4 Ways You Are Wasting Time and Money on Marketing

No marketing is better than the wrong marketing, because at least you aren’t wasting your time and money.

When marketing isn’t working, the cost isn’t just financial. It’s the time, energy, and momentum lost along the way. Below are a few common ways advisors unintentionally waste their efforts and money.

1. Doing the Wrong Things

Without a clear strategy, marketing turns into throwing ideas at the wall to see what sticks. That doesn’t just waste money on activities that won’t work. It also wastes time you could be spending on building momentum in the activities that do work. Remember: Most effective marketing takes time to compound.

2. Not Doing Things Consistently

Even the right strategy won’t work if it’s applied sporadically. Inconsistent effort prevents momentum from building, which means you never see the return on the time and money you’ve already invested.

3. Spending Time Where Your Audience Doesn’t

If you’re investing a lot of time in a channel your audience doesn’t use, that effort is wasted, no matter how good the execution is. For example, spending hours on a social media platform when your ideal clients aren’t active there won’t produce results. Marketing works best when your efforts align with where your audience already pays attention.

4. Communicating the Wrong Message to the Right Audience

Reaching the right people isn’t enough. If your message doesn’t clearly explain who you help and how you help them, you’re still missing the mark. Confusing or generic messaging wastes attention, which is one of your most valuable marketing assets.

Here’s the uncomfortable truth: Doing nothing is sometimes better than doing any of the above. At least then, you’re not burning time and money while convincing yourself you’re making progress.

The takeaway: Marketing works when strategy, consistency, audience, and message are aligned. When they aren’t, effort gets time-consuming and expensive very quickly.

Kristen Luke

Founder of Kaleido Creative Studio and OnNiche®

Simple Marketing Resolutions for the New Year

Four marketing resolutions worth keeping this year.

As the new year starts, it’s easy to set lofty goals while your energy is high. More content. More channels. More activity. Before you burn yourself out by mid-quarter, here are some simple marketing resolutions that are easy to adopt this year:

1. Get Clear About Who You’re Trying to Reach

Whether you focus on a niche or not, clarity matters. Be specific about the type of person you want your marketing to attract. When you know who you’re talking to, your messaging gets clearer, and your marketing becomes more effective.

2. Track the Actions, Not Just the Outcomes

You can’t control how many clients you’ll get this year, but you can control the actions you take. Track the tasks you commit to each week or month. Consistent action is what drives results over time.

3. Go Deeper Instead of Wider

Resist the urge to be everywhere. Choose a few marketing activities and commit to doing them well. Depth builds momentum. Shallow, scattered efforts rarely do.

4. Choose Sustainability over Intensity

You want your marketing to be consistent all year, not just in January. Build a plan that fits your schedule, energy, and team so that consistency becomes the default.

The takeaway: If you simplify your marketing and commit to what you can sustain, results will follow.

Kristen Luke

Founder of Kaleido Creative Studio and OnNiche®

Sometimes It’s OK to Do Nothing

Some weeks are for pushing. Others are for pausing.

Not every week is a good week to market.

December 26 is a perfect example. Inboxes are full. Attention is low. People are traveling, unplugging, or mentally checked out. Spending much energy on marketing this week is likely just wasted effort.

Consistency matters in marketing, but the intensity doesn’t have to be the same all year. Know when to push and when to take a break.

The takeaway: Save your highest energy for the weeks when it actually matters.

Kristen Luke

Founder of Kaleido Creative Studio and OnNiche®

A Year-Round Audit Strategy for Marketing Assets

What you built in the past deserves a second look in the new year.

Note: This is an updated version of a tip that we published on December 15, 2023.

It can be tempting to adopt a “set it and forget it” approach to marketing. You build a website, create marketing collateral, or launch an automated campaign and then move on. But like anything, these assets need ongoing attention.

Information becomes outdated. Technology evolves. Settings change. Sometimes things simply break. You may find that tools you set up years ago are no longer configured correctly or that you’re missing out on new features because you didn’t realize they existed.

As you build your 2026 marketing plan, consider scheduling regular audits throughout the year for your:

• Website

• Social media profiles

• Online profiles on platforms such as FPA, NAPFA, FeeOnlyNetwork.com, and Wealthtender

• Marketing materials

• Marketing automation campaigns

• Biographies and professional headshots

• Existing blog posts and videos

The takeaway: Revisiting existing assets regularly helps ensure your marketing stays accurate and functional.

Kristen Luke

Founder of Kaleido Creative Studio and OnNiche®

How to Choose Marketing Activities: Part 6—Budget

A smart marketing budget isn’t about spending more. It’s about spending wisely.

We’ve now reached the final factor in this series on choosing marketing activities that fit your firm: Client Journey Stage, Operational Efficiency, Time Frame, Quality vs. Quantity, Marketing Preferences, and Budget. Each one acts as a filter to help you narrow your choices and build a marketing plan that is realistic, effective, and sustainable.

