My First Marketing Plan Was a Massive Flop
In 2015, I sat alone in my brand-new BBQ restaurant’s empty dining room, staring at the door like it owed me money. Lunch had been another dud. The silence was thick, heavier than the lingering smoke from the pit. I could still smell the brisket we’d spent all morning perfecting. No one was there to eat it.
I tapped my fingers on the table, trying to shake the feeling. Maybe it’s just a slow day, I told myself. But it wasn’t just today. It had been every damn day since we opened. I had poured everything into this place—money, time, energy. We had great food, great service, and a location right off a busy road. So why wasn’t anyone coming in?
Then it hit me. Marketing. I just need to get the word out. That was it. The missing piece. If people knew we were here, they’d show up. And what better way than a billboard? I started thinking big—Chick-fil-A, McDonald's, Coca-Cola. They all used billboards. Billboards worked for them, so they’d work for me.
I could already see it—giant letters, a perfect shot of our brisket, a tagline like “BBQ Worth Stopping For.” It felt like a power move. I called up a billboard company. “How much for the one on Nicholasville Road?” I asked, pacing in the kitchen. "$2,500 for the month," the guy said. I nearly dropped the phone. $2,500. That wasn’t just a lot of money—it was 12% of our monthly revenue at that point. And in a 10% margin business, adding expenses like this was a huge risk. But this wasn’t an expense—it was an investment.
"Gotta spend money to make money, right?" I confirmed the deal. The billboard went up the next week. Then I waited.
Day 1: Nothing.
Day 3: Still nothing.
Day 7: A week in, and not a single person had mentioned the billboard.
It’s a long game, I told myself. But that little voice in my head wasn’t so sure. Then, on Day 10, a customer walked in. I played it cool. “So, how’d you hear about us?”
“Oh, I saw your billboard.” I exhaled. Finally. Proof it was working. But that hope died fast.
Day 14. Silence.
Day 20. Two people came in together and mentioned it.
A small win. Nowhere near enough.
By Day 31, I had enough. I called the billboard company. “Hey, I need to cancel.” The guy on the other end hesitated. “Are you sure? Billboards take time to—”
“I’m sure,” I said, cutting him off before he could sell me on another month. There was no way I could afford it anyway. I hung up and slumped into a chair.
The dining room was still empty, thirty chairs waiting for people who weren’t coming. I had just burned $2,500. And here’s the worst part. It wasn’t just that billboards didn’t work for me. It was that I had no real marketing strategy. I was just throwing money at things, hoping something would stick.
And hope is a terrible marketing plan.
That night, I made a decision. If I was going to survive, I had to figure out marketing. So I dove in. Books. Podcasts. Courses. I studied everything I could get my hands on. I learned what actually gets people through the door. I learned how to tell stories people care about. I learned what marketing actually is—and what it isn’t.
And after 18 months, I cracked the code. I discovered a system that helped me compete with billion-dollar brands—without wasting money on random ads that don’t convert.
Most business owners suffer from a disease I call "Random Acts of Marketing." We copy big brands, hoping it’ll work. It won’t. We get bombarded by salespeople who don’t care if their solution actually helps. We waste money we can’t afford to lose.
If you want to win, you need a plan that cuts through the noise and actually works.
That’s why I built High Beam Marketing. The Flywheel we use isn’t based on guesswork—it’s been tested across hundreds of brands and hundreds of millions of dollars in ad spend. And I’m sharing it so no business owner has to burn $2,500 on a billboard just to learn the hard way.
Because if you want to compete with billion-dollar brands, you need a system.
Not hope.
Why Most Marketing Plans Fail (And How to Fix Yours)
Most marketing plans don’t fail because the product is bad—they fail because the strategy is broken. Business owners either try too many things at once or rely too much on one tactic, hoping it will work on its own.
That’s like trying to ride a bike with one pedal. You might move, but it’s slow and frustrating.
Instead of creating momentum, most brands stay stuck in a cycle of random acts of marketing:
Running ads without a strategy
Posting on social media with no plan
Changing tactics every few months out of desperation
If this sounds familiar, it’s not your fault. Most marketing advice is scattered, conflicting, and incomplete. So, how do you fix it? You stop playing marketing roulette and build a system that actually works. That’s where the High Beam Marketing Flywheel comes in.
Step 1: Positioning
What Makes Your Brand Different?
Every brand claims to be unique, but most sound exactly the same. Why? Because they focus on what they sell instead of why it matters.
Think about Tesla. When Elon Musk launched the company, he didn’t just promise electric cars—he promised to revolutionize transportation, end dependence on fossil fuels, and make cutting-edge technology feel like the future.
