[🐝U] Scratch the Teflon off your marketing so customers finally stick

You’ve been all over social media shouting into the void.
You’ve burned cash you didn’t have, hired “experts”, Frankenstein-ed offers.
You know your audience
& you know you’re not doing any of that bro-marketing nonsense.

You’ve tried “everything”!

& the only sound you hear … crickets!

So why isn’t your marketing working?

Let’s kill the myth right now.
Your marketing problem isn’t your logo, business name, fonts or colors.
It’s not your “perfect” offer
& it it’s not even your price

The real reason?
You’re treating strangers like soulmates.
You walk into the coffee shop, spot someone that looks “your type” & blurt out

“HI, let’s get married!”

That’s not charming. They don’t swoon.
It’s creepy & they run!

That’s what it feels like when you don’t consider their awareness level & pitch too fast.

Meeting your customer “where they’re at” isn’t just about platforms & places. It’s about where they are in their buying journey … it’s their Level of Awareness.

What is their Level of Awareness?

Every 1 of your prospects falls in 1 of 5 spots on a “Level of Awareness” spectrum.

When you ignore it, you blast the wrong kind of message … & that’s going to make them turn away & avoid you.

Here’s a quick breakdown you can reference…

UNAWARE:

Your prospects don’t even realize they have a problem … they’re unaware.

Your job (in theory) is to educate, raise awareness, & connect their struggles to a solvable problem.

examples:
→ A local business owner thinks slow sales are “just the economy”, tells their team to just “wait it out”. Meanwhile, bills pile up, payroll looms, & the competitors down the street keep stealing their customers.

The brutal truth? It’s not the economy. It’s their invisible marketing.

👉 Messaging here looks like stories, insights, or content that shines a light on the real problem without being in their face about it.
✅ DO share stories, insights, & gentle “aha” moments to reveal their problem
❌ DON’T try to sell. Urgency & discounts are useless if they don’t see the problem

Pro Tip: Because this is the hardest place to sell from, avoid spending too much time here. You need quicker, easier wins because you have limited resources.

Once they recognize something’s off, they shift into the next stage.

PROBLEM AWARE:

Your prospect knows they have a problem … not that there’s a solution.
They’re struggling with something, but they don’t know what’s causing it

Your job is to shine a light on their problem, name it, & help them understand it

example:
→ I once met a musician who refreshed their website stats so often she joked about getting carpal tunnel. It was ALL ZEROs all the time. Her gut instinct… “maybe I should redesign it … again”

The honest truth? The pretty pictures & colors don’t sell … the right words do.

👉 Messaging here has to clearly define the problem & create urgency to solve it.
✅ DO show why ignoring the problem costs them time, money, or their sanity
❌ DON’T overwhelm them with solutions … they’re not ready to choose … yet!

Now that they know the problem, they’re going to look for solutions.

SOLUTION AWARE:

They know solutions to their problem are out there & they’re looking for them
But they don’t know about you or your product … yet!

Your job is to position categories of solutions & set the stage for why yours is best

example:
→ A coach is searching for “best social media scheduling apps” at 1am. They’re drowing in reviews & features. They think the app’s going to fix their time crunch.

But here’s the punch in the gut … tools don’t fix a broken strategy; they just automate their chaos.

but they haven’t seen your approach to repurposing content to save time & be more effective
→ A business owner’s Googling “Facebook Ads vs local newspaper” but isn’t aware you specialize in SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

👉 Messaging here does comparisons & educates on why your option works better than others to solve their problem
✅DO position your solution & explain why your approach is better than other options
❌DON’T assume they know (or care) about you or your specific product/service yet

After your prospect’s researched different options, they’ll eventually find yours.

PRODUCT AWARE:

Your prospects know about your solution, but they’re not sure it’s right for them.
They’re comparing you to the competition.

Your job is to build trust, show proof, & shine a spotlight on why your solution is uniquely suited for them.

example:
→ Someone’s been referred to you by a past client, & they’re scrolling through your testimonials but they’re also checking out your competition.

They’re wondering, “Why should I trust you over them?”
If you’re answer looks like everyone else’s, you just became forgettable

👉 Messaging here is all about differentiation & trust. Focus on case studies, unique frameworks, “risk-reducers” like guarantees, & “why this works when others don’t”
✅DO build trust with proof, case studies, guarantees & things that make you different
❌DON’T blend in with your competitors or only rely on “features”. They want to know about your benefits that mean most to them.

When they’re sure you’re probably the right choice for them, they’re now just waiting for the “right moment”

MOST AWARE:

This is where they already know, like, & trust you. Your prospect knows about you & your offer … they’re just waiting for the right moment, incentive, or reminder.

Your job is to make it super-simple for them to say “yes”

example:
→ a newsletter subscriber opens every email you send. They know, like, & trust you … it feels like they’re always buying something but it’s never from you.

Here’s the slap in the face to snap us out of it … When you don’t ask, someone else will.

👉 Messaging here is direct.
✅DO make their decision easy with clear offers, bonuses & a reason to act now.
❌DON’T dance around. They already trust you. Just ask for the sale

THIS is where the “sale price” & “limited quantities” & “ends tonight” works.

In case you’re wondering, MOST people are NOT “Most Aware” about your solution.

So if you’re stuck shouting into the void, it’s probably not about what you’re offering, it’s about the right message for the right person in the right place.

But that’s where most smaller businesses get stuck & it’s why people think
email marketing = SPAM
advertising = pushy sales

Here’s what this looks like in a single snapshot, courtesy of Eugene Schwartz’s Breakthrough Advertising

The Levels of Awareness is about understanding your prospect.
& it helps you speak to the questions they’re actually asking
But that’s only ½ the picture.
Because your message ALSO has to cut through the noise of the crowd (market) they’re standing in.

So if your marketing feels like Teflon & it’s sliding right off your audience, don’t panic.

Star here: Match your message to their Level of Awareness.

Pro Tip: You don’t need (& shouldn’t have) all your content for 1 stage. The smartest marketers spread their efforts across the entire spectrum, so no matter where someone enters the conversation, there’s something that resonates with them.

Have a look at your messaging:
→ What stages are you speaking to?
→ Which ones are you missing?
→ How can you fill that gap?

Next Wednesday, we’ll layer in “Market Sophistication” … how advanced (or jaded) your audience really is

When you put the 2 together, you’ve got a message that doesn’t fly over their head, it sticks in their ears.

Make it a great “sticky“ week!
EG

PS:

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