If your marketing calendar is full but results still feel inconsistent, you’re not alone.

Many professional services firms start the year feeling busy. Content is being posted. Ads are running. Someone is updating the website. There’s activity everywhere. And yet, when you step back and ask, “Is this actually working?” the answer is often unclear.

This is one of the most common problems we see with lawyers, accountants, real estate agents, mortgage brokers and financial planners. Marketing looks active on the surface, but underneath, it lacks direction. The issue isn’t effort. It’s randomness.

In 2026, busy marketing without a clear plan doesn’t just waste time. It quietly drains confidence, budget and momentum.

This article explores what random marketing really costs, why it’s so common, and how to move from scattered activity to focused, effective action.

What Random Marketing Actually Looks Like

Random marketing doesn’t always feel random when you’re inside it. In fact, it often feels productive.

It can look like:

Posting on social media because “we should be posting”
Running ads because competitors are advertising
Writing blogs based on trending topics, not business priorities
Refreshing a website without clarifying messaging
Trying new tools or platforms without a defined role

Each individual action makes sense in isolation. The problem is that none of them are connected by a clear objective. Without an overarching plan, marketing becomes a series of disconnected tasks instead of a system that builds momentum over time.

Why Being Busy Feels Like Progress (Even When It Isn’t)

There’s a reason random marketing is so common, especially early in the year. Being busy feels safe. Activity creates the impression of movement. It reassures teams and business owners that something is happening. It also postpones harder conversations about strategy, priorities and trade-offs.

In professional services firms, where time is scarce and pressure is high, it’s tempting to default to action rather than pause to think.
But marketing doesn’t reward effort alone. It rewards alignment.
When activity isn’t aligned to a clear goal, it creates noise instead of traction.

The Real Cost of Random Marketing (It’s More Than Money)

The most obvious cost of random marketing is wasted spend. But the bigger costs are often hidden.

Lost confidence
When marketing feels busy but results are unclear, confidence erodes. Business owners start questioning whether marketing works at all.

Team frustration
Marketing teams and external providers get stuck executing tasks without understanding the bigger picture. Morale drops and momentum stalls.

Inconsistent messaging
Without direction, messaging shifts constantly. Prospects receive mixed signals about what you do, who you help and why you’re different.

Missed compounding
Marketing works best when efforts build on each other. Random activity resets the clock every time. By mid-year, many firms feel like they’ve spent months “doing marketing” without anything solid to show for it.

Why Random Marketing Is Especially Risky in 2026

Random marketing has always been inefficient, but in 2026 it’s particularly risky.

Discovery now happens across:

AI summaries
Social media
Referrals
Brand searches

Prospects often form an opinion before they ever speak to you. That opinion is shaped by consistency. If your messaging, content and visibility don’t line up, trust is harder to build. In a landscape where people skim, scan and summarise, scattered marketing creates confusion. And confused prospects don’t enquire.

CASE STUDY

Lots of activity, no traction

A professional services firm we worked with had no shortage of marketing output. Social posts were regular, ads were running, and content was being published. Despite the effort, enquiries were flat.

When we reviewed their activity, the issue was obvious. Each channel was doing something different. Messaging wasn’t aligned. There was no clear priority.

We helped them step back and decide what actually mattered for the next six months. Once activity was aligned to a single focus, marketing felt calmer and results became more predictable.

What Effective Marketing Looks Like Instead

Effective marketing isn’t louder or busier. It’s clearer.

High performing firms typically share a few traits:

They know exactly who they’re trying to attract
They’re clear on the problems they want to be known for solving
They choose fewer channels and use them well
Every tactic supports a bigger objective

This doesn’t mean doing less forever. It means doing the right things in the right order. Marketing that compounds is intentional. It builds trust gradually and reinforces the same message across multiple touchpoints.

How to Move From Random to Intentional Marketing

You don’t need a complex strategy to escape random marketing. You need focus.

Here are some practical ways to reset.

Clarify your priority
Ask yourself what the next six months actually need to achieve. Leads, authority, visibility or something else?

Define what success looks like
If you can’t explain what success means, you’ll chase activity instead of outcomes.

Choose fewer channels
More platforms rarely equal better results. Focus on where your audience already pays attention.

Make everything support one message
Consistency builds trust faster than novelty.

Review before adding
Before starting something new, decide what you’re stopping.

CASE STUDY

From scattered to structured

An accounting firm we worked with felt overwhelmed by marketing demands. They were active everywhere but unsure what was working.

We helped them define a single core message and align their activity around it. Instead of trying to be everywhere, they focused on consistency and clarity. Marketing became easier to manage, and enquiries improved without increasing spend.

Bottom Line

Busy marketing is not the same as effective marketing
Random activity drains confidence, time and budget
The biggest cost of randomness is lost momentum
Consistency and clarity outperform volume
Marketing works best when aligned to a clear plan

If your marketing feels busy but unfocused, it’s a sign that activity has outpaced strategy.

At Zenovate, we help professional services firms replace random marketing with clear, structured plans that align effort with outcomes.

BOOK YOUR FREE 15 min. strategy CALL

Written By Kristen Porter

Kristen Porter is an award-winning lawyer, marketing and legal strategist, licensed real estate agent, and the founder of Zenovate Marketing and highly niched law firm O*NO Legal – The Real Estate Agent’s Lawyer. With degrees in both Law and Commerce (majoring in Marketing), Kristen brings a rare combination of over 20 years legal expertise and business acumen to her work with professional service firms.

Kristen has built and scaled multiple businesses at a national level and developed a marketing framework that she now uses to help other law firm owners, accountants, real estate agents and other professional service business owners grow profitably - without relying on cold outreach or tactics that don’t feel aligned. Her approach blends strategic positioning, lead generation, and sustainable marketing systems to create brands that stand out, attract the right clients, and grow effortlessly.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)

Random marketing is activity without a clear goal or strategy connecting it.
Because activity creates movement, even when it doesn’t create results.
Often yes, because it consumes time and budget without building momentum.
Fewer than you think. Focus on the channels that align with your audience and goals.
When outcomes are clear, consistent and predictable, not just busy.

DISCLAIMER: This article is general information only and cannot be regarded as legal, financial or accounting advice as it does not take into account your personal circumstances. For tailored advice, please contact us. PS – congratulations if you have read this far, you must love legal disclaimers or are a sucker for punishment.