That’s what made people believe in Tesla, not just their cars. If you want to stand out, you need to answer three critical questions:
Who do you serve?
Get specific. If your answer is “everyone,” your marketing will connect with no one.
What problem do you solve?
People don’t buy products. They buy solutions to their problems.
Why should people trust you?
What makes you different or better than the alternatives?
Quick Test: Show your website or an ad to someone unfamiliar with your business and ask, “Can you tell what we do in less than 10 seconds?” If they hesitate, your positioning needs work.
A well-positioned brand makes every ad, email, and social post more effective. Instead of feeling like you’re shouting into the void, your message lands with the right people.
Step 2: Awareness
Making Sure People See You
You could have the best product in the world, but if no one knows you exist, it doesn’t matter. Most people won’t buy the first time they see your brand. It takes multiple touchpoints for them to recognize and trust you. That’s why awareness isn’t about one viral post—it’s about being everywhere that matters.
Social Media Marketing
Your potential customers are scrolling right now. Are they seeing you?
The brands that dominate social media aren’t just active—they’re strategic. They don’t just post; they create movements, spark conversations, and keep showing up.
Short-form video – TikTok, Reels, and YouTube Shorts stop the scroll and create engagement.
Personal branding – People connect with people, not logos. Show the human side of your brand.
Community engagement – It’s not enough to post. Reply, comment, and engage to build relationships.
Public Relations
It’s one thing to talk about your brand—it’s another when others do it for you. PR and influencer marketing are two of the most powerful ways to build credibility, expand your reach, and create trust with potential customers.
Earned media—features in publications like Forbes or Business Insider—instantly boost authority. Guest appearances on podcasts and industry interviews introduce your brand to new, engaged audiences. Press releases ensure your latest product launch or big announcement gets covered by the right media outlets. But today, influencer marketing plays just as big of a role. Partnering with trusted creators allows you to tap into built-in communities that already trust their recommendations.
A well-rounded PR and influencer strategy doesn’t just increase awareness—it gives your brand third-party validation that advertising alone can’t buy. When people see your name across media platforms and trusted voices, your credibility skyrockets.
Paid Ads (part 1)
Organic reach is powerful but slow. Paid ads speed up the process and put you in front of the right audience immediately.
Social media ads – Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube ads allow hyper-targeting.
Search ads (Google & Bing) – Be at the top when high-intent buyers are searching.
Retargeting campaigns – Most people don’t buy on the first visit. Remind them.
If people aren’t seeing you consistently, they’re forgetting about you. And if they’re forgetting about you, they’re buying from someone else.
Step 3: Conversion
Clicks don’t pay the bills. If people are visiting your website but not buying, the problem isn’t traffic—it’s conversion.
Paid Ads (part 2)
Getting someone’s attention is only half the battle. The real challenge is turning that attention into action. That’s where paid ads shine—not just as a tool for visibility, but as a system for converting interested buyers into paying customers.
Effective paid ads do more than drive traffic. They guide potential customers through the decision-making process with strategic messaging and targeting. Retargeting campaigns remind visitors of products they viewed, while well-placed offers create urgency and push hesitant buyers to take action. A strong ad strategy doesn’t just stop at the first click—it nurtures prospects until they’re ready to buy.
If your ads are bringing in traffic but not sales, the issue isn’t the ad spend—it’s what happens after the click. Refining your targeting, landing pages, and follow-up strategy can turn more visitors into customers and make every dollar work harder.
Website
Your website is either selling for you 24/7 or quietly driving potential customers away. A great product and strong marketing won’t matter if visitors land on your site and leave out of frustration.
Speed is critical—a one-second delay in load time can drop conversions by 7%, costing you sales before a customer even sees your offer. With over 60% of online sales happening on mobile, a slow, clunky site means lost revenue. And even if customers make it to checkout, every extra step in the process increases cart abandonment. A frictionless, streamlined checkout experience keeps them from second-guessing their purchase.
A high-converting website isn’t about flashy design—it’s about removing obstacles so buying feels effortless. If your site isn’t optimized, fixing it should be your top priority.
Email Marketing
Most people don’t buy the first time they visit your site. That doesn’t mean they’re not interested—it just means they need a nudge. That’s where email and SMS marketing come in. Done right, they don’t just bring people back; they recover lost sales and build long-term loyalty.
Abandoned cart emails can recover up to 30% of lost sales by reminding shoppers of what they left behind. A simple “Hey [First Name], you forgot something” follow-up can be the difference between a lost sale and a new customer. And once they buy? Post-purchase sequences keep them engaged, increasing repeat purchases and strengthening brand loyalty.
