact fixes first:
Broken tracking or links should be fixed immediately.
Next, underperforming content with lots of traffic should be updated.
Cosmetic fixes or tweaks should be saved for last.
Conclusion
The correct mindset towards a digital marketing audit is to understand that it is not about nitpicking what’s wrong. It’s about uncovering opportunities you’re leaving on the table. Markets shift, and algorithms evolve. In the midst of all of these, audiences are also constantly evolving. This means that what worked yesterday won’t guarantee results tomorrow, so audits should be approached as being crucial strategy sessions that help your business sharpen its edge in the competitive marketplace.
One of my all-time favourite songs is The Gamblerby Kenny Rogers. And no, it’s not just because of the old-school charm, it’s that line in the chorus: “You’ve got to know when to hold on, know when to fold up, know when to walk away, know when to run.”
That line has got grit, wisdom, and pops into my head quite a bit when it comes to creating a marketing strategy to drive growth. It’s not just good advice for gamblers. It’s excellent advice for anyone managing digital growth, especially when things aren’t moving as fast as expected.
When the Top of the Funnel Is Lying to You
A while ago, I was brought in to support a well-known Nigerian bank that wanted to scale its digital customer acquisition. They had the budget, the ambition, and a strong appetite for growth. Seemed like all the ingredients for success were ready, so let’s go, go, goooo!
I crafted a strategy that was clear, performance-focused, and designed to meet them where they were: with a strong brand, but a system that needed work.
We launched paid campaigns. Early numbers were encouraging, traffic was up (like, “pinch me, I’m dreaming” kind of up), engagement looked good, and we were attracting exactly the right kind of people. The top of the funnel was humming.
But then…little else.
To say sign-ups were underwhelming is an understatement. Haba! Kilode? What’s going on? Conversions were nowhere near where they should have been. The energy in the room started to shift. And as always happens in moments like this, someone asked: “Do we need to change the strategy?”
The Strategy Wasn’t the Problem
Now, if you’ve ever worked with large institutions, you know that sometimes, the real challenge isn’t always marketing. It’s systems. And, omo, this one had layers.
The customer journey after clicking the ad was… cloudy, to put it politely. Pages took forever to load. Required fields should not have been required (I mean, how exactly is the competition getting away without asking for all that? 🙄). And once users started the process, there was no telling what was going on with the entire journey until completion – it was just this huge, gaping black hole. As if that wasn’t enough, internal processes were cumbersome and slow, silos a-plenty. No one was fully accountable for giving the much-needed visibility into the customer journey.
So while the ads were doing their job, the backend was dropping the ball.
And, of course, the natural instinct especially from teams under pressure is to blame the campaign (and the overpriced growth consultant 🤣). Change the creative. Switch up the targeting. Redo the strategy.
But as Kenny said: you’ve got to know when to hold on.
Managing Panic, Pressure, and People
A major part of what I do as a marketing consultant is managing energy.
I had to walk stakeholders through the journey. Show them how the paid media was performing. Highlight the bottlenecks with data. Speak to team leads to understand internal issues. And in one or two cases… yes, beg certain people to do their jobs. (We’ve all been there.). I wish I could say I was always calm about it, but I snapped a few times, not going to lie.
It wasn’t glamorous, but it was necessary. Because if we’d panicked and changed the campaign based on surface-level metrics, we would’ve missed the real issue, and wasted even more time chasing pipe dreams.
Growth Needs Time (and Backbone)
Sometimes, the hardest part of executing a strategy is not tweaking it too soon. That takes guts, especially when the conversion numbers aren’t singing yet and it looks like the end is farrrrrrrrrrrrrr from sight.
But giving your strategy a definite timeline, backed by clear analytics and data, is how you avoid the trap of knee-jerk reactions. That’s how you differentiate between a bad strategy… and a good strategy buried under operational chaos.
So, What Did We Do?
