Adjusting Your Sails: Build a Simple, Strategic Marketing Plan You Can Actually Control
There’s a quote I love on a wreath at our cottage: "We can't direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails."
It’s a familiar phrase, but after reading a fellow business owner’s newsletter, I realized how much it applies to small business marketing and the strategic consulting work I do with clients.
So many service providers, coaches, and consultants feel overwhelmed by marketing—like they’re at the mercy of unpredictable algorithms, shifting buyer behavior, and seasonal slumps.
The truth? You can’t control the wind. But when you stop fighting external variables and focus on adjusting your sails, marketing feels calmer, clearer, and gets you better results.
The Marketing Wind vs. Your Marketing Sails
To simplify your marketing, you first need to separate what you can control from what you cannot.
The Wind (Uncontrollable): algorithm updates, social media reach, seasonality, industry trends, and buyer decisions.
The Sails (Controllable): your marketing strategy, content consistency, message clarity, email deliverability, and direct outreach.
When you spend your energy worrying about the wind, marketing feels chaotic and often hopeless. But when you focus on your sails, you regain control over your business growth.
How to Adjust Your Sails Across 3 Key Marketing Channels
If your marketing feels stale or isn't delivering the results you hoped for, here is how you can make strategic adjustments without blowing up your entire strategy.
1. Social Media: Focus on Connection Over Reach
You can’t force a platform to give your posts thousands of impressions. What you can control is how intentionally you show up.
Adjustments you can control:
Consistency in posting: Choose specific days and times to publish, then stick to them. Consistency builds trust with your audience and signals the algorithm that you’re reliable.
Messaging: Share content that solves problems for your ideal clients. Instead of posting just to fill a slot, ask: “Does this help someone take a step forward?”
Engagement: Comment thoughtfully on other people’s posts, respond to messages, and reach out directly. Engagement increases visibility and strengthens relationships.
Direct Outreach: Don’t wait for leads to come to you. Send personalized messages to potential clients or collaborators. This proactive step often yields better results than waiting for organic reach.
2. Email Marketing: Look Beyond Open Rates
If email engagement drops, don't assume your audience isn't interested.
Adjustments you can control:
Subject lines: Test them using tools like SubjectLine.com or Omnisend’s Subject Line Tester. A stronger subject line can dramatically improve open rates.
Deliverability: Make sure your emails are hitting the inbox, not spam. Check your sender reputation, authentication settings (SPF/DKIM), and avoid spam-trigger words.
List hygiene: Regularly remove subscribers who haven’t opened emails in months. A smaller, engaged list is more valuable than a large, inactive one.
Layout: Keep emails clean and easy to scan. Use short paragraphs, bullet points, and clear headings so readers don’t feel overwhelmed.
Call to action: Stick to one clear CTA per email. Multiple CTAs confuse readers and dilute results.
3. Website Experience: Align Your Message
You can't force every visitor to book a call, but you can make sure your website is clear, welcoming, and optimized for conversions.
Adjustments you can control:
Homepage clarity: Within seconds, visitors should know who you serve and what problem you solve. If that’s not obvious, refine your headline and intro copy.
Copy: Use plain language that explains the problem you solve and how you help. Avoid jargon that might confuse new visitors.
Navigation: Structure your site so visitors can easily find what they need. Menus should be intuitive, and each page should guide them toward the next logical step.
SEO basics: Optimize titles, meta descriptions, and headings so your site is discoverable in search engines.
Next steps: Make it obvious what action visitors should take—whether booking a call, downloading a resource, or joining your email list.
Link audits: Regularly check for broken links. A smooth user experience builds trust and keeps visitors engaged.
Stop Fighting the Weather: Build a Strategic Foundation
When a tactic isn't delivering, it doesn't mean you've failed. It simply means you have data. Use that data to decide: Is this a temporary seasonal dip, or is it time to shift focus to a channel that yields better results?
Marketing works best when it’s grounded in a strategic marketing plan and a clear Marketing Funnel Framework. With a simple system in place, adjusting your sails becomes a calm, consistent part of running your business.
Ready to Take Control of Your Marketing?
Tired of guessing, fighting algorithms, and feeling overwhelmed by marketing options? Let's bring clarity back to your business.
I help mission-driven service providers, coaches, and consultants build simple, organic digital marketing plans that attract and convert ideal clients consistently.
👉 Check out Marketing Uncomplicated®: The Funnel Intensive: It’s a focused, hands‑on session where we’ll build a clear, customized marketing funnel for your business.
