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Key Takeaways

• Companies often mistake marketing activity for growth strategy, leading them to solve the wrong problem.
• Sustainable growth starts with understanding where your acquisition system is breaking down, rather than simply launching more campaigns.
• Before investing more in marketing, build the visibility needed to make better growth decisions.

One of my first conversations with a financial services client stayed with me for years.

I had been brought in to help improve how the company acquired customers digitally and what it could do to improve what was a far below expectation performance of its digital customer acquisition. As introductions made their way around the organisation, I kept hearing the same explanation.

“Lola is here to run some campaigns for us.”

That was not exactly the whole truth; yes, as part of the entire process, I would design some new campaigns for the client, but this was just a minute part of the engagement. Yet, this was what was mentioned the most….campaigns.  

The issue, however, was that the business already had campaigns. Several, in fact. Different agencies were running paid media. Budgets were being spent every month. New creatives were going live. Reports were being circulated. From the outside, it looked like a busy, well-oiled marketing machine.

But activity and effectiveness aren’t the same thing.

The company didn’t need more campaigns. It needed a clearer understanding of why all that activity wasn’t producing the level of growth it expected.

Read More: Know When to Hold On, When to Let Go: Lessons in Digital Growth from Kenny Rogers and a Bank That Wanted Customers

Looking Beneath the Surface: the Growth vs Marketing Conversation 

That experience reinforced something I’ve seen repeatedly over the years; when growth slows, many organisations instinctively look to marketing for answers. The assumption is that if results aren’t improving, the campaigns must need fixing. In fairness, this is sometimes true; however, it quite often isn’t.

In this case, as we dug into the acquisition process, it became obvious that marketing was only a small part of the story. The issues were as colourful as they were situated within different departments:

• Audience targeting had become so broad that different customer groups were often treated the same way. 
• There was little visibility into how people moved through the acquisition journey from the top of the funnel, making it difficult to pinpoint where potential customers were dropping off. 
• Attribution was inconsistent, so connecting marketing activity to business outcomes involved more guesswork than evidence. 
• Even performance reporting focused largely on channel metrics, offering very little insight into how the overall acquisition engine was performing.

None of those problems could be solved simply by launching another campaign.

In fact, introducing new campaigns would probably have made things worse. More activity would simply create more data, more variables and more noise without addressing the underlying issues.

One of my favourite analogies around this is trying to improve the fuel efficiency of a car without first checking whether the engine is working properly. You might see small improvements, but you’ll never know what’s really holding performance back.

The Danger of Solving the Wrong Problem

One of the biggest misconceptions about growth is that it’s primarily a marketing challenge.

It’s understandable why people think that way. Marketing is the most visible part of customer acquisition. It’s where the campaigns, creative assets and media spend live, so it’s often the first place leadership looks when numbers start to slow down.

But growth is rarely the responsibility of one function. It’s the result of how marketing, product, data, technology, customer experience and analytics work together. Weakness in any one of those areas can limit the performance of everything else.

I’ve seen organisations invest heavily in new campaigns when what they really needed was better measurement. Others have changed agencies when the real issue was poor audience segmentation. Some have doubled marketing budgets without first understanding which parts of the customer journey were leaking potential customers.

In each case, marketing became the answer before anyone had even properly diagnosed the question.

Better Growth Starts with Better Diagnosis

One key principle I’ve carried into every growth engagement since then is to encourage clients to resist the urge to prescribe solutions before the issues have been diagnosed. As a mandatory requirement, every engagement kicks off with a detailed audit of the client’s current systems and setup. That also forms the baseline for measuring impact and the results achieved from the engagement.

Before discussing campaign ideas or media budgets, I want to understand how the entire acquisition system works. Can we see where prospects enter the funnel? Do we know where they’re dropping off? Can we confidently attribute conversions to the activities influencing them? Are we measuring business outcomes or just marketing outputs?

Those questions usually reveal far more than another creative review ever could.

Yes, marketing matters. Great marketing absolutely drives growth. But it can only perform as well as the system surrounding it.

Want to Improve Growth? Improve the Structure

When organisations improve the visibility, measurement and structure of their entire acquisition system, marketing becomes more effective almost by default. That’s not because the campaigns changed overnight, but because the business finally understands where to focus its effort.

That’s why I’ve come to believe that not every growth challenge is a marketing challenge. More often than not, it’s first a diagnosis challenge. And until you solve that, every solution risks being aimed at the wrong problem. 

