Whether you are brand new to marketing or a seasoned veteran, it’s important to occasionally take stock of where you stand with your marketing. This is particularly important before you consider adding or changing your marketing so that you are getting the most out of your conversations, know where you are weak or strong, and are able to speak from a position of confidence about what marketing you need to focus on improving.
To assist you with assessing your marketing, we’ve assembled a few critical questions to ask yourself, with an explanation of why the question is important to consider. The self-audit takes less than 5 minutes to complete, and the guide at the bottom will advise you what your answers mean for your marketing next steps.
Note: You may find yourself not knowing the answer to some of these questions because a) you have never heard of some of these marketing terms before, or b) you are not sure if your current marketing company is handling these items for you. We advise you to answer “no” in both of these circumstances because both likely mean that it is not being adequately handled. In other words, you should expect a resounding “yes!” for your marketing.
Do you have an established annual and monthly marketing budget?
Establishing a marketing budget for your business is the critical first step in your marketing journey. It will not only let you know what you should be spending to attract new business, but it will also help you discern what marketing tactics make sense for where your business is right now, and which need to wait until later.
| Revenue Goal | Marketing Budget Percentage | Annual Marketing Budget | Monthly Marketing Budget |
|---|---|---|---|
| $1,000,000 | 3% (Conservative) | $30,000 | $2,500 |
| $1,000,000 | 7% (Average) | $70,000 | $5,833 |
| $1,000,000 | 15% (Aggressive) | $150,000 | $12,500 |
If you answered no to this question, don’t worry, establishing a marketing budget is actually really easy to do. All you need to do is take the revenue that you want to earn for the year and multiply it by .07. That will give you your annual marketing budget. Then divide that number by 12, and you have your monthly marketing budget.
Here’s an example for a shop that wants to earn $1,000,000 in revenue this year: $1,000,000 x.07 = $70,000 (Annual Marketing Budget). $70,000/12 = $5,833 (Monthly Marketing Budget). Easy, right?
Why .07? That represents 7% of revenue spent on marketing, which is the average in the range of what is suggested to be spent on marketing by most people and coaches. You can go as low as 3% or as high as 15%, depending on how conservative or aggressive you’d like to be with your marketing. Just remember: conservative marketing means slower growth, while aggressive marketing means aggressive growth. Play with the percentages and see which feels right for you.
Hate math? We’ve got a tool that will do it for you! Check out our Marketing Budget Calculator.
Have you established what success looks like for your marketing?
Answering this question is another critical first step to marketing because it greatly impacts what marketing you should be focusing on. For example, if your answer is “success is my car count increasing by 25%,” then you’ll really need to focus on tactics that will drive leads to book an appointment via phone or form on your website, which would likely mean focusing efforts on SEO or digital advertising.
However, if your answer is that “marketing success would be everyone in town knowing the name of my shop,” then this would guide your marketing company to focus more on brand positioning and community reach, which can be accomplished with strong social media or brand campaigns.
Knowing your “why” for marketing helps both you and your marketing company make decisions on the direction your marketing takes, and also helps you to know if you are getting ROI on your investment.
Is your website working for you or against you?
So much rides on your website with search engines and AI that having a crumby one is no longer an option. The main purpose of your website is to make it easier for prospective clients to find information about you and do business with you, but if your website makes it hard for them to do that, they will get frustrated and leave for a competitor.
What’s more, search engines like Google will penalize your business in search results if your website is slow to load, not mobile responsive, and a number of other reasons. So, is your website a good part of your marketing or something that is holding you back? Here are a few telltale signs that your website is working against you:
- You find yourself cringing whenever you go to your site because it just “looks old.”
- Your site scores below 80% for Mobile & Desktop on the Google Site Speed test.
- You built your website over 7 years ago.
- You’ve had a client say they couldn’t find information on your site, or that something was difficult to do.
Your site looks weird when you pull it up on your phone or tablet.
Have you looked at and weighed the pros and cons of different advertising platforms?