If your website is getting traffic but not converting, your follow-up strategy is broken. Fix that, and you’ll turn more browsers into buyers—without spending an extra dime on ads. 🚀
Step 4: Retention
Acquiring a new customer can cost 5X more than keeping an existing one. Yet, most brands ignore retention.
Email Newsletter
Smart brands don’t just sell—they build relationships. And in a world where social media algorithms change daily, email is the one marketing channel you actually own. A well-crafted email newsletter keeps your brand top-of-mind, nurtures trust, and brings customers back again and again.
The best email strategies aren’t just sales pitches. They mix value, exclusivity, and storytelling. Weekly or bi-weekly emails keep customers engaged, VIP perks and early access make them feel special, and behind-the-scenes content creates a deeper connection. People buy from brands they remember—and a great email strategy makes sure they never forget you.
Customer Interviews
Want to know exactly what makes people buy from you—and what’s stopping others? Ask them. Customer interviews are one of the most underrated marketing strategies, yet they provide real insights that can transform your business.
By simply asking, “What made you choose us?” you uncover the exact words, emotions, and decision-making process that led to a sale. Using their language in your marketing makes your messaging instantly more relatable and effective. But interviews aren’t just about validation—they also help you fix hidden problems before they hurt your business. If multiple customers mention the same friction point, you’ve just found a conversion killer to eliminate.
Beyond insights, listening builds loyalty. Customers love brands that care, and when they feel heard, they become your biggest advocates.
Magic Moments
Most hotels compete on luxury, location, or price—but one of the highest-rated hotels in Los Angeles wins with something completely different: a red telephone by the pool.
The Magic Castle Hotel isn’t a five-star resort. It’s a modest, mid-range hotel with a secret weapon: the Popsicle Hotline. Guests can pick up the phone, and within minutes, an employee arrives wearing white gloves, delivering a silver tray with free popsicles. No charge, no hassle—just pure delight.
This is what we call a Magic Moment—an unexpected, memorable experience that customers can’t stop talking about. It’s the kind of thing that turns ordinary businesses into viral sensations. People don’t leave reviews about “nice beds” or “clean rooms.” They tell everyone about the Popsicle Hotline.
The takeaway? Winning brands don’t just sell products—they create moments worth sharing. What’s your Popsicle Hotline?
Step 5: Recommendation
The best marketing doesn’t come from ads—it comes from happy customers.
Online Reviews
Online reviews aren’t just a nice-to-have—they directly impact revenue. A Harvard Business School study found that a one-star increase on Yelp can boost a restaurant’s revenue by 5-9%. That’s not just restaurants—every industry benefits from strong reviews. When potential customers search for a product or service, they trust real customer experiences more than anything your brand says about itself.
The key is consistently generating high-quality reviews. Businesses that actively encourage satisfied customers to leave feedback build instant credibility, improve local SEO rankings, and increase conversions. The more positive reviews you have, the easier it is to reduce hesitation, build trust, and drive sales. If you’re not prioritizing reviews, you’re losing potential customers to brands that are. 🚀
Testimonials
A good testimonial is more than just a happy customer saying, “I love this product!” It’s proof that your business delivers results. Potential buyers don’t want marketing claims—they want real stories from people like them. In fact, studies show that 92% of consumers trust recommendations from peers over branded content.
The best testimonials don’t just praise your business; they tell a story of transformation. Ask better questions like, “What problem were you facing before using our product?” or “How has your life or business improved?” Video testimonials take it even further—seeing a real person’s emotions builds instant trust. Want to maximize impact? Turn testimonials into mini case studies by showcasing the before-and-after journey. The stronger the story, the stronger the conversion.
Upsells
Most businesses focus all their energy on getting new customers, but the real profit is in selling more to the customers you already have. Upsells aren’t just about making more money—they’re about helping customers get more value from your brand.
Think about it: If someone has already made a purchase, they trust you. They’re already in a buying mindset, which means they’re far more likely to spend again. The key is offering an upsell that makes sense—a premium version, a bundle, or an add-on that enhances their original purchase.
Amazon makes billions from “Frequently Bought Together” recommendations, and you can apply the same strategy. Whether it’s a one-click upgrade at checkout, a personalized post-purchase email, or an exclusive loyalty offer, upsells are a simple way to increase revenue without increasing ad spend. The easiest sale you’ll ever make is to a customer who’s already buying.
Need a Marketing Plan That Actually Works?
Most businesses waste time and money on random tactics. At High Beam Marketing, we build custom marketing flywheels that create sustainable growth. If you’re tired of guessing and want a proven plan to scale your brand, let’s talk. Book a strategy call today.
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