How do I pick the right marketing tactics for my business?
If you’ve ever left a marketing workshop clutching a 40-page strategy doc and thinking, “Cool… but what the hell do I do next?”, hi! And welcome to our TedTalk.
Most NZ business owners are drowning in options. Post daily on LinkedIn. Make Reels for Instagram. Start a podcast. Build an email list. Optimise for SEO. Run paid ads. Dust off the company Pinterest. Scream into the nearest void. [insert your local abyss here]
It’s exhausting. And it’s why so many people end up doing nothing, or worse, spreading themselves so thin that nothing lands.
You don’t need to do everything. You need to do the right things for your business, your audience, and your capacity. Not what some guru said works. What works for the people you’re trying to reach. And even then, you don’t have to do all of those things at once. You can start with one at a time, and add the rest over time in a structured way that you can keep up with.
Where are your people when they’re making decisions?
Say you’re a tradie. Your potential clients are not watching your Instagram Stories at 7am…or probably ever. They’re Googling “plumber near me” or asking in local Facebook groups.
If you’re a B2B consultant, your prospects might be deep in LinkedIn articles or industry Slack communities. If you’re a retail brand targeting younger audiences, Instagram or TikTok might be your sweet spot. If you serve local Auckland clients, Google My Business might outperform any social channel. (How good is that?!)
So stop trying to be everything everywhere, all at once. This is not a universe where we have hotdog hands, and the everything bagel cannot hurt you here, but trying to become the everything bagel as a business will in fact hurt you quite a lot. So go look at where your customers already hang out, and then join them.
Which channels suit how you work?
Now it’s also important to note, that as much as your ideal customers might be on certain channels, if it doesn’t fit who you are as a person making content, forcing it will not help you.
You can riff on a topic for days but freeze on camera? LinkedIn articles or email newsletters are your superpower, not video content.
Writing feels like pulling teeth but you’re great on the phone? Video updates, podcasts, or live Q&As instead.
The vibe matters. If a platform feels like work, your audience will pick up on that energy. Double down on 1-2 channels you can own with confidence.
None of them feel natural for you? Then you need to get real about hiring someone who can make the content for you. A great social media manager will still capture exactly who you are and what you are about to ensure your posts feel authentic.
What does your audience journey look like?
Sometimes a killer email sequence or a monthly in-person event drives more engagement than 100 LinkedIn posts. We had a client that made more sales at one Saturday pet market, than via any of their social posts ever! And the cost to set up a booth was peanuts.
SEO and social media get people to notice you. Email nurture sequences and case studies get them to consider you. Sales calls and limited offers get them to convert. Newsletters and client communities keep them around.
Some tactics build awareness. Some close deals. Know which is which.
When the usual suspects make sense
Organic Social Media
Best for: Brand building, community engagement, thought leadership
Reality check: Quality over quantity. 1-2 killer posts a week beat five forgettable ones. Pick one or two platforms and show up properly.
SEO
Best for: Long-term visibility, inbound leads, establishing authority
Reality check:Takes 6-12 months to see real results. You can’t buy your way to the top of organic rankings. If someone promises page 1 in 3 months, run. But if you’re in it for the long game, SEO is one of the highest-ROI channels available.
Email Marketing
Best for: Nurturing leads, driving conversions, building relationships
Reality check: This just “newsletters”, though they absolutely have a place. It’s about segmented, strategic communication that moves people through your funnel. Automated welcome sequences, abandoned cart flows, and behavior-triggered emails outperform generic monthly updates every time.
Paid Ads
Best for: Targeted campaigns, quick visibility, testing offers
Reality check: Amplify what already works. If your organic content or offer is weak, throwing money at ads won’t fix it. But if you’ve nailed your messaging, ads can scale results fast. And no, social media is not the only place for this, or even the right place for every business. We have plenty of clients we only recommend Google ads, because that is the only place they should be. Whereas we have other clients we recommend good old fashioned mailer drops, and it absolutely goes off.
Content Marketing
Best for: SEO, thought leadership, educating your audience
Reality check:Long-form content is making a comeback via YouTube and podcasts. Only works if you’re consistent and saying something worth consuming. Generic “5 tips” content is dead. And if you think YouTube isn’t for you, you are probably wrong. Ask us why!
Networking & Partnerships
Best for: Local businesses, B2B, relationship-driven industries
Reality check:Sometimes the best “marketing” is showing up, building genuine relationships, and asking for referrals. Don’t underestimate the power of a well-placed coffee meeting in Auckland’s small business ecosystem. Every networking group runs differently, and you will find one that suits your personal style.
How to decide without losing your mind
Step 1: Audit what you’re already doing. What’s working? What feels like a slog? Where are your current clients coming from?
Step 2: Match tactics to your goals. Want more brand awareness? SEO + organic social. Want to nurture leads? Email marketing + content. Want quick sales? Paid ads + retargeting. Want to build authority? Long-form content + speaking gigs.
Step 3: Be realistic about capacity. If you’re a solo operator, you can’t run 6 channels well. Pick 2-3 max and do them properly.
Step 4: Test, measure, iterate. Pay attention to what’s working and what isn’t. Cut what isn’t. Try something different.
Strategy first, tactics second
Before you pick your channels, you need to know who you’re talking to (and we mean know them…not “women aged 25-54” Think, what are their struggles? Where do they spend their downtime? What would change their life? How does what you’re selling do it better than what everyone else is pushing at them?), what makes you different, what you want to be known for, and what action you want people to take.
Once you have that clarity, the “what do I post?” question gets easier.
You need to be strategic about where you show up, how you show up, and what you’re trying to achieve.
Marketing that works is about doing the right things, consistently, in a way that sounds like you.
Not sure where to start? We help NZ businesses cut through the noise and build marketing strategies that don’t require selling your soul or your sleep schedule.
More the DIY type? We go through all this and more, but tailored specifically to you and your business at our Sharpen Your Social workshops.