Instead of changing the campaign, we shifted focus inward. I helped the client:
Map out the full customer journey, showing what was happening when and friction points
Clarify internal responsibilities for every stage of lead handling
Streamline their sign-up process to reduce confusion
Train key internal teams on urgency and accountability
Once the system got some love, conversions started ticking up. Not overnight. Not dramatically. But steadily. The strategy hadn’t changed. We’d just given it space to breathe and removed the blockers.
Don’t Let Panic Kill Good Strategy
So many marketing strategies fail not because they’re wrong, but because they aren’t given enough time to work. Or they’re simply plugged into systems that can’t support them (ko le werk rara!).
Growth takes more than ads and content. It takes alignment, follow-through, and the confidence to say, “Let’s wait this out a bit longer.” Because pulling the plug too soon can cost you results, valuable insights, and long-term traction.
How To Avoid Knee-Jerk Reactions in Growth Strategy
If you’re building or managing a digital acquisition campaign, here are a few tips to help you know when to tweak — and when to wait:
1. Set a Clear Review Timeline
Before launching, agree on when you’ll properly evaluate performance. Not based on daily anxiety or stakeholder pressure, but a planned date with real data.
2. Fix the System, Not Just the Strategy
If the numbers aren’t converting, zoom out. Look at what happens after the click. Is the experience smooth? Are the teams aligned? Is there a leak in the funnel?
3. Don’t Let Loud Voices Distract You
In every room, there’ll be someone who wants instant results. Smile, nod, and go back to your roadmap. Your job is to deliver results, not perform miracles in two days.
Conclusion: Sometimes, You Just Have to Hold
Growth is hard. Especially digital growth in a complex system. But if you’ve done the work, built a thoughtful strategy, and aligned it with business goals, give it time. Be patient. Watch the signals. And troubleshoot smartly.
Because as Kenny Rogers sang (and as any marketer worth their salt knows), there’s a time to hold, a time to fold, and a time to walk away. And sometimes? The smartest move is staying right where you are, and letting a good plan work.
See, I’ve seen plenty in my professional career. From my early days working in advertising, to switching to the client side in oil and gas, financial services, trading and e-commerce sectors, and now as a marketing consultant, I’ve seen too many businesses treat advertising like a magic pill. The truth is, running ads at the wrong time can burn your money faster than sitting in Third Mainland bridge traffic burns fuel.
Here are five moments when you should hit pause on advertising, no matter how tempting it feels to just start spending:
1. When Your Product or Service Isn’t Ready
If your product is full of bugs, inconsistent, or just plain confusing, advertising will only amplify the mess. Ads bring attention. If what you’re offering doesn’t deliver, you’re spending money to lose trust. Fix the product first, after which you can spend to scale awareness.
Ask yourself: “Will someone recommend this after trying it?” If the answer is “no”, drop the advertising idea sharp sharp.
2. When You Don’t Know Who You’re Targeting
The moment I hear “our target is everyone”, I know we are in for a long, wasteful thing. Running ads without a clear audience is like throwing flyers off a rooftop and hoping one lands in the right hands. Without defined buyer personas or at least basic audience insights, your ad budget is basically a donation. Why throw money away?
If you can’t describe your ideal customer in one sentence, pause the ads.
3. When Your Back-End Systems Are a Mess
What happens after someone clicks your ad? Where do they go? What do you say to them? How do you close the sale? If your website is slow, your checkout process is broken, or your customer service is non-existent, it doesn’t matter how great the ad is, you’re leaking leads.
Fix the funnel before you pour in the money, and ensure all the parts of your operations are working as they should.
4. When You’re Not Tracking Anything
This is the one that baffles me the most – how can you possibly want to commit resources (as in, actually spend money!!!) to an activity, where you have no way of measuring the impact?
No tracking = no learning. If you can’t measure what’s working and what’s wasting money, you’re better off just strolling down the street, throwing your money in the air for passersby to catch.
Make sure your analytics, pixels, and conversion goals are working before you hit “publish” on any advertising campaign.
