The Questions We Ask Before We Recommend Any Marketing
One of the biggest misconceptions about marketing is that there’s a single strategy that works for every business.
There isn’t.
What helps a local insurance agency grow may not be the right approach for a furniture store.
A nonprofit has different goals than a law firm.
A startup faces different challenges than a business that’s been serving its community for 30 years.
That’s why, at Stinson Communications, we don’t believe in cookie-cutter marketing plans.
Before we recommend a single tactic, we start by asking questions.
Lots of them.
Because the better we understand your business, the better we can help it grow.
What Are Your Business Goals?
This is always our first question.
Not:
“Do you want to run Facebook Ads?”
Or:
“How often do you want to post on social media?”
Instead, we ask:
What are you trying to accomplish?
Maybe your goal is:
- Generate more leads
- Increase sales
- Improve brand awareness
- Launch a new service
- Grow into a new market
- Strengthen customer retention
Your marketing strategy should support your business goals—not the other way around.
Who Is Your Ideal Customer?
Not every customer is the right customer.
Understanding who you’re trying to reach shapes every marketing decision that follows.
We want to know:
- Who are they?
- What problems are they trying to solve?
- What motivates them?
- Where do they spend time online?
- What questions do they ask before making a decision?
The better we understand your audience, the more effective your marketing becomes.
What Makes Your Business Different?
Every business has competitors.
The question is:
Why should someone choose you?
Sometimes the answer isn’t the lowest price.
It could be:
- Exceptional customer service
- Decades of experience
- Local expertise
- Specialized knowledge
- Quality craftsmanship
- Personalized solutions
Finding your unique value helps your marketing stand out in a crowded marketplace.
What’s Working Right Now?
Before suggesting changes, we want to understand what’s already producing results.
We’ll look at things like:
- Website traffic
- Search rankings
- Advertising performance
- Social media engagement
- Customer referrals
- Online reviews
If something is working well, we don’t want to replace it.
We want to build on it.
Where Are the Opportunities?
Sometimes businesses focus so much on what isn’t working that they overlook what’s possible.
Maybe your website gets traffic but doesn’t convert visitors into leads.
Maybe customers love your work but aren’t leaving reviews.
Maybe your Google Business Profile hasn’t been updated in months.
Small improvements can often create significant results.
What Resources Do You Have?
Every business has different budgets, timelines, and internal resources.
Some businesses have an in-house team.
Others rely entirely on outside support.
Some have time to create content.
Others need help with everything.
Understanding your available resources helps us recommend strategies you can actually maintain.
How Will We Measure Success?
Marketing without measurement is guesswork.
Before launching a campaign, we identify what success looks like.
Depending on your goals, that might include:
- More qualified leads
- Increased website traffic
- Better search rankings
- More phone calls
- Higher conversion rates
- Improved return on investment
Clear goals make it easier to evaluate progress and make informed decisions.
Why We Don’t Start With Tactics
Many agencies begin by selling services.
“We’ll manage your Facebook.”
“We’ll redesign your website.”
“We’ll run Google Ads.”
Those services may be valuable—but only if they support your larger business goals.
We prefer to start with strategy.
Once we understand your business, your audience, and your objectives, we can recommend the right mix of websites, SEO, content marketing, advertising, branding, and social media.
Not because they’re trendy.
Because they’re right for your business.
The Bottom Line
Effective marketing begins with listening.
By asking thoughtful questions, we gain a deeper understanding of your business and create strategies designed around your unique goals—not someone else’s.
At Stinson Communications, we believe successful marketing starts with a conversation. We take the time to understand your business before making recommendations, ensuring every strategy is intentional, measurable, and built to support long-term growth.
Because the best marketing plans don’t begin with answers.
They begin with the right questions.
