Defining Your Marketing Priorities – Cary’s Clarity Circles
You’re Doing the Work. But Is It Working?
You’re showing up. You’ve tried the social posts, maybe dabbled in ads, updated your website, and followed advice from all directions. And still… it’s hard to tell what’s actually helping your business grow. If you’ve ever wondered, “Is all this even working?”—you’re not alone.
Most small business owners I talk to aren’t short on effort. They’re short on clarity. Not because they’re doing anything wrong, but because no one ever walked them through what to focus on first—and why it matters.
That’s exactly why I created my Clarity Circles framework. It’s a simple way to stop spinning your wheels, prioritize what actually moves the needle, and start seeing a real return on your marketing. Let’s walk through it together.
Why Most Marketing Feels Like a Waste of Time (and How to Fix That)
Let’s be honest—most small business owners aren’t trying to become marketing experts. You’re juggling ten other things, and when you do make time for marketing, you want it to count.
The problem is, the advice out there is all over the place. One person says you need to post on social media every day. Another tells you SEO is everything. Someone else pushes paid ads or brand storytelling or “funnels.” Before you know it, you’re spread thin, second-guessing every decision, and wondering if marketing even works for a business like yours.
Here’s the truth: marketing does work—but only when it’s focused and built on the right foundation.
That’s what Clarity Circles is all about. It’s a practical, step-by-step way to stop guessing and start making smarter decisions with your time and money. No trendy tactics. No pressure to “do it all.” Just a clear roadmap that helps you build something that works now—and keeps working later.
Level 1: Core Clarity (Start Here, or Risk Wasting Money Everywhere Else)
It’s easy to jump into marketing by talking about what you do—your services, your process, your story. That feels natural. But here’s the thing: your customers aren’t thinking about you. They’re thinking about themselves, their problems, and whether anyone out there truly gets what they’re going through.
That’s why this first level—Core Clarity—is about getting out of your own head and into theirs.
Before you spend a dime on marketing, you need to be rock solid on three things:
1. Who You’re Talking To (Customer Persona)
This isn’t about filling out a cute worksheet with a fake name and favorite coffee order. It’s about knowing:
- What problems your customers are trying to solve
- What triggers them to start looking for help
- What they’re scared of getting wrong
- And what would make them say, “Yes, this is exactly what I’ve been looking for.”
If you don’t know who you’re trying to reach—and what they’re really looking for—your message will be too vague, and your marketing will miss the mark.
2. What You’re Offering (Messaging That Clicks)
Can you explain what you do in one clear sentence that makes someone say, “I need that”?
Most business owners either overcomplicate their message or make it all about them. But your audience doesn’t care how long you’ve been in business until they know you understand their problem—and can actually solve it.
Clarity in your message helps people self-select. They either see themselves in what you’re saying, or they know it’s not for them. That’s a win either way.
3. What Success Looks Like (The Promise)
Before someone says yes to working with you, they need to know:
- What outcome can they expect?
- What pain, frustration, or goal are you going to help with?
- What’s the experience of working with you going to feel like?
If you can’t clearly answer those questions in your marketing, they’ll keep looking. But when you can? You build trust fast—and you move people through the buying process faster, too.
Level 2: Foundational Systems That Pay You Back Over Time
Let’s say someone hears about your business, checks out your website, and likes what they see. That’s great… but now what?
If you don’t have a simple system to keep the conversation going, that potential customer disappears—and so does the time or money you spent getting their attention.
This level is all about making sure you don’t lose people who are already interested.
Here’s what that system needs:
1. A Website That Actually Works
Your website doesn’t need to be flashy—it just needs to do its job. When someone lands on it, they should instantly understand:
- What you do
- Who you help
- What they should do next
If they have to dig to figure that out, they’ll bounce—and they probably won’t come back.
2. A Way to Capture Leads
Most people who visit your site aren’t ready to buy today. But if you don’t give them a way to stay in touch, they’re gone for good.
That’s why you need a simple way to collect emails—like a helpful downloadable guide, checklist, or short video. Give them something useful, and you earn the right to keep the conversation going.
3. An Email Follow-Up System
This doesn’t have to be complicated. A few emails that introduce your approach, share a helpful tip, or answer a common question can go a long way.
Why? Because people buy when they’re ready—not when you are. A follow-up system keeps you in their world until the timing is right.