Most marketing plans include some sort of advertising because it is one of the most direct and effective ways to get new customers. The problem is that there are quite a few to choose from, and each has its pros and cons. There are also new advertising platforms that arise that may be more effective than older ones, and certain advertising platforms work better with certain types of shops only. Some examples of advertising options are Facebook Ads, Google Search Ads, Google Local Search Ads, Hulu Ads, Spotify Ads, YouTube Ads…the list goes on. Being aware of which platforms are available and occasionally checking their efficacy is important to make sure your marketing dollars are being put to the best use.
Have you considered which social media channels are most relevant for your shop and have a plan to regularly engage on them?
Most shops have a Facebook page, but don’t understand why they have a Facebook page, or the best way to utilize it to connect with their customer base. What’s more, there are a myriad of social media platforms with new ones coming on the scene all the time. So, which ones should your shop be on and how often should you be posting to them? Much like the advertising platforms discussed previously, it’s important for you to understand what the landscape offers and which platforms will be the best fit for your shop. Once you define which platform(s) are a good fit for you, you then need to have a plan to consistently post and engage with your audience there to reap the benefits of community-based marketing.
Whether you are doing your own marketing or have a marketing partner, do you have specific metrics (KPIs) that let you know whether or not your marketing is working?
The only way you are going to know if your marketing is working is if you tie some numbers to your activities, and EVERYTHING has a number. From the number of phone calls received from your ads to the change in ranking for the search term “best auto repair shop near me” to which post received the most likes, comments, and shares this month, you need to have visibility so that you can see the ROI. Without these metrics, you are flying blind and could be wasting a lot of money on marketing that just isn’t working.
Do you have a system in place to produce content on and off your website, including photography, videography, and writing?
Marketing has always required pretty pictures and videos, and modern-day marketing has only accelerated that need for content. Most marketing tactics need really good images, video, writing, or all three. From fresh photos on your website, to video reels on your social media, to monthly blogs on your website – the need for content is endless.
Do you have a solution for producing content on a consistent basis, whether that is in-house or with a professional? If not, our team can help you build a consistent, strategic content plan that keeps your business visible, trustworthy, and competitive online. Book a discovery call with us and let’s talk about how we can simplify your content creation and marketing strategy today.
Do you have an SEO & AI strategy for your business, and is it working?
SEO has been around for a long time and is still one of the most important things to consider with your marketing, especially with the growing importance of AI search. Many shops think they are doing SEO, but when pressed, cannot say what their marketing company is actually doing to help them grow in the rankings and show up in AI tools like Chat GPT. Here are some additional questions to help you definitively answer whether or not your SEO strategy is currently working:
- Blogs are being posted to your website at least monthly
- Your Google Business listing is posting updates at least weekly
- You are regularly adding and updating your shop’s info on directory listings
- You have access and are reviewing a dashboard that shows keyword ranking changes
Frequently Asked Questions:
How do I audit my marketing quickly?
Run through eight areas: your budget, goals, website health, ads, social media, KPIs, content, and SEO + AI readiness. This quick 5-minute checklist helps you find what’s working and what needs improvement.
How much should I spend on marketing?
Start with 7% of your target annual revenue. Increase to 10–15% for faster growth, or reduce to 3–5% for conservative goals. Adjust based on your business size and growth targets.
What KPIs matter most for my marketing?
Track phone calls, online leads, conversions, AOV, ROAS, rankings, and Google Business Profile engagement. These metrics reveal how effectively your marketing drives new business.
Is SEO enough without an AI strategy?
SEO is essential, but not enough alone. Add an AI-focused strategy: consistent content, GBP updates, structured data, and directory accuracy to appear in AI summaries and voice results.
What if I don’t know some of the answers in the audit?
Mark “No” for anything uncertain. Each “No” shows where to improve starting with website health, KPI tracking, and consistent content to build a stronger marketing foundation.
So How’d You Do?
This Marketing Self Audit Tool is designed to get you asking the right questions about your marketing so that you can feel empowered to either take the reins on your marketing or speak confidently with a marketing professional. If you could not answer “yes” on any of the points above, then that simply tells you where you need to focus on improving your marketing. We live to help shops improve their marketing, so if you aren’t already talking with us about your marketing, let’s set up a discovery call so we can help you answer “yes” to all of these marketing questions.
