How Do I Know If My Marketing Is Actually Working?

edwardlinnyu
Sep 25
3 min read

Why most marketing feels like guesswork

Business owners in Auckland often pour money and energy into marketing — posting on Instagram, running ads, updating websites — but when you ask, “Is it working?” the answer is usually a shrug. The problem is not effort, it’s measurement. Too many businesses chase vanity metrics like likes and followers, instead of tracking what really matters: leads, response speed, and conversions.

Marketing only works when it turns attention into action. The good news? You don’t need expensive reports to find out. You just need to focus on the right signals.

Step 1: Stop chasing vanity metrics

It feels good to see likes, comments, and followers climb. But likes don’t pay the bills. You can’t deposit followers into the bank.

Examples:

A photographer gets 200 likes on a wedding photo but no new bookings.
An accountant’s LinkedIn post gets shared, but no one books a consult.
A retailer grows their TikTok following but sees no lift in sales.

👉 The fix: Shift focus from vanity numbers to actions that matter: enquiries, calls, bookings, and sales.

Step 2: Track your leads — where are they coming from?

Most owners don’t know which channel is actually driving clients. Did that new customer come from Google, Instagram, or a referral? Without knowing, you’ll keep spending on things that don’t work.

Practical steps:

Add “How did you hear about us?” to your contact form.
Track which ads or posts get people clicking “Book Now.”
Use unique links or phone numbers for different campaigns.

When you know where leads come from, you can double down on what works and stop wasting money on what doesn’t.

Step 3: Measure your speed of response

Here’s a hidden truth: marketing doesn’t fail at getting leads — it fails at what happens next. If someone calls or fills out a form, but no one replies for 2 days, you’ve lost them.

Research shows that businesses that respond within an hour are 7x more likely to close the sale than those who wait a day. (HBR, 2021)

👉 Action point: Time your average response. Are you replying in minutes, hours, or days? Improving speed of response is often the cheapest way to double your conversion rate.

Step 4: Track conversions, not just conversations

It’s not enough to know how many enquiries you get. You need to know how many become paying clients.

Example:

If 10 people ask for quotes and 3 hire you, your conversion rate is 30%.
If 10 people ask for quotes and 1 hires you, it’s 10%.

This tells you where the problem is:

If you’re not getting enquiries, your marketing isn’t reaching the right people.
If you’re getting enquiries but not clients, your sales process (follow-up, trust, empathy) needs fixing.

Step 5: Let AI help you measure

Tracking doesn’t need to be manual. AI tools can:

Pull enquiries into one dashboard.
Tag where they came from (Google, Facebook, referrals).
Track response time automatically.
Generate weekly reports showing leads, response speed, and conversions.

This gives you clarity without adding more admin.

FAQs Auckland Business Owners Ask

Q: How do I know if my social media posts are worth it?Measure whether posts lead to enquiries, not just likes. Use unique links or discount codes to track.

Q: Should I keep running ads if I’m not seeing sales?Not unless you know what’s working. Test small, measure, then scale what brings leads.

Q: How often should I check marketing results?Weekly is enough for small businesses. Monthly is too slow; daily is too much.

Q: Can AI really track this for me?Yes. AI tools can monitor leads, emails, and calls, and give you simple reports on what matters.

Closing thought

Marketing isn’t about doing more. It’s about knowing what works, doubling down on it, and cutting what doesn’t. Stop guessing, start tracking, and you’ll finally know if your marketing is paying off.

Ready to see if your marketing is really working?

Want clarity on what’s bringing in clients — and what’s wasting your time? Book a free consultation with EDT Studio today — we’ll help you track, measure, and improve your marketing so every dollar counts.