MARKETING AUDIT – THE HONEST STARTING POINT.
Before you can improve your marketing, you need to understand what’s actually happening. That’s what a marketing audit is for.
What is a Marketing Audit?
A marketing audit is a thorough, objective review of everything your business is currently doing in its marketing; what’s working, what isn’t, where money and time are being wasted and where the real opportunities are.
Think of it like a health check for your marketing. Just as you’d get a car serviced before a long journey rather than hoping for the best, a marketing audit gives you a clear picture of where you’re starting from before you invest more time or money into growing.
It’s not about criticism. It’s about clarity.
Why most businesses need one
Most businesses arrive at a marketing audit one of two ways. Either something isn’t working and they can’t figure out why, or they’re about to invest in marketing and want to make sure they’re starting from a solid foundation.
Both are completely valid reasons. But there’s a third reason that’s just as important and less obvious:
You might be leaving significant growth on the table without knowing it.
Businesses that have never had a proper audit are often surprised to discover they’re ranking for keywords they didn’t know about, have audiences they’ve never targeted, have channels that are underperforming because of simple technical issues, or have been spending money on ads that were never set up correctly.
A marketing audit finds all of this – the problems and the opportunities.
What does a marketing audit cover?
A thorough marketing audit looks at every active channel and touchpoint in your business. Depending on what you’re currently doing, this typically includes:
Website performance How is your website performing in terms of traffic, user behaviour, and conversions? Are people finding it, and when they do, are they doing what you want them to do? This covers Google Analytics data, page performance, conversion paths, and user experience observations.
Search engine visibility How does your business appear in organic search results? What keywords are you ranking for? What keywords should you be ranking for that you aren’t? This covers Google Search Console data, keyword analysis, and basic technical SEO health.
Paid advertising If you’re running Google Ads or Meta Ads, are they set up correctly? Is the tracking working? Are you spending money on the right audiences with the right creative? Poorly set up paid campaigns are one of the most common (and most expensive) marketing problems businesses don’t know they have.
Social media Are your social channels presenting your business consistently and professionally? Is the content you’re posting actually reaching and engaging your target audience? Are you on the right platforms for your audience?
Email marketing If you’re running email campaigns, how are they performing? Are your open rates and click rates healthy? Is your list growing or declining? Is your content relevant and well-targeted?
Google Business Profile For local businesses this is often the most overlooked channel. Is your profile complete, accurate, and optimised? Are you generating reviews? Are you appearing in local search results?
Brand consistency Does your marketing present a consistent, professional image across all channels? Inconsistency (different logos, different messaging, different tones) quietly undermines trust without businesses realising it.
Overall strategy assessment Are all of your channels working together towards the same goals? Is there a clear strategy connecting your activity, or is it largely reactive and disconnected?
Wondering if your marketing is actually working?
A marketing audit is the honest answer to that question. It tells you exactly where you stand, what’s working, what isn’t, and what to do about it, so you can make better decisions with your marketing budget going forward.