Key Takeaways

• Monzo’s first CMO appointment highlights how growth leadership has evolved beyond traditional marketing.
• The right leadership structure depends on business needs, not organisational convention.
• Before hiring for a title, businesses should first identify the growth constraint they need to solve.

When Monzo announced the appointment of AJ Coyne as its first-ever Chief Marketing Officer earlier this week, I found myself doing a double take. Not because the promotion itself was surprising. AJ had already been serving as VP of Marketing since 2024 and, from the outside looking in, the move seemed like a natural progression.

What caught my attention was something much simpler – Monzo has never had a CMO before. For a company that has become one of the most recognisable names in digital banking, that is quite remarkable.

Read More: My “More Value Marketing” Path: What, Why, and How

Like many people who work in growth and marketing, I have spent a fair amount of time around organisational charts. I have seen companies appoint CMOs early in their journey, I’ve also seen businesses with significant scale operate successfully without one. 

So when I saw the announcement, it got me thinking again – at what point does a business actually need a CMO? The more I thought about it, the more I realised that the answer is far less obvious than many of us assume.

The Traditional Marketing Playbook Doesn’t Always Apply Anymore

For a long time, the path seemed fairly predictable – a company grows; its marketing becomes more sophisticated; a senior marketing leader is appointed; eventually, a CMO takes a seat at the executive table.

But modern growth businesses don’t always follow that script.

Over the last decade, some of the most successful technology companies have grown through a combination of product experience, customer advocacy, community, data, partnerships, referrals and operational excellence. Marketing remains important, of course, but it often becomes deeply intertwined with several other functions. In those environments, growth can be owned by multiple teams rather than sitting neatly within one department.

That’s one of the reasons I found Monzo’s announcement so interesting. It serves as a reminder that there is no universal organisational blueprint for growth. What matters is not whether a particular title exists, but whether the capability exists.

Is Growth Still a Simple Marketing Challenge?

Simple answer – no, not anymore. 

One of the more interesting aspects of working in a fractional capacity as I am is that you are often brought into situations where growth is no longer a simple marketing challenge. The conversation may begin with customer acquisition, but it rarely stays there for long.

From my role as Content Manager at Xapo Bank to supporting content marketing strategy for SaaS company Nurp, and my current client engagements as Fractional CMO/Growth Consultant, I have been heavily involved discussing onboarding journeys, customer retention, product adoption, conversion bottlenecks, team alignment, reporting gaps, data quality, customer value, or operational processes.

The reality is that growth in today’s technology-driven world tends to sit at the intersection of many functions. That’s why I find the “Do we need a CMO?” question slightly less useful than the other one – “what problem are we actually trying to solve?”

Sometimes the answer genuinely is stronger marketing leadership, at other times, it isn’t. In fact, sometimes the biggest growth constraint has very little to do with marketing at all.

Why The Timing Matters

What I find particularly interesting about Monzo’s decision is the timing.

This isn’t a young company trying to establish itself, it’s a business that has already achieved significant scale. Which suggests to me that the CMO appointment is less about marketing becoming important and more about the business entering a new stage of maturity.

The challenges facing a company at scale are different from those faced during earlier growth phases. Instead of asking how to acquire more customers, attention increasingly turns towards how to deepen relationships, strengthen the brand, increase customer value, coordinate multiple growth initiatives and support longer-term business objectives.

Those are complex matters that require coordination across functions and clarity around priorities. Viewed through that lens, the appointment makes a great deal of sense.

What Smaller Businesses Can Learn

Whenever a high-profile company makes a leadership appointment, it can be tempting to assume there is a lesson everyone should immediately copy. Not in all cases. 

For me, the lesson isn’t that every growing business needs a CMO.Nor is it that businesses should wait until they reach Monzo’s scale before appointing one. In my honest opinion, the more useful lesson is that leadership structures should evolve in response to business needs, not assumptions.

Rather than hire on the basis of titles, business should focus on capabilities. They should be clear what problem need solving, in what order, before asking who should get hired. Strong organisations identify the constraint first, then build the leadership capability needed to address it. And for anyone involved in building growth organisations, that’s a far more interesting conversation than job titles alone.

Key Takeaways

• Internal business barriers can be as many as external ones.
• Fix silos, align goals, and stay agile to unlock consistent growth.
• Growth happens faster when everyone rows in the same direction.
  

Last month, I spent a week working out of the offices of one of my clients. The goal? To get a first-hand feel of their team dynamics as part of a broader project to strengthen their customer acquisition process.

