When Measurement Kills Marketing
Here’s something that might ruffle a few feathers, but it needs to be said: our obsession with measuring every marketing activity might actually be hurting our businesses.
The Marketing World Has Changed
Let me share something I’ve observed while coaching businesses over the past year.
The way people buy has fundamentally changed, yet many of us are still trying to measure marketing like it’s 2010.
Think about your own buying behaviour for a moment.
You might see a LinkedIn post that interests you, then watch a few YouTube videos, read some emails, check out a few social media posts… and eventually, weeks or months later, you make a purchase.
But when asked “how did you hear about us?” you’ll probably only remember the last touchpoint.
The Power of Small Deposits
Here’s how marketing really works today: every piece of content you put out there – whether it’s a LinkedIn post, a podcast episode, a YouTube video, or an email – makes a small deposit in what I call your ‘trust bucket’ with potential customers.
Over time, these small deposits add up to something much bigger than their individual parts.
They build brand affinity.
They get people to know, like, and trust you.
Eventually, these accumulated deposits lead to sales.
The Timeline Isn’t Linear
For some prospects, it might take six months of watching your TikTok videos before they’re ready to buy.
Others might convert after seeing just one LinkedIn post. Some might need to receive seven emails before they take action.
The journey isn’t linear, and that’s exactly why obsessive measurement can be counterproductive.
The Measurement Trap
Imagine trying to put unique tracking links in every social media post “to see if social is working.” Or expecting people to watch one video and immediately make a purchase. Or spending hours analysing the optimal number of LinkedIn posts per week to drive sales.
The world doesn’t work that way anymore. And pretending it does is not just futile – it’s harmful. Why? Because it leads us to make wrong decisions based on incomplete data.
A Better Approach
Instead of trying to measure everything, focus on:
- Creating consistent, valuable content
- Building genuine connections with your audience
- Showing up regularly where your prospects spend time
- Taking a long-term view of marketing success
Let your marketing investments compound over time.
Have a clear strategy for how different channels work together to drive revenue, but don’t expect to be able to track every step of the journey.
The Reality Check
One of my clients recently shared something interesting.
They’d been meticulously tracking every marketing activity for months, trying to identify exact ROI for each channel.
When they finally asked their new customers how they’d found them, the answers were never as simple as “I saw your Facebook ad” or “I read your email.”
Instead, they heard things like:
“I’ve been following you for ages”
“I see your content everywhere”
“I feel like I know you already”
Moving Forward
This doesn’t mean we should abandon measurement altogether.
But we need to be smarter about what we measure and why.
Focus on the metrics that really matter:
- Overall revenue growth
- Customer satisfaction
- Brand awareness
- Engagement trends
A New Marketing Mindset
Think of your marketing like planting a garden.
You don’t dig up the seeds every day to see if they’re growing.
You create the right conditions, maintain consistency, and trust in the process.
Ready to Transform Your Marketing Approach?
If you’re feeling stuck in the measurement trap, let’s talk about it. Book a virtual coffee with me, and we can explore how to create a marketing strategy that builds long-term success without getting bogged down in excessive metrics.
Best wishes,
Jamie
P.S. Remember, not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts.
