AI Summary
If your marketing feels messy, unproductive, or overly dependent on you, it might be time for a full audit. This guide walks you through the five foundational areas of your marketing plus six key tactics that drive results. You’ll discover where the gaps are, how to fix them, and how to transform your marketing from a time-consuming task into a sales-focused, data-driven growth system.
Why Marketing Audits Matter Now More Than Ever
Marketing isn’t just about doing. It’s about doing what works. A recent survey by CoSchedule found that marketers who document their strategy are 313 percent more likely to report success.
Yet many business owners spend hours designing in Canva, writing content, and publishing reels without a strategy, campaign objective, or performance tracking.
If you’re churning out content without a plan, you’re not marketing. You’re making noise.
A proper marketing audit stops the cycle of busywork and helps you focus on the actions that lead to leads and sales.
Part 1: Audit the 5 Marketing Foundations
1. Strategy: Align with Outcomes, Not Just Output
Without strategy, you’re just guessing. This first layer of your audit ensures everything you do online leads to the right people, with the right message, at the right time.
Ask yourself:
- Are we clear on who our ideal customer is and what problems we solve
- Do we have a documented one-page marketing plan aligned with business goals
- Are content efforts focused on lead generation and nurturing, not just visibility
- Is our content tied to customer journeys, launches, and actual offers
- Do we track results from each campaign and use that data to refine our plan
Example:
If you’re creating three social posts per week but none tie into an active lead magnet or offer, you’re staying visible but not building momentum.
Stat:
HubSpot reports that companies with a documented strategy generate 67 percent more leads than those without.
2. Support: Your Team Can’t Deliver Without Direction
Having help is not the same as having clarity. Empowering your VA or marketing team means providing the right structure, context, and ongoing guidance.
Ask yourself:
- Are roles and outcomes clearly documented for everyone on the team
- Does your VA have access to brand kits, content plans, and SOPs
- Are weekly meetings or working sessions in place to review priorities
- Do they understand how each piece of content supports sales and lead gen
- Is there a clear feedback loop for ongoing support and performance review
Example:
If your VA is posting daily but has never seen your customer journey or funnel, their efforts might create activity but not traction.
Stat:
According to McKinsey, high-performing teams are 1.9 times more likely to have clear role definitions.
3. Systems: Scale What Works and Eliminate Guesswork
Great marketing is not about doing more. It’s about building systems so the right things get done consistently and strategically.
Ask yourself:
- Do we have templates, one sheets and SOPs for social media, email, and lead generation
- Is there one central place to store marketing assets and campaigns
- Are we intentionally repurposing content across platforms
- Is project management structured with tasks, timelines, and ownership
- Are we running monthly performance reviews and using data to optimise
Example:
If your team has to start from scratch each time you launch an email campaign or publish a blog, you’re not just wasting time, you’re weakening results.
Stat:
Process Street found that businesses with documented workflows are 42 percent more productive and complete projects 28 percent faster.
4. Software: Streamline Your Stack and Use What You Pay For
Marketing software should simplify your workflow. Not overwhelm your team or your budget.
Ask yourself:
- Are our CRM, forms, emails, and automations integrated
- Is the team confident using each platform
- Are we paying for any tools we no longer use
- Are automations set up for lead follow-up, tagging, and nurturing
- Do we have a single dashboard where we review marketing performance
Example:
If you’re using multiple systems to manage emails, landing pages, and contacts but nobody checks the reports, you’re not just inefficient, you’re losing leads.
Stat:
According to Ascend2, 86 percent of marketing leaders say that an integrated tech stack improves campaign performance and decision-making.
5. Skills: Strategy Fails Without the Ability to Execute
Even the best plan will stall if the person implementing it doesn’t have the right training or support.
Ask yourself:
- Can your Marketing Doer confidently build email sequences, write content, and track metrics
- Have they been trained in your brand voice, core platforms, and SOPs
- Are they up to date with trends like SEO, video, and podcast outreach
- Do they understand how to write persuasive, sales-aligned copy
- Is there a plan in place for ongoing training and skill development
Example:
If your VA is spending hours designing Canva graphics with no sales message or CTA, it’s not marketing, it’s design.
Stat:
According to Gallup, businesses that invest in employee development experience 11 percent greater profitability.
Part 2: Audit the 6 Key Marketing Channels
A well-oiled marketing machine includes these six areas. If one breaks down, the others suffer.
Website
- Is it fast, mobile-responsive, and optimised for conversions
- Are all forms, links, and integrations working
- Can your team easily update content, payment links, add blogs or landing pages
- Are there active lead capture mechanisms like popups or quizzes
- Do you review metrics like bounce rate, time on site, and conversion rate
Social Media
- Is content consistent, on-brand, and published on a schedule
- Are you posting content designed for engagement and conversion
- Are you using videos, reels, and carousels strategically
- Is each post connected to a sales path, funnel, or lead capture
- Do you track results and use that data to improve
- Is your Google Business Profile optimised with regular updates
- Are you asking for and responding to reviews
- Are SEO best practices applied to your site and blog
- Are you listed in relevant directories with backlinks
- Are you tracking and analysing your Google search performance
Email Marketing
- Are lead magnets connected to automated sequences
- Is your list segmented and regularly cleaned
- Are you running regular nurture and promotional campaigns
- Are open rates, click rates, and conversions being reviewed
- Can your team A/B test subject lines, send times, or call to actions
Lead Generation
- Is there at least one clear, visible lead magnet in circulation
- Are you running periodic campaigns like challenges, webinars, or offers
- Are leads tagged and followed up with automatically
- Are calls, bookings, or conversions tracked against each campaign
- Are you using reports to make data-driven campaign decisions
Partnerships
- Are you regularly reaching out for collaborations and joint ventures
- Are you booked on podcasts, summits, or events at least monthly
- Are partnerships tracked for ROI and conversion
- Is your VA empowered to pitch and manage outreach
- Is there a documented process to nurture referral partners
Stat:
Omnisend reports that marketers using four or more channels outperform single-channel marketers by over 300 percent in engagement and sales.
Don’t Just Work in the Business — Work on It
If you’re always in execution mode, you’ll never create the space to optimise.
- Allocate time to refine your strategy and review results
- Set monthly marketing metrics so you lead with data, not emotion
- Book regular meetings with your marketing doer to align execution with goals
- Use team insights to improve processes, not just complete tasks
- Create time in your calendar for proactive thinking, not just to-do lists
Take the First Step
Ready to uncover your biggest marketing opportunities?
Take the free Marketing Gap Quiz
Want a strategy that your marketing doer can actually implement?
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