5. When You Just Want “Quick Results”
If you’re running ads out of desperation, pause. Advertising is part of a broader strategy, and not a silver bullet. You need clarity, consistency, and patience.
Ads can accelerate growth, but they can’t fix a business model that’s still figuring itself out.
So, When Should You Advertise?
Once your product is solid, your customer journey is smooth, and you know who you’re speaking to, then go for it. Advertising is a powerful tool, but only in the right hands at the right time and for the right purpose.
Digital marketing is booming in Nigeria, as it is globally. Businesses big and small are hopping on the trend, hoping to reach more customers and boost sales. It makes sense—everyone is online these days. Whether it’s checking social media, reading the news, or shopping for the latest gadget, the internet is where the action is.
But here’s the thing: doing digital marketing and doing it right are two very different things. It’s not just about posting ads or sharing a bunch of social media updates. To really make an impact, you need to know what’s working and what’s not. That’s where tracking the right metrics comes in.
Think of metrics as the “scoreboard” for your digital marketing game. You wouldn’t play a football match without keeping track of the score, right? Similarly, you shouldn’t run digital campaigns without tracking the key metrics that show how well you’re doing.
This article breaks down the most important metrics you need to track, so you can see what’s working, what’s not, and where to double down.
1. The Basics: What Are Digital Marketing Metrics?
First things first, let’s define what we’re talking about. Digital marketing metrics are numbers that show you how well your marketing is performing. Think of them as the data points that tell you whether you’re scoring goals or just kicking the ball around.
Now, not all metrics are created equal. Some are what’s called “vanity metrics.” These numbers look good at first glance but don’t really help you make smarter marketing decisions. An example would be the number of Instagram followers you have. Sure, it feels great to see that number go up, but if those followers aren’t engaging with your content or buying your products, then what’s the point?
On the other hand, “actionable metrics” are numbers that actually help you improve. They give you insights that can lead to smarter strategies and better results. For instance, tracking your conversion rate—how many people actually buy something after clicking on your ad—can show whether your ads are really working
2. Key Website Metrics to Track
When it comes to your website, there are some numbers you really don’t want to ignore. Here are the main ones:
2.1 Traffic Sources
Imagine your website is a shop. It’s great to know how many people are coming in, but it’s even better to know how they’re finding you. Are they coming directly because they know your brand, or are they finding you through Google searches, social media, or other websites?
Knowing your traffic sources helps you understand which marketing channels are bringing in the most visitors. For example, if you see that a lot of people are finding you through social media, it might make sense to invest more in social ads or content.
2.2 Bounce Rate
Bounce rate is basically the percentage of people who visit your website and leave without checking out any other pages. It’s like someone walking into your shop, looking around for a few seconds, and then walking right out. That’s not ideal, right?
If your bounce rate is high, it could mean a few things:
Your website is slow to load. Especially here in Nigeria, where internet speed can vary, a slow website can quickly turn people away.
Your content isn’t matching what people were expecting. For example, if they clicked on an ad about affordable laptops but landed on a page about high-end devices, they might leave immediately.
Reducing bounce rate can improve your website’s performance. Try speeding up your site, making sure your content is relevant, and ensuring it’s easy to navigate.
3.3 Average Session Duration
This one’s easy to understand—it’s the average amount of time people spend on your website. The longer, the better. It shows that visitors are finding your content interesting and sticking around.
To increase session duration, make sure your content is engaging. For instance, use videos, images, and easy-to-read text. You could also link to related articles or product pages to keep people clicking around.
3.4 Pageviews and Pages per Session
Pageviews tell you how many times a page on your site has been viewed. Pages per session, on the other hand, show you the average number of pages a visitor looks at in one go. The more pages they view, the more engaged they probably are.
Tracking these numbers gives you an idea of how interested people are in your content and how well your website is organized. If people are only looking at one page before leaving, it might be time to re-think your site’s layout or make your content more compelling.
3.5 Conversion Rate
Now, this is the big one. The conversion rate shows how many of your visitors are taking the action you want them to—whether that’s buying a product, signing up for a newsletter, or filling out a contact form.