This week, we’re focusing on the sixth factor: Budget.

Every marketing activity has a cost, either in time or money, and often you’re trading one for the other. Your firm only has so much capacity in both areas, and those resources need to be invested wisely.

It’s not just about how much money you have to spend. It’s also about how you allocate that budget and whether the investment is enough to make the activity successful. Here are a few important considerations:

Trading Time for Money

If you’re not paying in dollars, you’re paying in hours.

When advisors spend time creating content, posting on social media, or managing marketing in-house, the cost may feel low. But once you factor in their hourly rate, those “free” activities can become some of the most expensive on your list. Sometimes paying for a solution is actually the cheaper route.

High-Leverage Investments

Some expenses offer outsized returns because they take very little time, and just one new client can offset the entire cost for the year.

Paid advisor directories, search ads, or niche listings are good examples. They require money upfront but almost no effort once set up, and they continue working for you in the background.

Are You Spending Enough to See Results?

This is where many firms unintentionally waste money.

A marketing tactic can be effective, but only if the budget is sufficient to compete.

• Spending $300 a month on Google search ads in San Francisco is unlikely to work when national firms are outbidding you in that same market.

• Allocating $2,000 to a public workshop might not drive enough leads through ads or mailers to fill a room.

If you’re going to spend money, make sure it’s enough to give the tactic a real chance of succeeding.

The takeaway: A smart marketing budget isn’t about spending more; it’s about spending wisely. Invest your time and money where they have the highest impact and give every tactic enough support to actually work.

Need help building your marketing plan? Learn more about our annual marketing plan service.

Kristen Luke

Founder of Kaleido Creative Studio and OnNiche®

How to Choose Marketing Activities: Part 5—Marketing Preferences

You can have the perfect marketing idea, but it won’t matter if your team hates doing it.

We’ve been working through the six factors that help you choose marketing activities that truly fit your firm: Client Journey Stage, Operational Efficiency, Time Frame, Quality vs. Quantity, Marketing Preferences, and Budget.

This week, we’re looking at one of the most overlooked factors: Marketing Preferences.

Even the best ideas won’t work if your team doesn’t have the interest or skill to execute them consistently. The most effective marketing activities are the ones that actually get done, and those are usually the ones your team naturally enjoys and does well.

Think about where your team members’ strengths lie:

• Writing: Blogs, newsletters, educational articles

• Video: Educational videos, shorts/reels

• Audio: Podcasts, audio books, guest appearances

• Presenting: Workshops, webinars, speaking engagements

• Graphics: Infographics, charts, carousels

• Relationship Building: Networking, client events, referrals

Avoid choosing marketing tactics that your team is simply willing to do. Rarely have I seen teams stick with things they do only because they think they “should.” Instead, focus on the marketing options that align with preferences.

The takeaway: Your best marketing choices are the ones you’ll follow through on. Lean into your team’s natural preferences, and you’ll build a plan that’s both effective and sustainable.

Need help building your marketing plan? Learn more about our annual marketing plan service.

Kristen Luke

Founder of Kaleido Creative Studio and OnNiche®

How to Choose Marketing Activities: Part 4—Quality vs. Quantity

Not all marketing activities are created equal. Some go deep. Some go wide.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been breaking down the six factors for choosing marketing activities that fit your firm: Client Journey Stage, Operational Efficiency, Time Frame, Quality vs. Quantity, Marketing Preferences, and Budget. Each one acts as a filter to help you decide what belongs in your marketing plan and what doesn’t.

This week, we’re focusing on the fourth factor: Quality vs. Quantity.

Every marketing activity falls somewhere on the spectrum between low-volume but higher-quality leads, and high-volume, lower-quality leads. Neither approach is inherently better. They simply serve different purposes and work best for different types of firms.

Low-Volume But Higher-Quality Prospects

These are personalized, high-touch efforts that build deeper relationships but rely heavily on advisor time or referrals. The prospects are more likely to be qualified and more likely to become clients after scheduling an appointment. Most relationship-oriented, high-minimum AUM firms naturally gravitate toward this end of the spectrum.

Examples: Client referrals, personal networking, speaking engagements.

High-Volume But Lower-Quality Prospects

These are broad-reaching, scalable tactics that bring in a mix of both qualified and unqualified prospects. They’re efficient, but they require more screening and follow-up. These strategies work best for firms with strong sales processes or for channels that don’t require a lot of ongoing effort once they’re set up.

Examples: Digital ads, paid lead listings, SEO.

High-quality activities often convert better but can limit your growth because they rely on your time and presence. High-volume activities scale easily but require more filtering and follow-up. The right balance depends on your firm’s capacity and your sales process.

The takeaway: Your marketing doesn’t need to live at one extreme. The strongest plans strike the right balance, pairing a few high-quality relationship builders with scalable high-volume activities.

Need help building your marketing plan? Learn more about our annual marketing plan service.