When you have this kind of system in place, your marketing starts working for you:
- You don’t have to constantly chase new leads
- You’re building relationships, not just collecting clicks
- You’re growing a list of people who actually want to hear from you
This is how you stop starting from scratch every month. Instead of renting attention and hoping people stick around, you’re creating a long-term asset—an audience you own and can reach anytime.
Level 3: Organic Marketing That Doesn’t Burn You Out
This is the part where most people get overwhelmed. They hear they need to be on five social platforms, make Reels, write blog posts, start a podcast, and basically become a media company.
That’s not only unrealistic—it’s unnecessary.
You don’t need to be everywhere. You just need to show up in the right places, with the right message, consistently. This level is about growing your reach without losing your mind.
1. Pick One or Two Platforms—And Go Deep, Not Wide
Ask yourself:
Where does your audience already spend time? That’s where you should be.
Don’t worry about chasing trends or keeping up with every new algorithm. Just choose one or two platforms where your customers are active, and commit to showing up regularly.
And when you do post—be helpful. If all you’re doing is selling, people will tune you out. But if you share something useful, something that makes them nod and think, “That’s exactly what I needed to hear,” you’ll build trust.
2. Create Content That Educates (Not Just Promotes)
Think about the questions your customers ask you all the time. That’s your content roadmap.
Whether it’s a short blog post, a LinkedIn article, a quick video, or even a podcast episode—educational content works. It helps people understand their problem and see you as someone who can solve it.
You don’t need to be a content machine. One good idea can be turned into multiple posts, videos, or emails. Simplicity wins.
3. Start Conversations, Don’t Just Broadcast
The goal here isn’t just to push out content—it’s to connect.
- Comment on posts
- Answer questions
- Respond to messages
Marketing is about relationships. And the more you show up as a real person who cares, the more people will want to work with you.
When you take this approach to organic marketing, here’s what changes:
- You attract leads who already trust you—before you even talk to them
- You build credibility without spending money
- You stop burning out trying to “keep up” and focus on showing up where it counts
Level 4: Paid Advertising
I’ve never had a client say, “Cary, I’d love to spend more on advertising.”
What they do say is, “I want my marketing to actually bring in business.”
Here’s the deal: ads aren’t a magic fix. In fact, running them too early can drain your budget fast—especially if your message isn’t clear or your systems aren’t in place. That’s why paid marketing should be the last thing you do, not the first.
Why Ads Come Last—Not First
If your website’s confusing, your message is unclear, and you’re not following up with leads, ads won’t fix any of that. They’ll just send more people into a system that doesn’t convert.
But once your foundation is solid—when people understand what you do, your content builds trust, and your systems are ready to capture and nurture leads—that’s when ads can start working for you.
How to Use Ads the Smart Way
Think of ads as amplifiers. They help you reach more of the right people—but only if you know what you’re offering, who you’re talking to, and what happens after they click.
Here’s how to approach paid marketing without wasting money:
- Drive traffic to something you own. Don’t just boost posts or pay for brand awareness. Send people to a page that captures leads or starts a real conversation.
- Start small. Test your message and offer. Track what’s working before scaling up.
- Make sure your organic efforts are already working. If you stop running ads tomorrow, will your leads dry up? If the answer is yes, there’s more foundational work to do first.
Ads Should Support Your System—Not Replace It
When done right, paid ads can help you scale faster. But they only work if they’re feeding into a system that’s already converting. If you’re still guessing about your audience or message, paid marketing is just expensive guessing.
Bringing It All Together: A Simpler, Smarter Way Forward
You don’t need to do everything. You just need to do the right things—in the right order.
That’s what Cary’s Clarity Circles are all about. When you follow this framework, you stop chasing random tactics and start building a system that actually works for your business.
Here’s the path, one more time:
- Start with Core Clarity. Get clear on who you’re helping, what you’re offering, and why it matters.
- Build your Foundation System. Set up your website, lead capture, and follow-up so your marketing has a place to land.
- Grow with Organic Marketing. Show up consistently, educate, and build real relationships.
- Amplify with Paid Marketing (if and when it makes sense). Only invest once you’re ready to scale what’s already working.
When you approach marketing this way, everything gets easier. Your time and money stop going to waste. And you start seeing traction—not because you’re doing more, but because you’re finally focused on what matters most.
If this approach makes sense to you, we’re probably on the same page.
This is how I work with clients—starting from the center and building outward, with clarity at every step. If you’re tired of guessing and ready for a smarter way to grow, let’s talk about where you are now and where you want to go next