It might sound odd at first, and you might be wondering what sitting in an office, away from dashboards and analytics, has to do with customer acquisition? What I’ve learnt over the years, though, is that what happens offline can greatly influence and determine how much success you can drive online. 

This is especially true when a company is evolving in its use of automation and digital systems. The shinier your tools, the more fragile your outcomes if the foundation is not in sync. And what’s this foundation? Your people, your processes, your culture.

Read More: 7 Ways You’re Leaving Food on the Table with Your Marketing

Focused On The External, Yet the Internal Has Become a Trap

While working from the client’s offices, I got to interact with several teams, including Product, Marketing, Technology, and Operations. My primary brief was marketing, but it quickly became clear that what was holding back their growth wasn’t a lack of effort or creativity. It was internal misalignment.

Every team was doing “something,” but the pieces weren’t fitting together. There was motion, yes. But momentum? Hmmmm…not quite.

After observing for a few days, it became evident that the real obstacles weren’t external competition or the operating environment. They were internal dynamics that quietly yet solidly blocked efficient growth. I won’t say this was new to me, though, as I’d seen similar issues play out across industries and even countries. 

So I thought to myself – why not talk about them? I also take it a step further by sharing how to fix some of these issues. Let’s go!

The Biggest Internal Threats to Your Business Success, and How To Fix Them

1. Teams Working in Silos

One of the fastest ways to stunt growth is to have teams pulling in different directions, and this is more common than you can imagine. Marketing launches a campaign without Product’s input. Operations promises timelines Technology can’t deliver. Customer complaints get lost in translation. It can all get very messy, very quickly.

Silos make coordination hard and execution harder. Everyone’s doing their best, but the best doesn’t add up if the parts don’t connect.

How to Fix It: Create Joint Business Plans

Instead of each team developing separate plans, encourage joint planning sessions, particularly for cross-functional goals like customer acquisition or retention.

When teams plan together, they build context and can better understand and support each other’s roles. That’s how alignment begins. I’ve helped several clients adopt this approach, and it almost always leads to sharper focus and fewer “I didn’t know” moments.

2. Disconnected Goals

Another major issue internal issue that puts growth at risk is misaligned objectives. Marketing might be chasing leads, Sales wants conversions, Product is optimizing features, and all Finance wants is to reduce costs. 

Individually, these function goals make sense. Collectively, they can work against each other. If you’re not careful, your company can spend months optimizing for metrics that don’t lead to the real business goal of making a profit.

How to Fix It: Use Goal-Setting Frameworks 

Companies globally are increasingly using frameworks like OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) because they force alignment between departments. The “Objective” gives direction; the “Key Results” quantify success.

By adopting a shared goal framework like OKRs, every team’s goals link to the broader business vision. This doesn’t just make tracking easier, it also turns accountability into a responsibility that is shared across the company.  

3. Deprioritizing What Should Be Priority

Every business says they know their priorities, but not as many actually live them.

I’ve seen teams spend weeks debating campaign fonts or model selection while ignoring the fact that the sales funnel is leaking leads. Or obsess over app UI updates when customer service response times are terrible.

How to Fix It: Ruthlessly Reorder Your To-Do List

The easiest way to check if something is a true priority? Ask yourself: If this doesn’t get done, what’s the consequence? If the answer is “nothing immediate,” it probably isn’t priority. 

Focus on what moves the needle, which is often the 20% of tasks that drive 80% of results. It’s also crucial to revisit priorities frequently, as they can shift with customer behavior and market realities.

4. Weak Measurement and Analytics

I can’t tell you how many companies “measure” but don’t actually analyze. It’s great to have dashboards full of metrics, but it shouldn’t stop there. There’s got to be real insight. Numbers should be tracked, yes, but must also be used to make better decisions. Otherwise, there’s really no point to tracking them.

How to Fix It: Turn Data Into Action

Start by deciding why you’re tracking each metric. What decision will it help you make? In my client’s case, for instance, fixing the funnel visibility issues meant we could track the full customer acquisition journey from campaign to accounts opened. As a result, we could adjust budget allocation and double down on the ad channels that were driving the most app installs and new accounts.

Next, democratize insights. Don’t let analytics sit with one person or department. Encourage teams to interpret and apply the data in their contexts. Making your entire company both data-focused and data-driven is crucial for scaling efficiency across functions.

Finally, commit to acting on findings. Learning without adjustment is entertainment, and we already have more than enough of that. On the other hand, learning with adjustment is a strong input in achieving growth.

