It’s hard to believe it’s been two full years since Chasing Simple Marketing officially launched into the world. In some ways, it feels like it’s been a decade. In others, it feels like I blinked and here we are.

To celebrate, I thought I’d do something special today and share a little piece of the book with you. Specifically, I’m reading from the heart of it — the part where I break down how to determine what your marketing strategy should even be in the first place.

Because let’s be honest: marketing can feel overwhelming fast. There’s no shortage of strategies out there, and when you’re trying to sort through them all without a business degree or a marketing background? It’s enough to make you want to throw in the towel and go live in the woods.

If you’ve already read the book, I’d love to ask a small favor as part of this celebration: I’m hoping to hit 26 book reviews on Amazon this week. If you’ve read Chasing Simple Marketing and haven’t left a review yet, would you take a few minutes to do so? It would mean the world to me.

Okay — ready to dive in? Let’s talk strategy.

When I was early in my business, I remember sitting at my desk — rainbow pens lined up, a fresh calendar spread in front of me — feeling so proud of myself. I had finally invested in a marketing course. I was ready to figure this thing out once and for all.

Except… as I went through the course, confusion crept in.
The instructor talked about monthly themes but never explained why or how to pick them. They told me what to do, but not how to think about my marketing in a strategic way.

I felt like there were giant holes in the information.
I’d paid money for this. Shouldn’t I understand it? Shouldn’t it make sense?

I started wondering if maybe I just wasn’t good at marketing.

Friend, if you’ve ever had that thought, please know: It’s not you.
It’s a lack of foundational teaching. Most of us were never taught what strategy actually is — or why it matters — in the first place.

One of the biggest mistakes I see online educators and course creators make is confusing content strategy with content planning. They are not the same thing.

Here’s a quick breakdown:

Your plan is the rainbow-pen-on-the-calendar, “here’s what’s going out this week” outline. It’s tactical. It’s helpful. But it’s not strategic on its own.

A strategy informs the plan. Without a strategy, your content won’t necessarily drive results — even if you’re posting every day of the week.

Think of it this way:
A plan is the paint color and throw pillows.
The strategy is the structural blueprint of the house.
You need both… but you have to start with the blueprint.

If you want a sustainable, effective marketing strategy, you need both a nurture strategy and a growth strategy.

This is the content you create for the people already in your audience. It’s about consistency, value, and building trust over time.

Your nurture content should always include:

This is the heart of content marketing: relationship-building, trust-building, guiding people gently toward your offers.

This is how you bring new people into your audience.
It’s not content marketing (surprise!).

Content might help with growth as a byproduct (shares and virality). But if you can’t guarantee it will get you in front of new people, it’s not a growth strategy.

Growth strategies could include:

Notice the common thread? They rely on building connections and tapping into other people’s audiences to expand your own.

Not every strategy makes sense for every season of business. And that’s where the overwhelm creeps in — when you try to do all the things, all the time.

Instead, match your strategy to your current season:

Focus: Visibility and Education

Focus: Converting Audience to Buyers

Focus: Efficiency and Systems

Your strategy will evolve as your business does. It’s not meant to stay the same forever. It’s meant to meet you where you are.

Here’s the truth I want you to hold onto:
You don’t need to do it all at once.
You don’t need the perfect 5-year strategy mapped out today.

Start where you are.
Focus on one step at a time.
Simplify. Then scale.

That’s the heart behind Chasing Simple Marketing.

This blog post just scratched the surface of what I cover in Chapter 6 of the book. If you want the full breakdown — including how to align your marketing strategies with each business phase and how to track the right data to ensure it’s working — grab your copy of Chasing Simple Marketing.

You can order at amandawarfield.com/book or search Chasing Simple Marketing on Amazon.

And if you’ve already read it and haven’t left a review yet? Your kind words help this book reach more small business owners who desperately need simpler marketing. Thank you in advance.

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