Is Your Marketing Just Throwing Spaghetti at the Wall?

Sometimes it might feel like marketing is just tossing spaghetti—or tomatoes (not cucumbers :)—at the wall to see what sticks. But there’s a difference between random guesswork and a methodical, scientific approach to your strategy.

Let’s clear that up.

At Cucumber Marketing Inc., we believe marketing is a science. But what does that really mean?

Marketing = Science (Not Magic)

In science, you form a hypothesis, test it through experiments, observe the results, and adjust your approach based on the outcome. Marketing works the same way. We don’t blindly guess. We look at data, test ideas, refine what works, and repeat.

This process can look messy from the outside—especially if you’re a business owner getting monthly updates from your agency that include new experiments or adjustments. You might wonder, “Are we just trying random things?”

But here’s the truth: any reputable marketer will tell you—there are no guarantees in marketing. Why? Because marketing is built on a constantly shifting landscape: algorithms change, consumer behaviour shifts, economic conditions fluctuate. It’s like running experiments with dozens of moving parts.

So how do you know if your marketing is actually working?

Start with the Numbers
Here’s our favourite formula:
Visibility → Credibility → Profitability

1. Visibility
   Are people seeing your ad? We look at impressions and reach. If you’re not visible, you can’t expect results.
2. Credibility
   Are people clicking? If they’re clicking, they’re curious. If they’re not, your messaging may be unclear or your offer unappealing.
3. Profitability
   Are clicks converting? Are people taking action on your website? Are you hearing from the right clients? This is where your feedback is essential.

This is especially important for small businesses. Unlike large corporations, you might not have full-funnel tracking set up across platforms. That’s okay. But it does mean we need to collaborate. You know when calls are coming in. You know when your calendar starts filling up. We combine your client-side insights with our data analysis to make smarter decisions.

So Is It Working or Not?

Let’s use LinkedIn ads as an example. You might be running a campaign optimised for website conversions. But if LinkedIn can’t see those conversions—because of cookie restrictions or complex button tracking—your campaign might underperform simply because the platform has no data to learn from.

What do we recommend?
Sometimes, we shift to optimising for clicks first, not conversions. Why?

Because:

• We can verify that the right people are clicking.
• We can improve your messaging based on real data.
• And we can direct those people to a landing page that does its job clearly.

How to Know if It’s Just Guesswork?

Here are three simple ways to tell if your marketing agency is taking a strategic approach—not just throwing spaghetti:

1. They explain the numbers.
   You get reports with data tied to clear goals like traffic, clicks, and conversions—not just jargon.
2. They test and refine.
   You see small changes being made, followed by observations over 3–4 days (not 1 day), and bigger picture results tracked over 2–3 weeks.
3. They ask for your feedback.
   You’re part of the process. If clients are calling you more, even if you don’t see it in the marketing dashboard, that’s a sign things are working.

You’re Not a Bystander—You’re a Collaborator

The worst thing you can do with marketing is treat it like a hot potato—handing it off and hoping it works without your input. Real marketing results happen through collaboration. That’s why we stay in regular communication with our clients, adjusting based on both sides of the equation: performance metrics and real-life results.

Marketing is part science, part experience, part collaboration. Not guesswork. Not spaghetti.