5. Rigidity 

The market changes fast. Customer preferences shift overnight. Technology evolves weekly. Yet, many companies still operate with the same quarterly playbook they built at the year’s start. That’s a silent killer.

How to Fix It: Build Agility Into Your System

No, you don’t have to rewrite your strategy every month. However, you should leave room for ongoing iteration. For instance, in addition to the usual quarterly reviews, you could create monthly checkpoints to review what’s working, what’s not, and what needs tweaking.

In addition, encourage teams to test ideas on a small scale before full rollout. This gives a chance to get learnings and make improvements, increasing chances of success.  

Conclusion

The most dangerous thing about internal threats is how invisible they can be. They may not show up on financial reports or competitor analysis decks, but they quietly drain morale, momentum, and money.

Growth does not start with a new campaign or tool. It starts with clarity, connection and consistency within your organization. One thing I’ve also learnt is that when you start fixing the inside (your people, processes, and alignment), you’ll notice that external challenges suddenly seem much easier to navigate.

If you’re reading this and realizing your company might be struggling with some of these internal gaps, you’re not alone. The good thing is that it’s fixable.

I help organizations audit and redesign their growth systems from the inside out by aligning strategy, teams, and execution so marketing spend actually translates to measurable results. If you’d like to explore how that could look for your business, let’s connect. 

Key Takeaways

• Nobody can want your success more than you — effort must come first before help pays off.
• Support and introductions only work if you’ve done the groundwork (research, prospecting, preparation).
• When you show commitment to your own goals, people are more willing to rally behind you.

There’s a Yoruba saying that goes, “If someone wants to help you lift a load onto your head, you must bend down and support the effort too.” In other words, if you’re expecting help, you’ve got to show up with something of your own.

This came to mind recently when I was speaking with someone I know who was struggling to meet a sales target. Let’s call him James. 

Read More: The Power of Consistency: How Showing Up Can Be A Game-Changer

James had reached out to me for support, hoping introductions and connections would solve his problem. I’m a firm believer in providing support and helping people as much as possible. However, what baffled me the more James and I talked is that it didn’t seem he had done even the basics in trying to meet his goals.  He had no research into his market, no prospecting, no preparation. He just seemed to want the load lifted for him, but he hadn’t bent down to try to lift his own load.

How Vested Are You In Your Own Success?

The truth is, whether in sales, business, or life, nobody can want your success more than you. Support, introductions, and opportunities are powerful, but they can’t substitute for effort. If you’re not invested in your own success, even the best help will fall flat. In fact, such help can do more harm than good. Consider these scenarios:

• If you’re given an introduction to a potential client but don’t know what problem they face or how your solution fits, the meeting will likely go nowhere.
• If someone connects you with an investor but you haven’t prepared your numbers or sharpened your pitch, you’ll burn the opportunity.
• If a mentor offers guidance but you don’t follow through, the advice becomes just another forgotten conversation.
  

That’s why being vested in your own success means doing the groundwork before seeking support. It’s not about proving you don’t need help, but making sure help actually works when it arrives.

How to Turn Support Into Success

• Do the homework. Before asking for introductions, research the people or companies you want to connect with. Know what they care about and how you can add value.
  
• Show the effort. Let people see you’re not waiting around for handouts. When others notice you’ve already put in the work, they’re more willing to open doors for you.
  
• Respect opportunities. Every introduction, every piece of advice, every bit of support is a seed. How you nurture it determines whether it grows.
  

Conclusion

Over time, I have learnt that once you demonstrate you’re serious about your own goals, more people rally to help you. Reliability attracts support, and your efforts and preparedness invite opportunity. So, if you’ve been waiting for others to do the heavy lifting, it’s time to flip the script: bend down and attempt to lift the load first. Ultimately, your goal should be to ask for support, not just expect others to do everything for you.

Key Takeaways

• GEO is changing how Nigerians discover businesses, as AI answers now influence buying decisions.
• Treating AI like a new search engine means optimizing for trust, clarity, and authority.
• Businesses that adapt early to GEO will stand out, while late adopters risk invisibility.

If you run a business in Nigeria, you’ve probably been told a hundred times over the years to “do SEO.” You know, that magic activity that is supposed to help you optimize for Google, fight for page one, sprinkle in keywords, and hope people find you. But there’s a new shift happening right under our noses: Generative Engine Optimization (GEO). 

As more people turn to AI-powered tools for answers in their day-to-day living, GEO has become a game-changer for business in Nigeria and globally. There are a lot of misconceptions floating around, so let’s clear them up.

