3 Things I Wouldn’t Put on Your 2027 Marketing Plan (Yes, Including Substack)
Holy flying dementors – can you believe it’s already November AND 2027 is just around the corner?
You only have to open Instagram to be reminded of this fact!
Between the 2027 marketing predictions, the business planning workshops and everyone sharing what they’re doing differently next year, there’s no shortage of advice about what you should be adding to your marketing strategy.
But before you add anything because you think you should, or because some guru who doesn’t know you or your business told you to, you need to figure out what’s actually going to help you make more sales.
I’ve seen this firsthand after completing 30+ personalised messaging and marketing audits over the past few months.
One thing those audits have reinforced is just how easy it is to spend time and money on marketing activities without knowing whether they’ll make the biggest difference to your sales.
So in today’s episode of the How I Do Content Podcast, I’m sharing what I would NOT automatically put on your 2027 marketing plan, what I’d recommend instead and how to decide which marketing strategies are actually worth prioritising.
Let’s get into it.
Starting a Substack (or another marketing platform) because everyone else is doing it
Let’s start with something that’s been a hot topic of conversation EVERYWHERE.
Substack.
Suddenly every wizard and their 3-headed dog seems to be talking about Substack and weighing up whether they should start one, because they’ve seen some guru talking about how they made 6-figures in 6-minutes from theirs.
And look, I have absolutely nothing against Substack. I actually think it could be a fantastic marketing channel for the right business.
But a lot of the people considering starting a Substack can’t even consistently email their list #sorrynotsorry
If you’ve already got an email list full of potential clients you’re barely communicating with, is starting a Substack suddenly going to make you more consistent?
And more importantly, how is it going to help you make more sales?
For example, if you’re struggling to attract the right people into your world, Substack might be worth exploring as another way to reach potential clients.
But if you’ve already got people joining your email list and they’re not moving towards your offers, I’d be looking at what happens after they subscribe.
Because you could spend the next three months growing an audience on Substack and still find yourself dealing with the exact same challenge.
So before you add Substack, YouTube or another platform to your 2027 marketing plan, ask yourself what you actually need it to achieve and whether it’s the best way to get that result.
Posting more content because you think you need more visibility
The second thing I wouldn’t automatically recommend is creating MORE content just because you think you need more visibility.
Maybe you’re considering posting five times a week, showing up on Stories every day or finally getting serious about Trial Reels.
But is visibility actually the thing that’s stopping you from making more sales?
If you’re struggling to get your offer in front of the right people, increasing your visibility might be exactly what you need.
But let’s say you’re a service provider who’s already getting consistent enquiries, and very few of them are turning into bookings.
Would posting another three Reels a week solve that problem?
Probably not.
I’d be looking at the quality of those enquiries, what potential clients understand about your offer before reaching out and what might be stopping them from taking the next step.
Because there’s a big difference between someone knowing you exist and someone knowing WHY they should hire you.
So before you commit to posting more frequently in 2027, ask yourself whether you actually need more people discovering your business, or whether the bigger opportunity is converting the people you’re already attracting.
Because those require very different marketing strategies.
Building a complicated funnel before understanding how your dream clients actually buy
The third thing I wouldn’t automatically recommend is building a ridiculously complicated funnel with a million different moving parts.
Before you start creating lead magnets, landing pages, email sequences and automations, there’s something much more important to consider.
What do your dream clients actually need before they’re ready to buy your offer?
For example, let’s say you’re a business coach who’s created a free masterclass to attract potential clients into your world.
People are registering, watching the training and receiving your follow-up emails, but very few are taking the next step towards working with you.
Now, you could spend time tweaking your automations, writing more follow-up emails or adding another bonus to your masterclass.
But what if your masterclass does a great job of teaching people HOW to solve their problem, without helping them understand why solving it is something they should prioritise right now?
Or your follow-up emails focus on reminding people what’s included in your offer, without explaining what makes your approach different or why it’s the right fit for them?
Those are messaging problems that another automation isn’t necessarily going to fix.
So rather than copying someone else’s funnel, I’d start by understanding what’s influencing your dream clients’ buying decisions, then work backwards to create the simplest customer journey that helps them take the next step towards your offer.
What I’d Actually Recommend For Your 2027 Marketing Plan
So what WOULD I recommend you focus on when planning your marketing for 2027?
Before you decide which strategies you’re going to invest in, I’d start by auditing what you’ve already got.
There are three questions I’d want you to answer.
First, where are your potential clients currently coming from?
Look at your Instagram, website, lead magnets, email list and any other channels you’re using to attract people into your business.
Which ones are consistently bringing in potential clients, and are those people actually a good fit for your offers?
Second, what happens once those people are in your world?
I want you to identify where people are taking the next step and where they’re dropping off.
For example, if people are downloading your lead magnet but rarely clicking through to learn about your offer, that’s a good indication you should investigate your nurture strategy before spending more money attracting leads.
And third, what might be stopping those people from buying?
This is where I’d look at your messaging through the lens of my Bolt 3D Framework.
Do your dream clients understand how your offer helps them achieve something they actually want? Have you given them compelling reasons to prioritise solving that problem? And do they understand what makes YOUR approach different?
Once you’ve answered those questions, you can make much more informed decisions about what your marketing needs next.
Maybe you genuinely do need more visibility, or maybe you’d get a bigger return from improving your nurture emails, sales page or the messaging you’re using to promote your offers.
Map Your 2027 Marketing Plan Inside The Obvious Choice Funnel
If you want my help identifying where your biggest marketing opportunities are and mapping out what to focus on next, I’d love for you to join me inside The Obvious Choice Funnel.
It’s my three-day live bootcamp happening from 17–19 November, where I’ll show you how to audit your existing customer journey, map a simple funnel using buyer psychology and identify the messaging you need to help turn more leads into paying clients.
You’ll finish with your own Customer Journey Audit, Funnel Map and prioritised action plan, so you know which parts of your marketing to improve, what you need to create and where to focus your efforts as you head into 2027.
Tickets start at just $27.
So if you’re ready to make more strategic decisions about where you spend your time, energy and money on marketing, you can find all the details and grab your ticket at thesocialbolt.com.au/bootcamp
Until next time, say hi to your dog for me.
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