Level Up Your Marketing Impact: A GROWTH Framework for Small Business Success

I recently celebrated my first year in business as an entrepreneur consultant, and I took some time to reflect on my journey. Like many small business owners, I’m always figuring out how to balance working on my business versus working in my business to keep things running smoothly.

As a newer entrepreneur, I’m constantly thinking about how I show up online, where I spend time and money on marketing, and how I can plan ahead for the moments when my current strategy will need to shift.

Even though I came from a corporate background, where I led marketing teams and had a solid head start with building my own website and content strategy, the reality of running a small business is that I still face the same challenges everyone else does: balancing time, budget, and quality while trying to grow and nurture my brand.

"And honestly, marketing can feel overwhelming. It’s easy to get caught up in what your competitors are doing..."

...Whether that’s advertising, hosting events, or pushing out social media content (especially if you're active on LinkedIn like I am). But here’s the thing: marketing isn’t one-size-fits-all.

We all know this in theory, but it’s worth repeating. What works for someone else may not be the right path for you. The trick is to be authentic to your own business and its unique needs.

To create a marketing strategy that really works, you need more than just creativity. You need consistency, discipline, and a methodical approach—kind of like how you would manage any big change in your business. That’s why I use a framework that keeps me on track.

Just like with any change management project, an effective marketing strategy needs a clear vision, the right resources, and communication at every step. Whether you're just starting out, growing your business, or trying to keep your momentum going, a framework can help guide your marketing choices and make the process less overwhelming.

That’s where the GROWTH framework comes in. Let’s take a look at how it can help you make smarter, right-sized marketing decisions to maximize your impact.

The GROWTH Framework

G – Goals

When setting marketing goals, make sure they tie back to your overall business strategy. It’s about understanding what to focus on—revenue, brand awareness, or customer loyalty?

Use the TOFU, MOFU, BOFU model:

• TOFU: Spread awareness (social media ads, blog posts).
• MOFU: Build relationships (email sequences, webinars).
• BOFU: Drive sales (product demos, offers).

Questions to ask:

• Do you want quick revenue or long-term visibility?
• How many interactions are needed to convert a prospect into a customer?

For solo entrepreneurs, focusing on BOFU tactics like special offers may lead to faster results (though you will have more strike-outs of course if you skip the middle nurturing phase), while small businesses with more resources might invest in TOFU efforts like content marketing or digital PR because they can afford to manage longer sales cycles by managing prospects across many different stages of the conversion funnel at once.

R – Resources

Time, money, and expertise—most businesses can only leverage one or two of these three fixed resources at a time (e.g, if you don’t have the money to outsource but do have the expertise to internally create, then it will probably take longer to do so due to the opportunity cost of stepping away from other tasks to execute a marketing tactic). With that constraint in mind, prioritize what matters most.

Questions to ask:

• Do you need help, or can you manage things on your own?
• Can you outsource, or should you invest your own time?
• Which of the three resource constraints can I accept?

For instance, if you lack design skills, it’s often worth spending money on professional branding, but you could handle content creation yourself if you have the time.

O – Opportunities

Identify which marketing channels give you the best return on investment. Should you focus on paid ads, local events, or partnerships?

Think in terms of cost and length of impact:

• Short-term, high cost: Paid ads give immediate visibility but come at a price.
• Short-term, low cost: Social media posts and email campaigns might be affordable ways to engage (provided you have the time to quickly respond and interact).
• Long-term, high cost: Search engine optimization (SEO) and content marketing take time and money but have lasting impact.
• Long-term, low cost: Public relations (PR) or partnerships offer lower-cost ways to keep attention over time.

Questions to ask:

• Are you getting the right short- or long-term returns from your efforts? And, are they aligned with your business stage?
• Which channels have worked best in the past?

W – Workflow

Without a clear system, even the best marketing ideas can fail. Create a content calendar, set up automation tools, and clarify who’s responsible for what (or if you are on your own, what time can you consistently allocate toward the effort each month).

Questions to ask:

• Do you have a plan to ensure consistency?
• What tools (like Canva, Asana or HubSpot) can help you streamline your efforts?

T – Test

Don’t go all-in without knowing what works. Run small experiments before committing resources. For example, a solo entrepreneur might test Facebook ads with a $150 budget to gauge interest, while a larger business could invest in A/B testing across different channels.

Questions to ask:

• Have you tried multiple approaches to see what works best?
• What metrics are you tracking to measure success?
• Are you testing just one variable at a time?

H – Highlights

Always look back at what worked and what didn’t – you have to occasionally slow down in order to go fast long term! Successes and milestones in your business (like a new product launch) should trigger a review of your strategy.

Questions to ask:

• What were your most successful campaigns, and why?
• What upcoming events or strategic business changes should shift your strategy?

In Closing

The GROWTH framework helps you build a marketing strategy that grows with your business. Whether you’re just starting out or managing an established business, this roadmap allows you to focus your marketing efforts where they’ll have the most impact.

And, we all know it takes thoughtful planning, change management and diligence to create a positive impact!

Are Business Growing Pains Hurting Your Marketing Efforts?

If you are a small or medium sized business struggling to understand how to adapt your marketing strategy to anticipate and align with natural inflection points in your business, visit the Mosaic BizOps website and contact us for an initial conversation to talk through your business needs.

We understand that in a smaller business you wear many hats - operations, sales, marketing, accounting, customer retention, etc. There's a path to optimizing your many efforts and freeing up time to play to your strengths while better aligning your brand and your workflow for high performance outcomes. We can help - isn't it worth a conversation ?