To boost your conversion rate, make sure your call-to-action (CTA) is clear. It could be as simple as a “Buy Now” button or a “Sign Up” form, but it should stand out and be easy to follow. It’s also a good idea to offer something valuable in return, like a discount if you are a retail company or a free guide.
4. Social Media Metrics That Matter
Social media is huge in Nigeria, as it is all around the world. It’s easy to get carried away by posting non-stop or trends. But how do you know if your social efforts are paying off? Here are the key metrics to keep an eye on:
4.1 Engagement Rate (Likes, Comments, Shares)
Forget about the number of followers for a moment. What really matters is engagement. Are people liking, sharing, and commenting on your posts? Engagement rate gives you a sense of how well your content resonates with your audience. There’s no point having thousands of followers, yet less than 5 of them engage when you post.
To boost engagement, share content that’s interesting, funny, or valuable. Don’t just promote your products all the time. Mix things up with some helpful tips, local news, or even a little humor. Importantly, give your audience a chance to talk to you, too, by encouraging user-generated content – I mean, how would you feel if you were in a relationship and all you heard was the other person’s voice?
Reach is the number of unique people who see your content. Impressions, on the other hand, impressions show how many times your content was displayed, before you can even get into whether it was clicked on or not.
Both metrics are useful, but reach is more important if you want to grow your audience. If you notice that your reach is lower than expected, it might be time to try different types of content or invest in paid social ads.
4.3 Follower Growth Rate
While having a large following isn’t everything, I’ve never seen any brand happy to have their followers stay static for a long period. Tracking your growth rate can help you understand whether your content is attracting new people. Slow growth might mean your content isn’t hitting the mark, while fast growth can signal that you’re on the right track. One way to grow your follower numbers is to create content that’s so awesome, your existing followers share it with others without even being asked – think virality!
4.4 Click-Through Rate (CTR) on Social Media Ads
If you’re running paid ads, CTR is a must-watch metric. It tells you how many people clicked on your ad compared to how many saw it. A low CTR means your ad isn’t catching people’s attention. To improve CTR, experiment with different headlines, images, and offers. Make sure your ad is targeted to the right audience too.
5. Important Email Marketing Metrics
Email marketing can be a powerful tool for businesses in Nigeria, especially when done right. But how do you know if your emails are hitting the mark? Here are the key metrics you should keep an eye on:
5.1 Open Rate
The open rate tells you how many people actually opened your email. If your open rate is low, it might be time to rethink your subject lines. Are they catchy enough? Do they make people curious? If your emails are landing in spam folders, that’s also a problem.
Try using subject lines that are short and to the point, or add a little personalization, like including the recipient’s name. You could also experiment with sending emails at different times of the day to see if that helps.
5.2 Click-Through Rate (CTR)
Once people open your email, the next step is to get them to click on a link, whether it’s to visit your website, read a blog post, or check out a new product. The CTR measures how many people did just that.
If your CTR is low, your email content might not be compelling enough. Make sure your call-to-action (CTA) stands out, and the content matches what your audience is looking for. It’s also good to avoid overwhelming them with too many links—keep it simple and focused. Not every email includes a call to click a link, though, so don’t give yourself sleepless nights if one is not required.
5.3 Conversion Rate
Within the context of email marketing, your conversion rate measures how many people took the desired action after clicking a link in your email. Did they make a purchase, sign up for a webinar, or download an eBook? This metric is crucial because it tells you whether your email campaigns are actually driving results.
To boost your conversion rate, make sure your landing page is consistent with the email content and that it’s easy for visitors to complete the action. Offering incentives like discounts or free resources can also help.
5.4 Unsubscribe Rate
No one likes to see people unsubscribe from their email list, but it’s a reality. If your unsubscribe rate is rising, it might mean your content isn’t relevant, or you’re sending too many emails. Don’t take it personally; use it as a chance to improve.
You could reduce the number of emails you send or give subscribers the option to choose the type of content they want to receive. Sometimes, a small adjustment can make a big difference.
