Let's be real: marketing can feel like a never-ending hamster wheel that consumes your time, energy, and sanity without delivering the results you desperately need. I've seen it countless times—business owners drowning in scattered tactics, random platforms, and "should-do" lists that never end.

That's exactly why I developed the Organize, Simplify, Amplify framework. It's not just another marketing methodology; it's a practical approach that acknowledges where you are now and builds something sustainable that actually works for your business (and your life).

Marketing Is Both Art and Science

One of my favorite things about marketing is that it's very much an art and a science. I have a science brain (I actually went to dietitian school once upon a time), but I also dabble in all things creative (my parents gave me an old typewriter at the ripe young age of 7 - I promptly started a family newspaper where I wrote my very first ad copy. It was for “Rachel’s Horse Academy,” and it converted exactly one paying student: my mom). Anyways. Enough of my lore.

This combination lights up my brain because marketing offers plenty of space for creative liberty while the science side - the numbers - helps point us in the right direction and provide concrete, actionable feedback. The data tells us a story about what’s happening, why, and what to do about it. 

Another way to think about it: marketing is much like gardening. There's endless creative freedom but also absolute, indisputable, direction-providing science behind it. When we marry these two aspects, we get some pretty beautiful results (and your life gets better as a result - yes, this applies in business, too!).

The Problem with Most Marketing Approaches

Most marketing advice falls into two categories:

• Do ALL the things! (And burn yourself out trying - looking at you, Gary V)

• Just focus on this ONE magic tactic! (That somehow never delivers the promised results - ahem, overpriced pack of templates you purchased on a whim thanks to an aggressively-optimistic, reality-challenged sales page)
  

Both approaches typically leave you feeling:

• Overwhelmed with too many platforms and tactics

• Confused about what's actually working

• Burned out from constant content creation and max effort with minimal return

• Frustrated by inconsistent or nonexistent results
  

If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. The bad news? This is a very common problem among business owners. The good news? We’re going to talk about practical, boots-on-the-ground ways to overcome this. You’re going to walk away from this post with a solid game plan for how to move forward as well as an invite to join a (free) community of female business owners doing the exact same thing. 

Alright. Let’s get into it.

Understanding Your Sales Funnel

Before diving into the framework, let's talk about what a sales funnel (or marketing funnel) actually is. At its simplest, it's the journey your customers take from having never heard of you to becoming not just clients but raving fans who refer others to you.

I typically use a simple three-step sales funnel to start:

1. Cold audience - people who've never heard of you

2. Warm audience - people who've seen your name a few times and are building trust

3. Conversion - where we convert warm leads into paying customers

4. Bonus 4th step: Returning and raving customers - you build a steady stream of repeat and growing business by caring for and nurturing existing customers

Just focus on the top 3 for now. We’ll worry about that bonus step later. I just threw it in there so you get an idea of the rounded-out strategy you’ll build eventually. Eventually. Rome wasn’t built in a day! Alright, back to the meat and potatoes of it all.

You can get more granular with awareness, interest, evaluation, and decision stages, but especially if you're a beginner, I strongly recommend sticking with the simpler cold-warm-convert model. Even implementing something as basic as this three-step sales funnel can make a huge difference for almost any business.

The Organize, Simplify, Amplify Framework Explained

This framework isn't just theory—it's a practical approach I've used with countless clients to transform chaotic, ineffective marketing into streamlined systems that deliver real results.

Step 1: Organize

First, we need to get clear on what's actually happening in your business:

• Situational Review: What marketing are you currently doing? What resources do you have? What's your capacity?

• Results Analysis: What's working? What's not? Where are the gaps?

• Priority Assessment: What marketing activities will move the needle most for your specific business?

I really like the term "sitrep" (situational report) for this phase. It's about getting a view of where you are in your marketing, where you're expending energy and resources, and how it's working out. We want to see the whole picture of every way you're spending time, energy, and resources on marketing.

This step is all about taking inventory—like cleaning out your closet before reorganizing it. We can't build something sustainable if we don't know what we're working with.

Step 2: Simplify

Now we remove what's not serving you and streamline what remains:

• Funnel Refinement: Reducing friction points and complications in how customers find and buy from you

• Strategy Creation: Building a clear, manageable marketing plan that works with your available resources

• Platform Setup: Setting up the right tools and systems so marketing happens more automatically

First, we need to define what success looks like—your Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). You can't tell if you're on the right track if you don't know what that actually looks like. This will be different for every single business inside every single industry. You can look at average industry metrics to get a bit of a baseline but it’s crucial to look at, track, and understand what your unique signs of success are. 

Once you've organized all your marketing efforts, it's time to prune, prune, prune. You cannot be all things to all people (as hard as I know that is to unlearn!). As business owners, it's too easy to burn out by doing all the things, and when we're doing everything, we can't do the things that actually matter to the best of our abilities.

Remember the Pareto Principle - 80% of your results come from 20% of your efforts. Finding that critical 20% and focusing on it will save your energy, your sanity, and help your business thrive. It’s so so so hard to say no to things - I get it - but learning to say no and walk away when you need to is going to save your sanity, budget, and time in the long run. Hang with me on this.

To wrap this part of the framework up, think of this as decluttering your marketing. We're keeping what works, eliminating what doesn't, and making everything more efficient.

