How to simplify your marketing (and finally get results)

Feel like your marketing is stuck in neutral?

Here’s what I’d do if I were in your shoes.

A lot of SMEs reach out to us with the same frustration:

“We’re doing so much in marketing… but we’re not seeing results.”

Campaigns launched in every direction, tools everywhere, bloated processes…And in the end?

Overwhelmed teams.

No clear idea of what’s actually working.

Unqualified leads.

And a disappointing marketing ROI.

In this article, I’ll share the exact approach I recommend to SMEs in this situation.

A simple, proven, and concrete method: do less, but do it better.

The problem: marketing has become too heavy

In recent years, marketing has become unnecessarily complex.

Trying to “stay on trend,” many companies have stacked up:

• Tools (CRM, automation, analytics, SEO platforms, CMS, etc.)

• Dozens of KPIs (traffic, conversions, CPL, engagement rate…)

• Campaigns, formats, channels...

All held together by internal processes that are often more of a burden than a help.

And yet, despite all this effort:

• Lead volume isn’t really growing

• Sales cycles remain long

• The marketing budget is seen as a cost, not a growth lever

What I’d do: a radical simplification strategy

This is the approach I take when supporting an SME facing these issues.

1. Start with a massive clean-up

Before trying to improve anything, start by removing what’s slowing you down.

I recommend a full audit of everything in place:

• Which marketing actions are actually tracked?

• Which tools are used 80% of the time? Which are just sitting there?

• Which campaigns deliver real ROI?

✅ Ditch redundant tools

✅ Cut never-executed campaigns

✅ Remove overly complex reporting dashboards no one reads

This clean-up frees up time, energy, and clarity.

2. Refocus on 3 core business goals

Marketing isn’t about “being visible.”

It’s about:

• Converting prospects

• Engaging your target audience

• Driving revenue

Anything that doesn’t directly support these three outcomes?

Secondary. Or downright useless.

No more vanity metrics.

No more LinkedIn posts just to “keep the page active.”

No more nurture emails that no one opens.

Keep only what has measurable business impact.

3. Apply the 80/20 rule

Pareto’s principle works incredibly well in marketing.

The goal? Identify the 20% of actions generating 80% of results.

Examples:

• One well-targeted Google Ads campaign > 5 scattered Meta ads

• A segmented newsletter + clear offer > 10 so-so blog posts

• One optimized sales funnel > 5 poorly integrated acquisition tools

Once you’ve nailed down the high-impact 20%, cut the rest.

Then reallocate your budget, team, and energy toward those.

4. Prioritize clarity and speed

What slows down SME marketing most? Heavy internal processes.

My advice:

• Cut unnecessary internal meetings

• Avoid fixed 6–12-month marketing plans

• Work in short test/measure/adjust cycles

• Make decisions faster

Agile marketing, focused on the right levers, outperforms bloated strategies 100x over.

Real-world results from SMEs using this method

This isn’t theory. It’s been applied (and it works):

✔ +40% more qualified leads

✔ More focused and efficient marketing teams

✔ Faster, more aligned decision-making

✔ Clearer visibility into cost vs. return

And most importantly: marketing that actually supports company growth.

In conclusion: simplify to perform

The problem usually isn’t a lack of ideas.

It’s an overload of scattered, misaligned actions.

If I were in your place, I’d do 3 things:

• Audit and eliminate what’s not working

• Focus on the few things that really move the needle

• Streamline everything to move faster

Cut 70% of your marketing bloat

Double down on clarity and impact

Get real results, faster

➡️ Want to talk through how this would look in your business? Send me a message. I’ll show you how to apply this method . No BS, no unnecessary complexity.