Read More: Executive Positioning 101: How to Align Personal and Company Branding for a Strong Debut

What Is Generative Engine Optimization?

In the simplest of terms, GEO is about making sure your business shows up when people ask AI-powered tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Claude questions. The reality is that t’s already happening. One of my clients in the e-commerce industry recently noticed that ChatGPT had started showing up in their analytics as a referral source. That means customers didn’t Google them; they asked ChatGPT, and ChatGPT pointed them in the right direction. However, for businesses to make the most of the opportunity and position correctly for GEO visibility, it’s important to separate fact from fiction. 

Misconception 1: GEO Is Just SEO With a Fancy Name

Nope. SEO is about ranking on Google. GEO is about being trusted enough by AI engines that they actually mention you in their answers.

Here’s the major difference:

• With SEO, you worry about where you appear in the search results.
• With GEO, the AI might not even show results and instead just generates one answer. If you’re not in it, you’re invisible.
  

Misconception 2: Nigerians Don’t Use AI Search, So It Doesn’t Matter Yet

I’ve heard this one a lot, and it’s absolutely wrong. Nigerians are early tech adopters, can you remember how fast we jumped on WhatsApp, crypto, or even Bolt? And even if all your local customers aren’t asking ChatGPT for recommendations yet, global customers are. If someone in London asks ChatGPT, “Which Nigerian fashion brands ship abroad?” and your brand isn’t optimized for GEO, you’re missing free international exposure.

Misconception 3: GEO Is Only for Tech Bros

Not true at all. Whether you’re a fintech startup, a real estate agency, or a local restaurant in Lekki, GEO matters. It’s not about being in tech, but being visible where people are asking questions.

Think of it this way:

• A Lagos-based law firm could show up when someone asks, “Who are reliable business lawyers in Nigeria?”
• A restaurant in Abuja could be recommended when someone asks, “Where can I find the best suya in Abuja?”
  

Misconception 4: It’s All About Keywords (Again)

Traditional SEO was often about stuffing keywords like “best tailor in Lagos” all over your website. GEO doesn’t work like that, and instead of chasing keywords, GEO rewards you for clarity and authority.

AI tools prefer content that’s:

• Clear and easy to understand
• Structured (FAQs, lists, straightforward answers)
• Fact-checked and consistent (no outdated or conflicting info)

Misconception 5: GEO Won’t Help Local Businesses

This one might be the most dangerous. If someone asks ChatGPT, “Where can I buy affordable laptops in Abuja?” and your business isn’t optimized for GEO, guess what? You’ll never even be in the conversation. In fact, the search engines like Google are already delivering GEO results by default. 

Misconception 6: GEO Is Too Complicated

GEO might sound technical, but it’s really about doing the basics right:

• Keep your content fresh and factual.
• Build authority around your niche (don’t try to be everything at once).
• Make sure your business info online is accurate and consistent.
• Encourage mentions and links from reputable sources.
  

Conclusion

GEO isn’t some distant future trend. It’s already here, and Nigerian businesses are starting to see it in action. The companies that take it seriously now will be the ones AI engines recommend tomorrow. And in a world where customers’ online questions are first being answered by AI-powered tools, GEO makes a big difference between being invisible and being discovered.

Key Takeaways

• Start small with habits that are easy to repeat.
• Use systems (reminders, routines) instead of relying on willpower.
• Consistency isn’t perfection, but bouncing back when you slip.

After my recent post about how just showing up can change the growth and opportunities game, a few people reached out to ask whether it’s possible to become more consistent. That’s a fair question, because while talking about consistency is easy, living it is where most people struggle.  So, what really helps the process? Here are a few things that have worked for me:

Read More: Creativity Hack: Expose Yourself to More and Think Bigger

1. Start Small 

Most of us fail at consistency because we go too big, too fast. We get excited and set goals that sound impressive until real life hits. If you want to build a reputation for reliability, start small. Want to write more? Commit to one paragraph a day or a blog post a month, not a novel. Want to check in with your team? Pick one quick weekly update, not a 10-page report. Want to post more on your business social pages? Rather than aim for 7 posts a week, how about doing 2 or 3 consistently? Small actions are easier to repeat, and they add up over time. 

2. Use Reminders Shamelessly

If you’re relying on memory to drive your consistency goals…hmmm, I wish you well. My experience is that it’s more about systems than anything else. For me? It’s my calendar and notes, and every single thing I need to get done gets into those. I know people who swear by sticky notes. Whatever works, use it. If a phone reminder helps you send that weekly report, review your marketing structures, or even read your Bible, then you’re already miles ahead of someone who keeps forgetting.

