The Problem With “Try This!” Marketing Advice (And What to Do Instead)

You know the moment.

You ask for help in your mastermind, coaching call, or group chat. You’ve hit a snag in your marketing strategy, and you’re genuinely looking for clarity.

Instead? You get a firehose of ideas.

“Have you tried a webinar funnel?”
“Oh! I just saw someone launch with a live challenge—maybe that?”
“Ooh, add an open house! Worked wonders for my friend!”

It’s well-meaning. It’s enthusiastic.

And it’s a complete waste of time if it doesn’t start with one thing:

The right questions.

Let’s talk about why trendy tactics don’t always work, what to do instead, and how to tell the difference between solid marketing strategy—and advice that’ll just burn you out.

Why Generic Marketing Advice Doesn’t Work (Even If It’s “Working” for Others)

A recent group call I joined was packed with brilliant, established business owners. Women with six- and multi-six-figure online brands. Coaches. Course creators. Service providers. The room was stacked.

And yet…

When someone asked for help with her marketing, no one paused to ask:

• Who’s your ideal client right now?

• What are you selling, exactly?

• Where is your audience in their buyer journey?

• What’s not working in your current marketing?

• What feels aligned for you and your energy right now?

Instead, it turned into a “have you tried” bonanza.

👉 The real issue? Without context, those “hot tips” are just throwing cooked spaghetti across the room and hoping it sticks.

Strategy Is Asking the Right Questions First

Let’s break this down. Because if you're here, you’re probably:

• Struggling to figure out why your offer isn’t converting

• Questioning if your launch copy is strong enough

• Wondering if your audience is just… not that into you (spoiler: they probably are, but they’re confused)

Before you reach for someone else’s success formula, slow down and ask:

1. What’s the actual conversion problem?
Is it traffic? Offer clarity? Price point? Timing?

2. Have your people seen/heard enough from you to feel ready to buy?
If they’re still at the "who is this again?" stage, a last-minute bonus isn’t your answer.

3. Does this advice actually solve that problem?
Or are you just collecting shiny tactics like Pokémon?

4. Does it feel aligned with your capacity and energy?
Because let’s be real—doing “all the things” is the fastest route to burning out in your business.

Real Strategy = Listening Before You Act

The highest-converting sales strategies I’ve written didn’t start with tactics.

They started with deep listening. With mapping the offer to what the audience actually needed, where they were emotionally, and what objections needed addressing.

As one client shared in her VOC feedback:

"I don’t want to just try a new thing. I want someone to help me understand why it’s not working—and then tell me what will."

Amen.

You can’t prescribe before you diagnose. And you definitely shouldn’t pivot your whole offer based on someone else’s trend-chasing success.

Why You’re Burning Out From “Trying Everything”

If you’ve been DIY-ing your marketing strategy or stringing together advice from 42 free trainings and a podcast binge, let’s name what’s happening:

🚫 It’s not a strategy, it’s a scavenger hunt.
🚫 You’re chasing results with someone else’s map.
🚫 You’re building a launch plan out of half-baked spaghetti.

And here’s the fallout I’ve heard again and again in VOC interviews:

“I feel exhausted. Like I’m doing everything, and nothing is landing.”
“I know my offer is good, but I can’t figure out why people aren’t buying.”
“I’ve tried the trends. I’m ready for something that actually fits.”

If that’s you? You’re not alone—and you’re not wrong.

What to Do Instead (The Anti-Burnout Marketing Approach)

1. Start with the questions above.
Seriously. Slow down and assess your actual problem.

2. Get strategic support that listens first.
Whether it’s a coach, copywriter 🙋‍♀️, or strategist—work with someone who gets the full picture before they offer a fix.

3. Pick one thing that fits, not five things that sparkle.
When a strategy aligns with your offer, audience, and energy? It works. Not because it’s trending. Because it makes sense.

4. Ask for advice from people who ask back.
If someone jumps in with a tip before asking what you’re selling or who it’s for? Politely back away.

TL;DR: Strategy Isn’t “Have You Tried This?”

Before you add an open house, change your offer, or launch a challenge you don’t have the energy for…

👉 Ask: Is this solving the real problem?

Because marketing advice without context is just noise.

And you, my friend, deserve better than noise.

Sick of throwing tactics at your business and hoping for the best?
Book a 30-minute Strategy Session and we’ll audit your current approach, identify what’s not working, and build a simple, strategic path forward.
👉 Let’s map it out together »