March MaZness

Every business owner eventually asks the same question:

What marketing actually works?

There are endless options.

Social media.
SEO.
Google reviews.
Photography.
Video.
Networking.
Sponsorships.

But the real challenge isn’t finding marketing ideas. The challenge is understanding which strategies actually make the biggest impact for local businesses. So this month, we’re putting them to the test.

Welcome to March MaZness!

Over the next 15 days, 64 different marketing strategies will compete head-to-head in a tournament bracket to see which ones truly help businesses grow. Each day we’ll have four matchups. One strategy moves forward.

One strategy goes home. By the end, we’ll crown the ultimate marketing champion.

The Four Categories of Marketing

The bracket is built around what I call the Local Visibility Framework™.

Because successful marketing isn’t about doing one thing well. It’s about making sure your business is visible in the right places at the right time.

Businesses need to:

Be Seen
Capture attention and stand out visually.

Be Found
Appear where customers are searching.

Be Chosen
Build trust so customers choose you.

Be Remembered
Stay top of mind for repeat business and referrals.

Each strategy in the bracket falls into one of those four categories.

Some of the Strategies Competing

Here are just a few examples from the bracket.

Branding photography
Short-form video
Google reviews
Online listings
Community sponsorships
Networking
Email marketing
Billboards
Local SEO
Professional websites

Some of the matchups will be obvious. Others might surprise you. And a few might spark some debate.

Why This Matters for Local Businesses

Customers rarely choose a business based on one single factor.

Instead, they make decisions based on what they see across multiple places:

Google Maps
online reviews
photos and videos
websites
community presence
recommendations from friends

Marketing works best when everything works together. That’s why this tournament isn’t just about picking a winner. It’s about understanding how the different pieces of marketing fit together to help businesses:

Be Seen
Be Found
Be Chosen
Be Remembered

Follow the Tournament

We’ll be posting daily matchups across social media so you can vote and follow along as the bracket advances.

Some strategies will dominate. Others will be upset early. And by the end, we’ll reveal the marketing champion.

But there may be a twist along the way. Because sometimes the best marketing strategy isn’t choosing one tactic over another. Sometimes the real answer is how they work together.

Want to Know How Visible Your Business Is?

If you’re curious about how your business is performing across these categories, I offer Local Visibility Checkups where we look at how your business shows up online and in the community.

It’s a simple conversation that helps identify opportunities to improve how customers discover and choose your business.

👉 Schedule a Local Visibility Chat to learn more.

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