3. Anchor New Habits to Old Ones

When you tie a new habit to something you already do without thinking, the results can be like magic. For example, every time you make your morning coffee, use that moment to check your calendar. Or if you scroll your phone before bed (and let’s be honest, many of us do), use that time to jot down your top three priorities for tomorrow. It’s easier to build consistency when you don’t have to invent entirely new routines.

4. Don’t Beat Yourself Up When You Slip

Everyone drops the ball sometimes. I have, and you probably have too. The mistake isn’t missing once, it’s letting that one miss spiral into quitting altogether. The trick is to bounce back quickly. Consistency isn’t perfection. It’s persistence.

Conclusion

These are just a few things that have worked for me, and there are so many other habits that can make a difference. At the end of the day, what matters is showing up and being steady. And steady is what builds trust, whether you’re leading a business, climbing the career ladder, or just being the kind of person others can count on.

Key Takeaways

• Check in regularly on things you set up; backups, automations, and campaign flows need attention.
• Lost data isn’t lost impact. Just because something isn’t recorded doesn’t mean it didn’t matter.
• Setbacks don’t have to be full stops, they could just be a pause or a reset.

Read More: Are You Buying What You Are Selling?

On Easter Monday, April 21, 2025, the much beloved and revered Pope Francis died. As I watched the coverage coming in from Vatican City, it pulled me right back to January 2023 when I visited the Vatican City, as part of a larger trip to Italy and Portugal. I love to visit places with rich history, and not many match the Vatican City. I took so many pictures and videos, the landmarks, the side streets, the food, the quiet corners most people don’t notice, and the people themselves. I had an amazing tour guide and was part of a group of tourists from all around the world. It was incredible.

Well-Made Plans, Interrupted

At the start of that trip, I made myself a promise: I would finally start that travel blog I’d been talking about for ages. I was at a point where I had to travel quite a lot for work, and this was a good thing because I love to discover new places. A very close friend always told me, “You should start sharing your experiences.” So I decided that this trip would be the beginning. So, from Casablanca to Rome to the Vatican City, I played tourist like I’ve never quite done before and documented everything — or so I thought. 

Then, the night before I left Rome for Lisbon, I lost my phone.

I told myself, “No wahala, I have backups.” Except I didn’t. Well, I used to. Turns out my phone had stopped syncing to Google cloud almost three weeks earlier — and I had no idea. Just like that, everything from Casablanca to Rome was gone. The only pictures I had left were the few I had sent to my family groups. Ahhh! How? I’ve never been into pictures or videos (how hard it is to get a picture of me has been a long-standing joke with family and friends), and the one time I decide to go all out, this happens? 

Marketing Lessons Learned From Heartbreak 

I was so disheartened, I abandoned the whole travel blog idea without even knowing. The next morning, I caught my flight from Rome to Lisbon. I went on to visit Braga and Porto (both cities also in Portugal), and I didn’t take a single picture. No videos, nothing. The excitement of documenting my journey just fizzled out. 

I never started the blog, and I didn’t even think about it again until all the Vatican footage from this week brought it all back. That entire experience taught me a few important lessons that I’ve carried with me ever since, especially in my line of work:

1. “Set It and Forget It” is a Lie. Always Check What’s Running.

I had set up my cloud backups long ago and assumed they were running. But something had gone wrong weeks earlier, and I didn’t check. I have seen the same thing happen in business quite frequently. Just last week, during a social media workshop with a client, I had the team check their Instagram link in bio on the spot, only to discover multiple broken and outdated links. These broke long ago, but had not been fixed, because no one was checking.

2. Some Wins Show Up In Unexpected Ways  

I was so disappointed with the fact that I had nothing to post from my trip to Rome that I didn’t consider that I still had the memories. I can still tell you how Vatican City felt at sunrise, and how it felt to stand before the breathtaking frescoes in the Sistine Chapel and walk through the ancient burial chambers under St. Peter’s Basilica. Those moments still live in me, even without proof on my camera roll.

In marketing, we sometimes obsess over numbers, dashboards, and performance charts. But some wins don’t show up on Excel sheets. Not everything valuable is measurable. And not everything measurable is valuable.

3: Don’t Let One Loss Kill the Whole Dream

I lost a phone, yes. But what I really lost was the motivation to pursue a path. That travel blog dream? Gone with the pictures. One bad experience made me move on from the whole thing.

