“Thanks to social media, we now ‘know, like and trust’ hundreds of people that we don’t buy anything from. Unless you create very clear campaigns that ask people to signal buying behaviour, people will no longer connect the dots on their own.”
Daniel Priestley’s post struck a chord the other day.
He’s absolutely right. Content marketing without a buying trigger is like fishing without bait. You can sit there all day, but no one’s going to bite.
And for small business marketing in particular, time is of the essence. Every message matters, and every missed opportunity compounds over time. Let’s talk about why that is, and what you can do to avoid becoming another business that stays liked but never chosen.
You’ve probably heard it a hundred times: people buy from those they know, like, and trust.
And they do. But here’s the thing no one tells you often enough…
They don’t just buy from people they know, like, and trust.
In fact, thanks to the nature of social media and content-driven marketing, your audience (and… the world at large) has been trained to happily consume your emails, your videos, your tips, and your stories… But do they take the next step off their own bat?
They know you.
They like you.
They might even trust you.
But unless you give them a reason to act, a reason to buy… they won’t.
The risk of inactivity
This isn’t just theory; we’ve lived this with clients.
Over the last year, we’ve been ‘doing’ marketing for a small business owner who was happy for us to send weekly “know, like, trust” emails. And they were good emails. We saw open rates rise, website visits increase, and inbox familiarity grow.
But every time we brought up a campaign idea – a structured push to get prospects to take action – it was met with silence.
We wrote them. We presented them. We offered to handle the lot.
Still: tumbleweeds.
Then in a moment of honesty, one of our team said it straight:
“You keep saying you’re not seeing sales… but you haven’t actually let us try to get you any.”
Finally, the response we’d been waiting for: “Okay, let’s give it a go.”
So we hit “go” on the campaign we’d crafted months previously. We tweaked the irresistible offer. We pushed it out through email and social.
Forty hands went up within days.
Forty people saying, “Yes, I’m interested. Tell me more.”
And here’s the kicker: this wasn’t an easy time to be selling. We’re operating in a challenging economic climate, especially for small businesses marketing to consumers.
Purses are tighter. Buyers are slower to commit. People are taking fewer risks and being more selective with where they spend their hard earned cash.
Which makes that activity all the more essential. You can’t sit back and wait for people to decide to buy. You have to give them a reason to.
Visibility Alone Isn’t Enough
Social media means we’re surrounded by people we admire, follow, and engage with… but rarely buy from.
And unless you deliberately guide your audience toward the next step, most won’t make that leap on their own.
It’s not that your audience doesn’t value your insights.
Of course they do.
But if you never give them a clear way to benefit personally from those insights — to buy from you or start working with you…
…Why would they?
What’s Needed: Moments to Act
At 3XM Marketing, we give your audience those moments to act.
Yes, we’ll help you build a loyal following with nurture content that keeps you top of mind. But we’ll also guide you through campaigns that move the needle; that bring in leads, convert interest into action, and drive sales that grow your business.
We specialise in marketing for small businesses; not theory, not vanity metrics, but actual progress. Sales, growth, momentum.
Strategy is crucial. Implementation is critical. But action – the actual doing – is everything.
We don’t just talk about small business marketing. We get under the hood, build campaigns, run the ads, write the emails, and make sure your audience has a clear reason to engage.
We’re not just preaching it either – right now, we’ve opened our doors to just five ambitious businesses who are serious about getting their marketing firing properly.
If you’re ready for more than just being “known”, if you’re ready to be the one they choose, this is your moment to act.
Don't Be the Business that Waited Too Long
Time moves fast.
Another month, another quarter, another year… gone.
If your inbox is full of “good ideas” that never get launched, or if you’re relying on visibility without making offers, you’ll end up with a warm list and a cold bank account.
Don’t be that business.
Put campaigns in place. Make offers. Create urgency.
And if you need help doing it, we’re here, with strategy, implementation, and support that gets results. Find out more by clicking below.
Get help to grow your business, for FREE
Book a free 3XM Business Growth Call, and spend 30 minutes with a member of the 3XM team, where we’ll help you outline some straightforward actionable things you can do to improve your marketing and grow your business, no strings, no tie ins, and no purchase necessary.
During your Business Growth Call, we’ll:
- Take a look at the marketing you’re doing, and give you our two cents on how to improve it
- Tell you what we’d be doing if we were in your shoes
- Give you actionable tactics and strategies we’re using right now to get leads and customers for our clients
- Make sure you walk away with something you can take away and use straight away
Click the button below to book a slot, and we’ll see you on the call:
