Over the past few years, we’ve noticed a few recurring themes among the companies that reach out to us. Whether they’re small startups or large, well-established enterprises, many come to us looking for a quick boost in sales using one of our consumer or professional databases. They’re ready to launch a campaign, send emails, and drive leads fast.
But here’s the catch: too often, they’ve skipped over the foundational steps that make those campaigns successful in the first place.
We get it — everyone wants immediate results. But without the right groundwork, even the best campaigns can underdeliver. Below, we’ve outlined some of the most common gaps we see, and how companies (of all sizes) can fix them to get better outcomes from their marketing efforts.
1. No Google Analytics 4 (GA4) Setup
It’s surprising how many companies launch campaigns without having GA4 properly set up on their websites. Without this, they can’t track where users came from, what they did once they landed on the site, or which marketing channel actually drove conversions.
GA4 isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s a vital business intelligence tool. It helps marketers understand the customer journey and refine campaigns over time. Running paid campaigns without GA4 is like flying blind — you won’t know what worked, what didn’t, or where to spend your budget next time.
2. Event Tracking Isn’t Configured in Google Tag Manager
Even when GA4 is set up, we often find that key events — form submissions, button clicks, file downloads, phone calls — aren’t being tracked because proper tagging hasn’t been implemented in Google Tag Manager.
Tracking these high-intent actions is what turns generic web traffic into actionable insights. It also enables things like custom conversion tracking, audience segmentation, and remarketing campaigns. If you’re not capturing meaningful interactions on your site, you’re missing the full picture.
3. No Remarketing Strategy or Budget
A common misconception: once someone clicks your ad, the job is done. In reality, that’s just the beginning.
Most leads don’t convert on the first touch. That’s where remarketing comes in — reminding users who’ve already shown interest to come back and take action. Whether it’s on Google, LinkedIn, Meta, or through programmatic channels, remarketing is a powerful (and often underused) way to get more from your existing traffic.
Even a small budget dedicated to remarketing can significantly improve ROI. We’ve seen clients boost their conversion rates by 40% or more just by staying in front of the right audiences.
4. Sales Teams Aren’t Set Up for Attribution
Even if a marketing campaign generates leads, many companies have no process in place to track what happens next.
If your sales team can’t attribute leads to specific campaigns or sources, it becomes impossible to measure true ROI — and to know where to double down. The solution isn’t always new tools, either. Often, it’s about aligning sales and marketing teams around a shared process, with consistent tagging and communication.
CRM integration, lead source tracking, and regular performance reviews between teams make all the difference.
5. Unrealistic Email Marketing Expectations
Some companies treat email marketing like a magic button: push once, get results.
But one-off blasts rarely drive meaningful impact. The real power of email lies in consistent, relevant messaging to a targeted audience over time. Whether it’s a nurture sequence, re-engagement campaign, or product launch drip, sustained email marketing works best when it’s intentional and strategic.
It’s also important to educate stakeholders on what success looks like. Open rates, click-through rates, and conversions vary by industry — but managing expectations is key to long-term email success.
6. These Issues Aren’t Just for Small Businesses
Think these problems only affect small companies with limited budgets or teams? Think again.
We’ve worked with large enterprises that have incredible resources — yet still struggle with these same foundational pieces. Internal silos, red tape, or outdated processes can slow down even the biggest marketing teams.
The good news? These challenges are solvable. And getting them right can lead to major performance gains.
7. Lack of Investment in Visual Content (Graphics, Images, and Video)
In today’s digital landscape, attention is a limited resource — and visual content is what grabs it. Yet many businesses still rely heavily on text-based ads, basic stock images, or outdated creative assets that don’t truly showcase their brand or offerings.
The reality is this: most consumers prefer to watch before they read. Video, in particular, has become one of the most powerful tools for product education, storytelling, and engagement. Whether it’s a 15-second product teaser, a customer testimonial, or a behind-the-scenes company intro, rich media drives more clicks, longer time on site, and higher conversion rates.
Still, many companies treat creative production as an afterthought — when in fact, it should be baked into the strategy from the start.
Common pitfalls we see:
- No video content explaining the product or service
- Generic stock images that don’t reflect the brand
- Low-quality graphics or outdated visuals
- Ads that lack thumb-stopping creative
What to do instead:
- Invest in custom graphics or branded templates
- Create a short explainer video or animation for your homepage or ad campaigns
- Develop testimonial videos from real customers
- Use dynamic creative to test and iterate quickly
Engaging visuals aren’t just nice to have — they’re necessary to compete in today’s fast-scrolling, content-rich world.
Final Thoughts
If any of these issues sound familiar, you’re not alone. The good news is that building a strong marketing foundation doesn’t require a massive investment — just a smart strategy and a commitment to getting the basics right.
Before you hit “launch” on that next campaign, ask yourself:
- Are we set up to track success?
- Are we following through with remarketing?
- Can our sales team close the loop?
- Are we investing in the content that actually converts?
- Are we playing the long game?
If you’re not sure, we can help. Whether you need a quick audit or a full marketing overhaul, we’d love to talk.