If you work in industrial marketing, you know the feeling: new platforms popping up, competitors launching flashy campaigns, and your leadership team asking to be everywhere at once. It’s easy to think that being busy means you’re making progress. But being busy and being effective? Not the same thing.
Most suppliers and manufacturers I talk to are working with limited resources in regard to time, talent, and budget. The companies that come out ahead aren’t the ones doing the most. They’re the ones zeroing in on what matters and sticking with it.
When Everything Is a Priority, Nothing Is
Most industrial businesses kick things off with a ton of enthusiasm and an even longer list of ideas. Trade shows? Social media? Videos, newsletters, new websites, advertising—the works. All of these can be great, in the right context. The catch: hardly anyone has the team or the time to do them all well.
When you try to give every tactic equal attention, nothing gets the depth it needs. That content plan? Turns into a half-finished blog. The new social channel? Launched, but never really takes off. The CRM? Sitting there, barely touched, because no one has time to keep it up. Instead of building momentum, you just end up tired.
The best marketing starts with picking your battles. Ask yourself: what’s the one thing we can do right now that will actually move the needle?
The Cost of Spreading Too Thin
Every tactic comes with a price tag—even the so-called free ones. That social post? Still takes time to plan, design, and schedule. The newsletter? Someone’s got to write it, send it, and see if anyone’s reading. Spread yourself too thin, and what you really lose is focus.
And here’s the thing: your buyers can tell when your marketing is all over the place. The message changes, the visuals don’t match, and your proof points feel random. Instead of building trust, you’re just adding to the noise. Suddenly, it’s tough for anyone to figure out what you actually stand for.
Doing less, better, is noDoing less—and doing it better—isn’t about holding back just to hold back. It’s about respecting your buyers’ attention and your team’s energy.
The right things to focus on? That depends on where your business is at and what your buyers actually need. Start by making sure your marketing lines up with real business goals.
Here are three questions I always ask to get started:
- What are we trying to achieve? Are you trying to increase qualified inquiries, retain key accounts, or introduce a new product line? Clarity on goals will quickly eliminate tactics that do not support them.
- Where are your buyers actually making decisions? Not everyone’s hanging out in the same places. Some are deep into search and spec research, others are active in trade associations, and some respond best to a direct call or email. Go where they already are.
- What can you actually keep up with? A strategy that falls apart after a month isn’t much of a strategy. Consistency beats intensity every time. Pick the things you can actually deliver on, week after week.
Be honest with your answers, and you’ll start to see what really deserves your attention.
Structure Before Scale
Before you expand your marketing footprint, make sure the foundation is strong. Are your analytics and CRM connected? Is your website designed to convert inquiries into conversations? Is your content library organized around clear themes that support your value proposition?
Without structure, scaling only multiplies inefficiency. But when the basics are in place, even a small number of well-run programs can outperform a dozen disconnected efforts.
That is why at 10|20 Marketing, we start every engagement with alignment and setup before expansion. We define the systems that let strategy run smoothly, then scale what proves to work.
Momentum Comes From Focus
The truth is, marketing rarely fails because of bad ideas. It fails because of competing ones. When everything feels urgent, the work that matters most gets buried.
Industrial marketers who learn to prioritize build stronger brands over time. They stop chasing trends and start creating results that compound.
You do not need to do everything. You need to identify the few things that truly move the needle and commit to them fully.
Fewer tactics. Sharper execution. Better outcomes. That is the equation for sustainable growth in industrial markets.