Let’s talk about expectations… If we earned a penny for every time a client called us up and asked us if we could guarantee X number of leads or calls or clicks, we’d be millionaires by now. We get it. You want a sure thing. Business owners want to know that their investment is going to pay off. But here’s the honest truth: marketing isn’t magic, it’s strategy. And success? It’s a collaborative effort that takes time, consistency and a clear understanding of what success really looks like.
So, let’s explore
1- why guarantees in marketing are often misleading,
2- better ways to measure success, and
3- why building a brand is about more than just immediate results.
The Problem with Guarantees
If it sounds too good to be true, it probably comes with a catch (and a tiny asterisk followed by copious tiny text at the bottom of the page). Some companies promote enticing offers such as “X leads for $X, guaranteed!”, but promises like these are often misleading. They rely on narrow definitions of success or short-term tactics that don’t result in bringing you actual customers. Guarantees of this kind are mostly empty, and that’s because marketing performance is influenced by countless variables, many of which are completely outside any agency’s control.
Some of the reasons guarantees regularly fall short:
- Market conditions can change quickly (government shutdowns, anyone?), which in turn affects demand and interest.
- You can check all the targeting boxes and still be talking to people who aren’t looking to buy.
- How much competition you have at any given moment greatly impacts visibility, costs, and ultimately conversion rates.
- Though historical research can guide us on consumer behavior, it’s still largely unpredictable and constantly changing.
- You can’t possibly promise results if there’s no room in the budget to test, refine or reach enough people.
In many cases, guaranteed leads prioritize quantity over quality, sending you unqualified prospects that waste both time and resources. And when those leads don’t convert, your sales team can be left frustrated and burned out.
Rather than chasing guarantees, it’s far better to set clear, realistic, measurable goals using metrics that actually reflect progress and growth.
A Much Better Measurement
When it comes to social media marketing, success isn’t just about leads or calls. It’s about building a brand people recognize, trust, and engage with repeatedly. Successful brands aren’t banking on one-night stands but rather building relationships that will make them fans for life. Let’s discuss a few key concepts to help reframe our expectations.
1. Top-of-Mind Awareness
If I ask you to name an athletic shoe brand, chances are the one with a swoosh comes to mind. This is what’s called top-of-mind awareness: the ability of a brand to be the first people think of in a specific category.
However, this kind of instant recall doesn’t happen overnight. It’s built through consistent messaging, repeated impressions, and a strong presence across multiple channels. Social media plays a critical role here by helping your brand stay visible, familiar, and relevant long before someone is ready to buy.
2. First Impressions and Brand Consistency
Research completed by CapitalOne Shopping confirms what we’ve known for ages: It takes just 1/10 of a second to form a first impression, and 5 to 7 impressions for a brand to truly stick in a consumer’s memory. That’s why consistency across platforms, visuals, and messaging matters.
This same research shows that strong brand consistency drives higher recognition and revenue, and that consumers are more likely to buy from brands they follow and engage with on social media. What this means for you is if you aren’t consistently, frequently promoting branded material that gives the same cohesive message, you might be losing potential customers or confusing (and losing) the ones you have.
3. Brand Trust and Loyalty
Trust takes time and patience to build. And yet it’s one of the most valuable assets your brand can have. The majority of consumers (approx. 88% according to this study) say trust is a deciding factor before making a purchase, and many are willing to pay more for brands they trust.
Social media is your chance to earn trust. Be authentic, engage consistently, and don’t be afraid to be up front and transparent with things like pricing. (It’s what people want anyway!) These interactions may not convert immediately, but they lay the groundwork for long-term loyalty.
The Problem with Measuring by Just Leads & Calls
Don’t get us wrong. Leads and calls do matter. But measuring success by volume alone can be misleading and costly.
Think about it: would you rather spend your time cold-calling a list of strangers hoping for a date this weekend, or have that good-looking redhead from the diner who’s already been observing you, maybe chatting with you and is genuinely interested, reach out first?
When success is measured only by numbers, teams end up spending valuable time vetting intent instead of building a reputation that attracts the right customers in the first place. Unqualified leads drain time, inflate costs, and overwhelm sales teams with conversations that go nowhere. Chasing volume without intent can even damage your brand, especially when irrelevant or premature outreach turns off potential buyers.
Instead of focusing solely on how many leads come in, it’s far more effective to prioritize lead quality, buyer intent, and conversion readiness.
Success Metrics That Actually Matter
If raw leads aren’t the full picture, what should you be looking at?
Here are metrics that provide a more accurate view of performance:
- Conversions: These are the meaningful actions like newsletter sign-ups, resource downloads, demo requests, or purchases, which are all signals of genuine interest, not just clicks.
- Engagement: Likes, comments, shares, and saves show how well content resonates with your audience.
- Follower Growth: This isn’t a vanity metric on its own, but a sign of increasing awareness and relevance.
- Impressions and Reach: These are foundational to the customer journey, like the signage you put outside your business. People can’t convert if they never see you.
Think of marketing like a breadcrumb trail. A sale often starts with a single impression, followed by multiple touchpoints that build familiarity and trust. Social media is just one leg of that journey, but it’s a critical one.
Reasonable Expectations
The Client:
Clients play a pivotal role in their own marketing success by providing quality content, timely feedback, insight into their audience, and patient investment. Clients who actively partner with their marketing team (rather than passively sit back), end up seeing more successful campaigns and experience fewer setbacks.
Cup O Code:
While we can’t promise a specific number of leads or calls, there are things our team of marketing experts can commit to with confidence:
- A clear, documented strategy aligned with your business goals
- Consistent, on-brand content designed to reach and engage the right audience
- Transparent reporting on performance, insights, and trends
- Ongoing optimization based on your personal metrics
- Honest communication about what’s working, what’s not, and what we’re consistently doing to improve your results
Our role isn’t to sell shortcuts… it’s to build a strategic plan that supports sustainable growth.
Marketing Isn’t Magic. It’s Strategy.
At the end of the day, there is no get-rich-quick scheme in marketing that is simultaneously a sustainable business model. Marketing is a marathon, not a sprint. It takes consistency, honesty, and a clear strategy to see results, but the payoff is well worth it. Remember, you’re building a brand people will recognize, one they’ll trust and hopefully choose when the time is right.
Wanting immediate results is perfectly natural, but meaningful, lasting success takes time, effort, and collaboration. If you’re ready to invest in a strategy built for real, sustainable growth, let’s talk. Together, we can create a plan that sets your brand up for long-term success. Ready to build a brand that lasts? Let’s chat about how we can make it happen together.