Running paid ads is an investment. The question is – are you sure you’re getting a good return? Here’s how to know if your money is being well spent:
6.1 Cost Per Click (CPC)
CPC shows how much you’re paying each time someone clicks on your ad. Ideally, you want this to be as low as possible while still reaching your target audience. If you’re paying too much, it could mean your targeting is off, or your ads aren’t as relevant as they could be.
Try narrowing down your audience or adjusting your ad copy and images to better match what people are looking for.
6.2 Cost Per Acquisition (CPA)
CPA measures how much it costs to get someone to take a specific action, like making a purchase or signing up for your newsletter. This metric helps you see whether your ads are actually driving sales or just racking up clicks. The goal is to get the most conversions for the least amount of money. A few things that can help you lower your CPA include improving your ad targeting, landing page quality, and ad creatives.
6.3 Click-Through Rate (CTR)
Yes, CTR comes up again because it’s important for paid ads too. It tells you how many people who saw your ad clicked on it. If your CTR is low, your ads may not be appealing to your target audience. To improve it, try experimenting with different headlines, ad formats, and images. It might also help to test various audience segments to see which group responds best.
6.4 Return on Ad Spend (ROAS)
ROAS is a big one. It measures how much revenue you’re generating for every naira you spend on ads. For example, if you’re making N10 for every N1 you spend, that’s a solid ROAS. If your ROAS is low, you may need to rethink your ad strategy. Are you targeting the right people? Is your landing page converting well? Small changes in your targeting or ad creatives can make a big difference in your ROAS.
7. Metrics for Content Marketing
Not as many businesses in Nigeria as should are leveraging the power of digital marketing, but if you’re creating blog posts, videos, or any other form of content, you need to track whether it’s reaching and engaging the right audience. Here’s what to keep an eye on:
7.1 Time on Page
This metric shows how long visitors are spending on a specific piece of content. If people are leaving quickly, your content might not be holding their attention. To increase time on page, make your content more engaging. Use subheadings, images, and videos to break up text, and consider adding interactive elements like quizzes or polls.
7.2 Social Shares
When people share your content on social media, it’s a good sign that they found it valuable. The more shares you get, the bigger your content’s reach becomes. If you notice certain types of content are getting more shares, take note and create more of that. Don’t be afraid to encourage sharing either—sometimes, a simple “If you enjoyed this, share it with your friends!” can do the trick.
7.3 Backlinks
Backlinks are links from other websites to your content. They’re important because they not only bring more traffic but also improve your website’s SEO. The more quality backlinks you have, the higher your content will rank in search engines. To earn more backlinks, create content that’s valuable, informative, or unique. Reaching out to other websites in your industry for guest blogging opportunities can also help.
8. Putting It All Together: Tracking What Matters Most
It can be overwhelming trying to keep up with all these metrics, but don’t worry—you don’t have to track everything all at once. The key is to focus on the metrics that align with your business goals.
If your goal is to increase sales, focus on conversion rate, ROAS, and CPA. If you’re trying to grow your audience, prioritize metrics like engagement rate, reach, and follower growth.
Remember, digital marketing is a journey that involves a continuous process of testing, learning, and optimizing. The more you track and understand these metrics, the better you’ll get at making smart marketing decisions.
An experience earlier today had me shaking my head. I moved homes over a year ago and despite repeated requests to remove me from their mailing list, as I no longer subscribe to their service, my former ISP continues to send me updates.
Anyway, two days ago, the ISP apparently experienced a service outage where I used to live. Since then, they kept sending regular email updates every 8 hours or so, assuring that their technical team was working on the issue. This morning, I finally got their email saying the internet service has been restored. I was happy for them and their customers.
We Said Sorry, Now, Let’s Hike Prices
Rather curiously, however, barely three hours later, I received another email from the same ISP. This time, they were announcing a nearly 30% hike in the subscription fee due to economic challenges and inflation.
