Stop Wasting Money on Ineffective Marketing: Build This First

You’re posting regularly, you’ve boosted a few ads, maybe even hired someone like me to make a flashy video… but nothing seems to land.

You’re not alone—and you’re not crazy.

A lot of businesses and nonprofits are pouring time and money into content they think they’re supposed to make: campaigns, promotions, event pushes, and sales ads. But without realizing it, they’re skipping the one thing that actually makes those efforts work.

You’re launching the house without laying the foundation.

Let’s break this down.

The Problem Isn’t the Campaigns… It’s the Timing

Campaign content isn’t bad. In fact, it’s essential—but only after you’ve done the groundwork. Campaigns are designed to spark action. But action requires trust, clarity, and connection.

And you don’t build those with a discount code or deluge of Reels.

Most campaigns fail not because the idea was bad, but because the audience wasn’t ready to hear it.

Let’s consider a scenario:

A small local bakery wants to promote their new catering service. They run ads on Facebook, offer 10% off, post gorgeous photos of pastries… and get crickets.

Why?

• They didn’t do the groundwork. They never told the story about why they launched catering.

• They never shared behind-the-scenes of how they source their ingredients or prep for events. They didn’t highlight any early clients. So the ad just floated in the feed with no context—and no trust.

  
  

  It’s not that the content was bad. It just came too early in the relationship.

Building Content From The Bottom Up, NOT Top Down

To build a strong content strategy, it's important to think about the types of content you’re creating and how they fit together to support each other. This is where Content Blocks come in—each block plays a critical role at different stages of your marketing. These blocks fall into three main content categories:

1. Foundational ContentThis is your bedrock. Foundational content builds trust and credibility by establishing who you are and why you do what you do. It sets the stage for everything else. Examples include:

   • In-depth blog posts

   • Educational videos

   • E-books and guides

   • White papers

   • Your “About” page
     

2. Connection Content Connection content helps you stay top-of-mind and fosters ongoing relationships. This is the content that keeps your audience engaged and coming back for more, whether they’re ready to buy now or not. Examples include:

   • Regularly updated newsletters

   • Social media posts with tips and personal insights

   • Behind-the-scenes content (e.g., day-in-the-life stories, team spotlights)

   • Testimonials and client stories
     

3. Campaign Content This is the content designed to spark action in a focused window of time. Campaign content is crucial for driving sales, sign-ups, or donations—but only once you’ve laid the groundwork. Examples include:

   • Promotional ads

   • Special event invitations

   • Time-sensitive sales or donation requests

   • Lead generation campaigns

     
     

But here’s the kicker: Campaign content works best when it’s built on the trust and connection established by your foundational and connection content. Without that, it’s just noise.

Want Your Campaigns to Work? Build This First.

Let’s go back to our bakery example—but imagine they did it differently:

They post a blog (that they turn into a series of social videos) about why they started offering catering—because people kept asking, and they wanted to support more local events.They show a timelapse of prepping for a wedding.They spotlight a couple who raved about their mini-pie dessert table.

Then—then—they launch the promotion.

Now there’s a story. There’s trust. There’s context. And the campaign hits differently.

This works whether you’re a baker, a chef, a wedding photographer, a nonprofit youth program, or a sustainable fashion brand. If you rush to the ask before you’ve done the work to build a relationship, you’re just shouting into the void.

Let’s Build It Right

So, if you’re frustrated with marketing that’s not working…

Before you boost another post or launch another promo—step back.

Ask yourself:

• Have I clearly communicated who I am and what I stand for?

• Have I shown up consistently in ways that build trust?

• Have I given people a reason to care before I ask them to act?

Because once you’ve done that work? Your campaigns don’t feel like ads. They feel like invitations.

And people are a whole lot more likely to say yes to an invitation than a cold pitch.

Want Help Mapping It Out?

If you’re tired of throwing spaghetti at the wall, let’s build a strategy that actually works.

Check out my Content Blocks series or send me a message—I'd love to help you get clear, get consistent, and finally see your content start to click.