Half-arsed marketing is a waste of everyone’s time

If more than 90% of Staffordshire SMEs understand the benefits of strategic marcomms, why are so many winging it?

We may not like to admit it, but some things in life can be phoned in.

If, during an average day, you drink five glasses of water, eat four portions of fruit and veg, and walk 6,000 steps, congratulations – you’re falling short of official guidance. But, generally speaking, doing something is better than doing nothing, even if you’re not doing enough.

There are, of course, exceptions. Mowing half your lawn, cutting half your hair or removing half your kidney stones is unlikely to leave you feeling satisfied. You may even find that you’d have been better off not bothering to do anything at all.

I’d argue that marketing and communications sit squarely in the latter camp. If you’re looking to build your brand, cultivate your client base and bolster your bottom line, sporadic bursts of enthusiasm simply won’t cut it. Since success requires strategy, consistency and commitment, half-arsing your marcomms is a waste of your audience’s time and yours.

SMEs sans strategy
Why, then, are more than a third of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Staffordshire operating without a marcomms strategy, despite 93% believing they contribute to business growth? When Chatty Duck Creative launched its State of Marketing Survey 2026: Staffordshire SMEs in partnership with Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce, I anticipated some discrepancy here, but I didn’t expect the gulf to be this wide.

After all, the West Midlands has the highest company ‘death rate’ in the UK, according to the most recent Office for National Statistics (ONS) data. If businesses in our county and across the wider region are facing headwinds, why aren’t more leveraging strategic marcomms to strengthen their commercial performance? Why are so many winging it?

Take a look at the other findings of our survey, and the answer soon becomes clear. Staffordshire SMEs may see the value of strategic marcomms, but a significant proportion believe that agency-quality support is beyond their reach.

Breaking down perceived barriers
Budget and time constraints ranked as the biggest barriers to entry, cited by more than 70% and 40% of respondents, respectively. This isn’t especially surprising given the current economic climate, but these insights are still valuable. They highlight that pricing, returns on investment and efficiency are top of mind for many. As such, agencies must clearly explain how their offerings align with these priorities when communicating with prospective clients.

Arguably more interesting is that trustworthiness (34%) and lack of expertise (27%) are also seen as significant barriers. I won’t lie – as someone who runs an agency, the fact that only 16% of the firms questioned plan to seek external support in 2026 is a concern. However, it’s not exactly shocking. If more than a quarter of Staffordshire SMEs feel out of their depth when it comes to marcomms, and an even greater proportion suspect external providers will try to take advantage of their inexperience, that’s a recipe for inertia.

Deciding to build your company’s brand in-house can feel exciting and even invigorating initially, but when you’re having to learn, plan, create and post – all while juggling countless other responsibilities – the chances are these activities will fall by the wayside eventually. Life has a habit of getting in the way.

The problem is that, despite your best intentions, unfocused, inconsistent and piecemeal marcomms can prove more detrimental than no marcomms at all. Prospective clients who notice your initial efforts are just as likely to notice when those efforts trail off, resulting in negative brand perception. In this context, doing something could be more damaging than doing nothing.

But please don’t take this as an argument for inaction, because – despite what some agencies would have you believe – marcomms is not rocket science. You don’t need letters after your name or millions of dollars to successfully promote your business and build your client base. You just need a strategy.

Know thyself (and, in turn, thine audience)
From real estate and construction to retail and hospitality, our team has supported clients of all sizes across myriad industries and geographies. We like to think we know a thing or two about a thing or two, but we’re in no position to tell you how to run your business. You’re the expert and you know your onions (an idiom that is doubly true if you happen to be a greengrocer).

Chatty Duck Creative adds value by simplifying complex ideas and communicating them with purpose. We help you articulate your offering, figure out who to prioritise, translate your expertise into impactful messaging, and show you how to deliver everything in a way that makes your target audiences think, feel and act. And we can do all this for a fixed price, transparent from the get-go. But make no mistake, the insights and expertise always come from you, the client. Our job is simply to help package and channel them effectively.

Before December, for example, we didn’t know the first thing about the electrical switchgear sector. That didn’t stop us from developing a Marcomms Strategy that enabled an international switchgear manufacturer to expand its LinkedIn following by more than 30% in February alone. We’re not experts in the field of legionella control either, yet we helped a UK-headquartered water hygiene company increase its tender win rate to 42% over the course of 18 months. And alas, not one of us is a martial arts master, but we’re currently providing strategic consultancy to a national martial arts association, and we’re confident we can help grow its membership back to pre-pandemic levels.

Our success isn’t just because we’re good at what we do. It’s because developing and following a marcomms strategy – and considering your customers at every stage of the process – is always better than winging it.

If you get lost, buy a map
Strategy is a common thread that runs through all the marcomms success stories I’ve been involved in. By the same token, the absence of strategy is a common thread that runs through many of the marcomms missteps I’ve encountered.

What’s more, businesses that have strong marcomms strategies in place from the outset are far more likely to show up consistently and stay the course, in my experience. An effective strategy isn’t just something you glance at before you commence delivery; it’s a living, breathing resource that you and your team will consult repeatedly as you gradually bring your vision to life.

Heck, I’ve referred back to Chatty Duck Creative’s Marcomms Strategy several times while writing this very blog, and some of the language I’ve included is lifted directly from that document. Why? Because it took our team days to clearly define who we want to engage and how we can help them, so I do my best to ensure everything I write, everything I say and everything I do (professionally speaking, of course) is informed by that work. To do otherwise would be a complete waste of everyone’s time. Because when it comes to our brand, I don’t want to end up with a half-mowed lawn, half-cut hair or half the kidney stones I had when I set out.

Ultimately, the route you take will depend on your business, budget, expertise and capacity. There is no right or wrong way to do marcomms, provided you actually do it. You might choose to do everything yourself. Perhaps you’ll delegate these activities to your teammates. Who knows? You may even decide to enlist the support of an agency.

But whatever you do, don’t half-arse it.

To learn how strategic marketing and communications could boost your bottom line (including full details of the benefits, process and pricing), visit our Marcomms Strategy page.