Kristen Luke

Founder of Kaleido Creative Studio and OnNiche®

How to Choose Marketing Activities: Part 3—Time Frame

Some marketing pays off now. Some pays off later. The key is to build a plan that supports both.

Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve been breaking down the six criteria you can use to choose marketing activities that truly work for your firm. These six factors are Client Journey Stage, Operational Efficiency, Time Frame, Quality vs. Quantity, Marketing Preferences, and Budget. Each one acts as a filter to help you decide what belongs in your marketing plan and what doesn’t.

This week, we’re focusing on the third factor: Time Frame.

When selecting marketing activities, consider how quickly your firm needs results. Do you need short-term wins to fill capacity? Or are you ready to invest in longer-term activities that pay dividends even when you are not actively implementing them? Or do you want a blend of both?

Short-Term Activities

These generate leads or visibility relatively quickly but require continuous effort or money to sustain. Once you stop the activity, the results stop.

Examples: Workshops, paid search ads.

Long-Term Activities

These build trust, authority, and visibility that compound over time. They take longer to show results, but once established, they require less maintenance and continue producing benefits year after year.

Examples: Content marketing, SEO, community involvement.

It’s easy to overcorrect in one direction, either chasing quick wins or investing only in activities that won’t pay off for years.

If you need leads soon, lean into short-term activities and layer in a few long-term ones.

If you’re already near capacity, shift more energy toward long-term growth that supports sustained demand.

Short-term and long-term efforts don’t need to be evenly split; they simply need to align with your firm’s goals, resources, and timeline.

The takeaway: A strong marketing plan balances what you need now with what your business will need next year, and the year after.

Need help building your marketing plan? Learn more about our annual marketing plan service.

Kristen Luke

Founder of Kaleido Creative Studio and OnNiche®

How to Choose Marketing Activities: Part 2—Operational Efficiency

The best marketing plans don’t just look good on paper. They actually get done.

Last week, I kicked off this series  on choosing the right marketing activities for your firm. Over the next few weeks, I’ll walk you through six key considerations to help you evaluate what works best for you: Client Journey Stage, Operational Efficiency, Time Frame, Quality vs. Quantity, Marketing Preferences, and Budget.

This week, let’s focus on the second factor, Operational Efficiency.

Every marketing channel requires a different level of effort. Some scale easily, while others depend on personal involvement. Evaluating how scalable, delegatable, or advisor-driven each one is helps you choose activities that fit your firm’s capacity and resources.

Scalable Activities

These reach many prospects without requiring additional advisor time. Once they’re set up, they continue to work with minimal ongoing effort.
Examples: SEO, advisor directories, paid search.

Delegatable Activities

These can be managed by support staff or outsourced partners with the right systems in place.
Examples: Newsletters, social media management, client events.

Direct-Involvement Channels

These require advisor participation and usually have the greatest impact, but they don’t easily scale.
Examples: Speaking engagements, podcasts, relationship-driven referrals.

Each type of activity has its place. The key is finding a balance between efficiency and impact that matches your team’s time and capacity.

The takeaway: A good marketing plan works not just on paper but also in practice because your team can actually keep it going.

Need help building your marketing plan? Learn more about our annual marketing plan service.

Kristen Luke

Founder of Kaleido Creative Studio and OnNiche®

How to Choose Marketing Activities: Part 1—Client Journey Stage

Before you start filling your 2026 marketing calendar, let’s talk strategy.

It’s that time of year when many advisors start thinking about next year’s marketing plans. If that’s you, you’re in the right place. Over the next few weeks, I’ll walk through six key considerations to help you choose marketing activities that actually work for you:

1. Client Journey Stage

2. Operational Efficiency

3. Time Frame

4. Quality vs. Quantity

5. Marketing Preferences

6. Budget

Let’s start with the first one: Client Journey Stage.

Every prospective client moves through three phases before deciding to hire you—awareness, consideration, and decision. The best marketing plans include a little of each.

• Awareness (Top of Funnel): At this stage, prospects don’t know your firm or even realize they have a financial challenge. Your goal is visibility and helping them recognize themselves in the problems you solve.
  Examples: SEO, podcasts, social media.

• Consideration (Middle of Funnel): Prospects now understand their problem and are exploring solutions. This is your chance to educate and show how you’re different.
  Examples: Webinars, blogs, newsletters.

• Decision (Bottom of Funnel): Prospects are ready to take action; they just need confidence in their choice. Help them feel certain you’re the right fit.
  Examples: Online reviews, case studies, personal outreach.

It’s common for advisors to lean too heavily on middle- or bottom-of-funnel efforts and not enough on top-of-funnel visibility. A healthy mix often looks like 50–60% awareness, 25–35% consideration, and 10–20% decision.

The takeaway: A balanced plan keeps new people discovering you, current prospects learning from you, and ready-to-hire clients choosing you.

Need help building your marketing plan? Learn more about our annual marketing plan service.

Kristen Luke

Founder of Kaleido Creative Studio and OnNiche®