Talk about bad timing! I mean, their customers just went through two days of no internet, and barely three hours after restoration, they send an email about raising subscription fees?
From a marketing perspective, this could have been handled so much better. Here’s how they missed the mark and what they could have done differently:
Empathy Matters: What Could Have Been Done Better?
Understand the Customer’s Experience
First things first, let’s put ourselves in the customer’s shoes. After enduring a two-day outage, it is likely the customers were frustrated and maybe even angry. The last thing a customer wants to hear right after service was restored was that they would be paying more. This timing made the price increase feel like a slap in the face.
Stagger the Communications
Instead of sending the price hike email immediately after the service restoration, the ISP could have waited a few days. Let customers enjoy their restored service. Allow them to calm down and appreciate the reliable service before hitting them with bad news. Haba! Naija is tough enough, as it is! Timing is crucial in managing customer emotions.
Separate the Issues
The price increase and the outage are two separate issues. They should be communicated separately and ideally, at different times. The ISP could have sent the price hike notice, say a week later, with an explanation about the economic challenges and the efforts they’re making to continue providing quality service.
Engage with Your Customers
Encourage feedback. The ISP could have asked for customer opinions on how the service can be improved following the outage. Implementing a price hike after such engagement would have been a lot more palatable. Engaging with customers can turn a negative situation into an opportunity for improvement and loyalty building. It shows that their opinions matter and that you’re committed to bettering their experience.
Conclusion
The Yorubas say “ti won ba ran ni n’ise eru, a maa nfi ti omo je” (even if you were sent on an errand as a slave, deliver the message as a free born). This means that one must learn to read the context, situation and recipient of a message to deliver it correctly. Managing customer communications, especially during outages and price hikes, requires careful consideration and planning. In the end, it’s all about timing and empathy.
Marketing professionals are often so focused on crafting and sharing stories for clients or audiences that we forget the power of telling our own stories. Today, I had a reminder of the impact of personal storytelling when a gentleman complimented the pair of shoes I was wearing at church.
Apparently, he saw me from a distance and just had to come over to tell me he loved the shoes. Jokingly, he added that if he were female, he would have asked me for them. We laughed about it, and I reminded him that I co-own a shoe shop (yep, I do, alongside all the amazing marketing work I do). I also let him know that we would love to have his wife over to get some of our beautiful shoes.
This encounter got me thinking about the power of unique stories and how important it is for marketing professionals to showcase their skills through their own personal narratives.
According to a study by Dr. Jennifer Aaker at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, stories are up to 22 times more memorable than facts alone. This highlights the importance of weaving personal narratives into your content to capture and retain audience attention.
Wearing unique shoes got the attention of a prospective new customer for my shoe shop. Similarly, adopting storytelling and content management principles for themselves can help marketing professionals attract interest in their skills. Essentially, they need to buy what they themselves are selling.
Tips for Effective Personal Storytelling
Be Relatable and Authentic: Share genuine experiences and emotions to create a connection with your audience. This builds trust and credibility. A good story should be engaging and easy to read. Use a conversational tone and include elements of humor or surprise.
Identify Opportune Moments to Highlight Your Skills: Mentioning my shoe shop in the context of receiving a compliment about the shoes I was wearing was a natural sales pitch moment. Use your stories to showcase your expertise at the right time.
Engage with Visuals: Visuals can make your stories more compelling and memorable. According to HubSpot, content with relevant images gets 94% more views than content without.
Encourage Action: End your stories with a call to action. Encourage your readers to take the next step, whether it’s visiting your website, checking out your products, or engaging with your content.
The Impact of Personal Storytelling in Marketing
Stories are more than just anecdotes; they are powerful tools that can make your content more relatable and engaging. It also applies to your personal brand as a marketing professional. By telling your own stories, you humanize your personal brand and make it more relatable. A Nielsen study found that consumers are more likely to purchase from a brand they feel connected to. As a marketing professional, your stories can create that connection. Embrace your personal experiences, showcase your skills through them and let your authenticity shine through.