I’ve seen this happen with teams I work with, too. Something doesn’t go right; maybe a campaign flops, or engagement drops, and the instinct is to throw everything out. But sometimes, the core idea is still solid, and a bad week doesn’t always mean the strategy is bad. It may just need a little tweak. As we say in Naija “never throw the baby away with the bath water”.

4: Passion Can Pause — But It Doesn’t Have to Die

The truth? That travel blog idea didn’t die, it just found interpretation in a different type of blog (this very one that you are reading now 😂). I weave in those and other travel experiences into my writing because they are an important part of who I am.

The same goes for that idea you parked months ago. The one you believed in, but abandoned after one failed try. Maybe it’s time to dust it off and try again, older, wiser, better prepared.

Go ahead, get back in the saddle. I’m rooting for you!

Key Takeaways

• Consistency builds trust, so don’t just advertise once and vanish.
• Existing customers are your best assets and should not be ignored.
• Track your data, because if you’re not measuring, you’re guessing.

Read More: Are You Buying What You Are Selling?

You know those flaming knives that some daring stunt masters wield like it’s nothing? Running a business in Nigeria can feel like juggling a dozen of them – exciting, yet risky. You’re hustling, constantly coming up with new strategies to grow your business, but sometimes…it still doesn’t seem to click. 

After working in different business sectors and with multiple businesses across various industries, one thing I’ve seen too often is businesses leaving money on the table because they’re not doing enough with what they already have.

I’ve worked with clients in food services, tech startups, and even financial services here in Nigeria, many of whom were already doing pretty okay with their marketing. However, they were all definitely leaving opportunities on the table – otherwise, they wouldn’t have needed a “more value marketing” consultant (that’s me, by the way 😁). Here are seven ways that could be happening to you too.

1. You’re Forgetting the Power of Consistency

A lot of businesses I’ve worked with spend a decent amount on advertising. They’ll launch an eye-catching campaign, get some likes, maybe a bunch of leads and then… silence. 

The issue here is that marketing isn’t a one-off. It’s a long game. If you’re not staying consistent with your messaging, you’re likely not building the kind of brand loyalty you need to see real results. Think of it this way – would you stop showing up to work after getting the first paycheck? No? Then, you need to show up consistently in your customers’ lives too.

2. You’re Ignoring the Goldmine of Existing Customers

I know it’s tempting to always focus on getting new customers, but your existing ones are a goldmine for your marketing efforts. I worked with a client in fashion retail who was so fixated on new customer acquisition, it was a major hurdle to get them to open their minds to a crucial opportunity – loyal customers. They had had hundreds of customers who had already bought from them, but these customers were not being engaged for repeat business. 

Upselling, cross-selling, and simply nurturing existing relationships can skyrocket your revenue through direct sales and referrals. Don’t let those who already love your business slip through the cracks. Rather, you should use the opportunity that their love offers to build loyalty and reach your customers’ inner circles.

3. You’re Not Creating Content That Solves Problems

Marketing should never feel like a never-ending sales pitch. If it does, then, you’ll get ignored, it’s only a matter of time. Instead, ask yourself this: “What problem am I solving?” If your content isn’t addressing the real concerns of your target audience, it’s just background noise. Share useful tips, solve pain points, or provide value. 

When you start doing this, people will start seeing you as a go-to solution, not just another business pushing products. I always say that if every encounter with your brand is a “buy from me, buy from me” moment, you’ll never build the kind of bond with your audience that gives you the edge in today’s cutthroat business arena.

 4. You’re Trying to Do Too Much, Too Soon

When you’re excited about your business, the temptation is to jump on everything—every platform, every tool, every new shiny marketing trend. However, the key to success is not about spreading yourself thin. It’s about doubling down on what works. 

Rather than attempt to be present on TikTok, Instagram, X, Threads, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Facebook….everywhere, pick the platforms where your audience is already hanging out, master those platforms, then slowly expand. No need to rush or try to be everywhere all at once. 

5. You’re Not Tracking Data to Measure Impact

If you spend five minutes talking with me about growth and marketing, I’ll probably mention analytics and data at least a dozen times. That’s because data is the bedrock of successful, efficient, and effective marketing.

The number of businesses that fail to track their marketing performance is mind-boggling. This is where I see so many people throwing their money away without realizing it.

