What Is Marketing? · Part 4

    What Moves the Needle: Marketing Priorities by Stage

    Everything on this list is real marketing. The question a business owner should ask is not "is this good?" but "is this the best use of my next dollar, given where I am right now?" This scorecard is how we answer that.

    By John Frazee, Founder of Love.Marketing · Updated October 26, 2026

    The scorecard

    StageActivityImpact (out of 10)Why it scores hereEvidence
    1 FoundationConversion tracking (calls, forms, bookings)
    10
    		Without it, nothing else can be proven or improvedGoogle Ads Help; Google Analytics Help
    1 FoundationWebsite design and user experience (UI)
    10
    		Every other channel sends people hereNielsen Norman Group; Stanford / Consumer Reports WebWatch
    1 FoundationMarket research and a clear offer
    9
    		The wrong message makes every channel cost moreSBA
    1 FoundationLogo and brand identity
    7
    		Needed and must stay consistent, but a logo alone does not make the phone ringEhrenberg-Bass Institute
    2 Get foundGoogle Business Profile and reviews
    9
    		Puts you in the map results where local buyers chooseGoogle Business Profile Help
    2 Get foundSEO and local SEO
    9
    		Captures people already searching, and compounds over timeStatCounter
    3 GrowGoogle search ads
    9
    		Reaches buyers at the moment of search, measurable within weeksGoogle Ads Help
    3 GrowFollow-up: CRM, email, text, AI automation
    8
    		Turns leads you already paid for into customersOur experience
    3 GrowMeta ads (Facebook, Instagram)
    7
    		Strong for offers and retargeting once tracking worksPew Research Center
    3 GrowBrand photography
    6
    		Real photos make the site, profile and ads believableOur experience
    4 ReachBrand video
    7
    		Builds trust before the first callThink with Google (Google/BCG research)
    4 ReachYouTube channel
    6
    		YouTube reaches 84% of U.S. adults; pays off slowlyPew Research Center
    4 ReachYouTube ads
    6
    		Wide reach; best once a strong video and site existThink with Google (Google research)
    4 ReachOrganic social media activity
    5
    		Keeps you visible and credible; rarely the main lead sourceOur experience
    4 ReachRadio, billboards, print
    4
    		Real reach, hard to measure; strongest after stages 1 to 3Pew Research Center

    How to read it

    A 6 in stage 4 is not "bad." It means it moves the needle more once the 9s and 10s below it are working. A business with a strong site, tracking and reviews will often see a YouTube or radio campaign pay off; a business without them usually will not, because the interest it creates has nowhere good to land.

    What changed in 2024 to 2026

    Search is shifting toward AI answers. In Pew's 2025 study, Google users clicked a regular result on 8% of searches that showed an AI summary, versus 15% without one (Pew Research Center). That raises the value of being the business AI tools cite, which is why GEO now sits inside our SEO work.

    Measurement multiplies everything

    McKinsey found that an integrated marketing analytics approach can free up 15 to 20% of marketing spend (McKinsey). That is why tracking scores a 10 even though no customer ever sees it.

    Want to see where your marketing scores?

    Book a consultation

    Keep reading

    PreviousThe Right OrderNextPsychology and PioneersGuide homeWhat Is Marketing?

    Sources

    1. Google Ads Help · support.google.com/google-ads/answer/1722022
    2. Google Analytics Help · support.google.com/analytics/answer/13965727
    3. Nielsen Norman Group · nngroup.com/articles/how-long-do-users-stay-on-web-pages
    4. Stanford / Consumer Reports WebWatch · advocacy.consumerreports.org/research/how-do-people-evaluate-a-web-...
    5. SBA · sba.gov/business-guide/plan-your-business/market-research-competiti...
    6. Ehrenberg-Bass Institute · marketingscience.info/brands-of-distinction
    7. Google Business Profile Help · support.google.com/business/answer/7091
    8. StatCounter · gs.statcounter.com/search-engine-market-share/all/united-states-of-...
    9. Pew Research Center · pewresearch.org/internet/fact-sheet/social-media
    10. Think with Google (Google/BCG research) · business.google.com/uk/think/search-and-video/video-influence-on-co...
    11. Think with Google (Google research) · business.google.com/us/think/search-and-video/youtube-video-shoppin...
    12. Pew Research Center · pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/08/17/for-national-radio-day-key-f...
    13. Pew Research Center · pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/07/22/google-users-are-less-likely...
    14. McKinsey · mckinsey.com/capabilities/growth-marketing-and-sales/our-insights/u...