Been Burnt by Marketing Before? Yeah, We Get It.
Ever thrown a bunch of cash at marketing, only to end up with… well, not much?
Maybe the agency talks a big game, the proposal looks slick, and you’re promised leads, brand awareness, or even the elusive “viral moment.”
Then… crickets.
Sound familiar? You’re not alone. We’ve heard the horror stories.
Let’s talk about some of the ways businesses get burnt by Marketing and what you deserve from an agency.
The Usual Marketing Horror Stories
All Tactics, No Strategy
SEO! Google Ads! Social media! You get sold a laundry list of tactics, but there’s no real strategy behind them.
Marketing is about understanding your audience, positioning, and business goals. It’s about being in the right places, with the right message, at the right time. Without that, it’s just noise.
One-Size-Fits-None
Your business is unique, but some agencies treat marketing like a template. What worked for a gym won’t necessarily work for a cafe – or even another gym.
You need a marketing approach designed specifically for your challenges, opportunities, and goals – not a cookie-cutter solution.
No Brief, No Direction
We’ve seen it happen too many times. A business hires an agency without a defined strategy, objectives, or even a clear understanding of what success looks like. The agency runs with it, making assumptions, and before you know it, you’re knee-deep in a campaign that doesn’t reflect your brand, speak to your audience, or drive results.
A good agency will work with you to define your goals first – before a single ad is placed or a piece of content is created.
Overpromising, Under-Delivering
Ever been told, “We’ll get you thousands of leads in weeks”? We hate to break it to you, but that’s unlikely.
The truth is, effective marketing is about strategy, consistency, and smart execution. Quick wins can happen, but sustainable growth takes time, testing, and refinement.
If an agency promises sky-high results with no clear roadmap or rationale, it’s a red flag.
Fluffy Metrics, No Results
Great news – your website traffic is up! Your social media posts got a tonne of likes!
But here’s the question: Did any of that actually bring in customers?
Vanity metrics – things like impressions, clicks, and follower counts – might look good on a report, but did you actually reach your audience? What really matters is conversion, engagement, and revenue.
The Never-Ending Contract
At first, everything sounds great. The agency sells you on their expertise, locks you into a long-term contract, and gets to work.
Then, a few months in… the results aren’t there.
But guess what? You’re stuck.
Long-term contracts with no performance benchmarks or clear exit strategy are a red flag. A great agency should earn your business every month – not trap you in a commitment that doesn’t deliver.
The DIY Trap
We all know clients who have thought, “We’ll just handle marketing ourselves – how hard can it be?”
Next thing they know, they’re juggling branding, collateral, content, website, email marketing, and more on top of actually running their business.
DIY efforts can become costly experiments that don’t bring results. But the right agency can take the weight off your shoulders.
How Smooth Cactus Does It Differently
At Smooth Cactus, there are no pricks. Ha! But seriously – we’re one of the good guys of marketing.
We know what it’s like to be on your side of the table. If you’ve been burnt before, we get it.
But here’s the thing – when done right, marketing works.
We could list all the things that make us different – our strategic focus, our transparency, our bespoke service – but let’s be real. You’re busy, and right now, it might all sound like lip service to you.
So, how about this? Give us a chance to show you what we’re about.
If you’re up for a quick 30min chat to put a face to the name of four stand-up humans who are on your side, and who quite frankly know their shit, get in touch. We’d love to meet you.