If you don’t know what’s working, how do you think you can improve anything? Your campaigns, content, even community management need to be data-driven. That means regularly checking on click-through rates, conversion rates, ROI, and even engagement levels. Marketing without data is like driving a car without headlights at night – you’re not sure where you’re headed, but can only pray it’s not a brick wall or dead end.

6. You’re Not Engaging with Your Audience

If you’re posting on social media but not replying to comments, answering questions, or even just liking posts, then you’re missing the point. Engagement is a two-way street. The more you interact with your followers, the more loyal they become. 

Many years ago, I started a new role that included managing social media marketing for my employer. One of the first things that jumped at me was that despite having thousands of followers, their engagement rate was flat. Why? Because they weren’t responding to their community. By simply engaging, replying to comments, and starting meaningful conversations, we got to change that picture. It doesn’t take much to engage with your audience, but it goes a long way.

7. Your Offer Isn’t Clear Enough

You can’t expect customers to buy if they don’t fully understand what you’re offering. Don’t make the mistake of being vague about the value your products or services offer. Even worse, don’t ever, EVER! try to be something to everyone. That’s a first-class ticket to the land where brand confusion, lack of identity and wasted time, money and efforts hold sway. 

You need to make it crystal clear what the benefits are, who they are for and why someone in your target audience should buy from you instead of from the competition. Make your value proposition crystal clear and focus on what truly sets you apart.

Conclusion

Marketing is a never-ending process, and I know it can feel overwhelming at times. But if you’re already doing some of these things, it’s time to take another look at them and stop letting opportunities slip away. The best part is that you probably already have what you need to scale your business. You just have to use it properly, measure impact, and continually make improvements. 

Earlier this year, I spent an entire week reading. Not novels or anything light, but back-to-back articles on funnel optimization – from email sequences to writing with a conversion focus to tracking…I read plenty. I wanted to really brush up my knowledge and explore new thinking in those areas, so it was a “read-ful” week, and I was quite proud of myself. Guess what I did next? Nothing.

The insights were brilliant. The ideas I got? Amazing. But life happened. Client work piled up. I got a new referral I needed to pitch for. An awards organizing committee I was a part of had a few pre-event activities I needed to be a part of.. And just like that, all that brilliant knowledge I had found stayed in my head (and OneNote), collecting digital dust.

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Knowledge Doesn’t Move the Needle — Action Does.

We all love that spark that comes from discovering something new. It makes no difference if it’s a fresh way to carry out a task, a smart hack, a different way to look at something we thought we already knew…it makes us feel really good to discover new things. Like we’re moving forward. However, unless that knowledge finds its way into your actual work, systems, campaigns, or conversations, it really doesn’t count for anything.

Why This Happens (And How to Catch Yourself)

It’s not that you’re lazy. Or unserious. Most high-performing people are just busy. There’s always something demanding your attention, especially if you’re the kind of person that’s juggling your own work with managing a team, building something from scratch, or trying to juggle a hundred tiny moving parts at once.

Sometimes, the knowledge feels too big. Other times, we overthink execution or wait for the “perfect time.” I announce to you, though, ladies and gentlemen: there’s no perfect time. The knowledge isn’t useful in its untouched state, it only becomes useful when it’s tested, tweaked, and translated into action.

So, What Can You Actually Do With What You Learn?

Here’s what I’m personally committing to (and what you can steal immediately):

1. One Insight, One Application: Whenever I come across something interesting, I write it down. It makes no difference whether it’s a new email sequence structure or something that can help me improve my time management skills, I write it down, with a clear note on how I’ll apply it.  

2. Specific Implementation Blocks. I block 45 minutes a week to revisit something I’ve learned and build it into something real. No pressure to do it perfectly. Just start.  

3. Accountability: I talk about what I’m testing. Sometimes with my team. Sometimes with my children (yes, there’s no backtracking what you said with today’s generation 😂). The moment you say it out loud, you give it legs. And then you’re more likely to follow through.

4. Less learning, More Doing. This one’s tough, especially if you’re like me and always on the lookout for something new to learn. But I’ve learned to pause on consuming more until I’ve implemented at least one thing from what I’ve already learned.  

Conclusion: Make It Count

Don’t get me wrong. Learning is great. But what counts is turning theory into action. Growth lives in action; the doing of the knowledge you picked up. It makes no difference if you’re running a business, building a brand, scaling campaigns, or even working on improving yourself; what you apply is the difference between feeling inspired and actually making an impact.

So next time you highlight that quote, bookmark that article, or save that tweet… pause for a second and ask: ” What am I actually going to do with this?”

That’s how you make it count.