Step 3: Amplify

Only after organizing and simplifying do we focus on growth by really hitting it hard with the things that are working:

• Punchlist Takedown: Methodically working through implementation tasks in priority order

• Ongoing Review: Regular check-ins to see what's working

• Course Correction: Making data-based adjustments to improve results

Again, we want to go for the lowest effort with the best results. Start with the least effort possible and work your way up until you find that sweet spot of low effort, high results.

Once you've figured out the core aspects of your marketing, set your game plan. How will you focus on these low-effort, high-yield efforts? How will you fine-tune them to be as effective as possible? Write out a plan and schedule time to reevaluate.

I recommend giving your plan a full month before evaluating, but know that it typically takes about three months to see the best results from a change in marketing strategy. That cold audience isn't going to purchase from you the first time they see your name. Converting and nurturing takes time, which means it takes time to see the trickle-down effects of changes you make to both your strategy and execution.

This is where the magic happens. When you've organized and simplified first, amplification doesn't mean "do more stuff." Instead, it means getting better results from more focused efforts. It’s pouring gasoline on the flame you’ve built so you can watch it roar into a blaze. It’s also a continual process of checking, analyzing, and aligning. It can be helpful to keep notes on what you’re testing and when so you can really drill in on and squeeze the most out of every bit of data you get.

Why This Approach Works When Others Don't

I've seen business owners try to skip straight to "amplify"—pumping money into ads or churning out more content without the foundation in place. That's like trying to fill a bucket that has holes in it. The Organize, Simplify, Amplify framework works because:

1. It meets you where you are: No more trying to force someone else's system onto your unique business or trying to fit your business into a box in which it doesn’t belong

2. It's sustainable: By simplifying first, we create marketing you can actually maintain, making it more effective long-term than any churn-and-burn strategy out there

3. It's adaptable: The framework works whether you're a solopreneur or have a team - the process is the same and scales with you as you grow

4. It prioritizes what matters: Not all marketing tasks are created equal—we focus on what actually moves your business forward so your business can have its rightful place in your life instead of being your entire life

A Note on Tools and Technology

Using technology to make sure your effort is spent on the most important things is crucial. AI and automation are incredible tools that can change the game and do a lot of the heavy lifting—if done right.

However, AI should never produce your final product. It should be a tool, not the process itself. (I once asked AI to create a sales funnel graphic, and while it looked polished at first glance, closer inspection revealed complete gibberish in the labels!) Exhibit A:

Also, using platforms that play well together can cut down on effort and cost while increasing effectiveness. Look for tools that integrate multiple functions so you're not constantly switching between systems. I’ve got lots of tips on this so stay tuned for that - at the end of this post I’ll tell you where to find said tips. Stick with me.

Finding Your Best Next Step

This is the approach I take with clients—we focus on finding the best next step. We're not looking for the absolute perfect next step (let’s be real - it doesn’t exist, and you’ll waste time, energy, money, and progress waiting for it), just the best one based on your circumstances, your business stage, and what will get you the farthest with the least effort.

I take a consultative, investigative approach to marketing help. We want to prune efforts for the health of the business and the sanity of the owner. Less effort, better results.

Practical Action Steps to Get Started Today

Ready to put this framework into action? Here are specific steps to take for each phase:

Organize: Take Inventory of Your Marketing

• List all your marketing platforms: Email, social accounts, blog, referrals, networking groups, affiliate marketing—write down every avenue you're currently using.
  

• Track your investment: For each platform, note:

• Monthly financial cost

• Monthly time investment

• Effectiveness (be honest about results)

• Set up analytics: If you don't have them already, install these free tools to start gathering data:

• Google Analytics

• Microsoft Clarity (for heat maps showing user behavior on your site)

• Facebook Pixel/Conversions API (if you plan to run ads)

• Metricool (for connecting website and social analytics)

Simplify: Prune and Focus

• Define success metrics: Research industry benchmarks for your marketing channels, but remember that your specific KPIs might differ from the average.

• Evaluate your marketing inventory: Using the document from step one, identify:

• Top-performing channels with the best ROI

• Low-performing channels that drain resources

• The "sweet spot" activities with the least effort for highest results

• Make technology work for you: Identify repetitive tasks that could be automated or streamlined through tools that integrate multiple functions.

Amplify: Optimize and Grow

1. Create your focused game plan: Write out exactly how you'll fine-tune your best-performing channels.

2. Schedule implementation time: Block specific time in your calendar to execute your plan.

3. Set evaluation points: Schedule a review after one month to make initial adjustments, and a more comprehensive assessment after three months.

4. Go all in: Commit to your streamlined approach—even something as simple as cutting your lowest-performing social platform to focus on your best one can create significant results.

Remember, you don't need to make everything perfect. You just need to take the next best step forward. Marketing is a marathon, not a sprint, and the Organize, Simplify, Amplify framework is designed to make that marathon sustainable and successful.

Ready to discuss your specific marketing challenges? Join our Marketing with Grit Facebook Group where we dive deeper into implementing these strategies for your unique business situation.

P.S. - If you're looking for a place to start, how about cutting your social media content creation to 90 minutes a month (while still focusing on connecting with your audience)? Check out my system here.