Two: Create Strategy Alignment--Frequency, Reach and Focus

Once goals are clear, the next challenge is aligning your strategy so every dollar and every hour spent supports those goals. Alignment is often what separates busy marketers from effective marketers. Three elements define strong strategy alignment:

1. Frequency – How often are you showing up? Consistency builds trust. Audiences need multiple touchpoints before they recognize and act on your message.
2. Reach – Who is seeing your message? It’s not enough to post frequently if your reach doesn’t expand beyond a small circle.
3. Focus – Are you targeting the right people with the right message? Drilling down into specific audiences is usually more effective than casting the widest net.

An analogy that resonates is trolling for salmon: you can cover a lot of water randomly, or you can carefully position your line where salmon are most likely to swim. In marketing, focusing on the right audience is more productive than chasing every new platform or trend.

The Role of Specialists: Sometimes alignment also means knowing when to bring in specialists. For example, live streaming can be a powerful tool for reach and authenticity, but not everyone has the expertise to maximize its technical and strategic potential. Consulting with an expert in a specific niche can save time and money while keeping your overall strategy on track. The key is ensuring those collaborations align with your brand’s larger goals.

The Value of Doing It Yourself: For many mid-career professionals, the temptation is to outsource marketing content. Yet there is power in managing it yourself, especially when you have the skills and tools. Producing your own content allows your voice, values, and brand personality to shine through. One recent example involved a live stream that resonated deeply with followers because it was genuine, unscripted, and directly connected to shared experiences.

Personal Connections Build Trust: Authenticity also fuels trust. Whether it’s writing your own posts, engaging in real-time video, or sharing behind-the-scenes moments, these authentic touches remind your audience that they are connecting with a real person, not just a brand.

When content is aligned with your branding—your visual identity, tone, and values—it reinforces recognition and consistency. Over time, this builds a likable brand presence that not only attracts followers but cultivates relationships that can eventually translate into sales opportunities.

Four: Creative Marketing Strategies

With goals defined, alignment in place, and authenticity prioritized, the next step is to explore creative strategies that maximize your impact.

Experimenting with Platforms and Language: Marketing is dynamic, and what worked last year may not work this year. That’s why experimenting with platforms and messaging is essential. For instance, while Amazon ads may perform strongly during the holidays, Facebook video ads may generate more views at other times. Testing different formats, evaluating which ad language resonates, and adjusting accordingly can uncover new opportunities.

Leveraging AI and Human Skills Together: AI tools provide incredible support for marketing—whether generating ideas, testing ad copy variations, or analyzing engagement data. However, creativity and personal touch remain irreplaceable. AI can suggest a video script, but only you can deliver it with authenticity. The balance comes from using AI to amplify, not replace, your unique skills.

Community and Coaching Support: Creative strategies are often strengthened by collaboration. Being part of a mastermind group or working with a coach can provide outside perspective and accountability. These groups help creatives make smarter budget decisions, identify where efforts are trending best, and ensure campaigns stay aligned with larger goals.

Keeping Hope in the Process: Marketing can sometimes feel like climbing a steep mountain. In my book The Summit, the metaphor of climbing with a band of hope illustrates the importance of perseverance. Hope plays a key role in marketing as well. Even when campaigns don’t deliver immediate results, the consistency of showing up with creativity, frequency, and authenticity builds momentum over time.

Five: Evalution--Looking at Data and Re-Evaluating Strategy

No marketing strategy is complete without evaluation. In fact, evaluation is where the best marketing decisions

Data-Driven Adjustments: Tracking results provides clarity about what’s working and what’s not. For example, more video views don’t automatically mean more sales. Careful evaluation of metrics—click-through rates, conversions, review counts, and repeat customer behavior—reveals the true effectiveness of campaigns.

When evaluating my own book marketing, the Facebook videos attracted more views but they weren’t automatically converted into sales. Amazon ads, while less visible, consistently generated some purchases. Without this kind of evaluation, it’s easy to continue investing in “vanity metrics” rather than results-driven platforms.

Systematic Re-Evaluation: Marketing evaluation is not a one-time event but a continual process. Regularly reviewing data and asking key questions—What’s working? What’s not? Where should dollars be redirected?—ensures resources are being used wisely. It also provides the opportunity to innovate while maintaining focus.

Building Sustainable Strategies: Evaluation also reinforces sustainability. By refining campaigns based on data, marketers avoid burnout and waste. Offering discounted eBooks to increase Amazon reviews, for instance, becomes a targeted, cost-effective strategy that supports long-term visibility.

Conclusion

The modern marketing landscape is filled with endless choices: AI tools, advertising platforms, social media outlets, video strategies, and more. For mid-career professionals especially, this abundance can feel overwhelming. Yet making better marketing decisions doesn’t require doing everything—it requires doing the right things with clarity and focus.

By setting clear goals, aligning strategies around frequency, reach, and focus, creating authentic content, embracing creative tactics, and continuously evaluating results, you can turn marketing into a sustainable, impactful process.

Marketing is not about chasing trends or outspending competitors—it’s about building trust, creating opportunities, and staying true to your brand. With this framework, you not only make better decisions but also position yourself for lasting success in a world where connection, authenticity, and strategic focus matter more than ever.

Additional Resources 

Power of After: What’s Next Can Be Your Most Purposeful Chapter by Deborah Johnson

Bad Code: Overcoming Bad Mental Code that Sabotages Your Life by Deborah Johnson

Deborah’s Books: Deborah’s books on Amazon

The Summit: Journey to Hero Mountain by Deborah Johnson