The Growth Edit: Strategy & Finding Gaps in your Marketing
Welcome to The Growth Edit — your honest, practical dose of marketing clarity, sent fresh to your inbox every Monday.
This is your space to step out of the day-to-day ‘busy-ness’ and take a smarter, more strategic look at how your marketing is working (or not). Each week, I’ll share one actionable idea, framework or focus area to help you make better marketing decisions, cut the Googling, and grow a business that works for you - not the other way around.
Whether you're launching something new, fixing what’s not working, or just trying to show up consistently, this is here to give you one step forward, every single week.
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Mind the Gap
This week, we’re still firmly focused on strategy, and digging into Gap Analysis using the RACE Framework, so you can pinpoint where things are not working as you'd like them to, what to optimise, and what is just draining your time.
Because when you’re juggling a hundred things, it’s easy to feel like everything needs fixing. This task will help you zoom out, assess where the actual gaps are, and focus on what's most important for your business, right now.
Whether you're launching something new, looking to boost sales, or just trying to get your marketing back on track, this one’s well worth half an hour of your time this week.
👀 Quick Insight
According to Smart Insights, businesses that regularly review their performance using the RACE framework see up to 30% higher Return On Investment from their marketing efforts. Who doesn't want 30% more, from doing the same amount of work? It's an easy fix. When you measure what matters, you can stop guessing, and start growing.
⚡️ What is the RACE Framework?
RACE stands for:
R – Reach
Get in front of new people.
This is about building awareness and attracting the right audience to your brand via channels like social media, search, PR, or paid ads.
A – Act
Encourage interaction.
Here, you're prompting potential customers to engage, so click, watch, download, read, comment. It’s the research and interest phase which comes before a purchase.
C – Convert
Turn interest into action.
Your goal is to convert leads into customers — whether that’s a sale, a booking, or an enquiry. This stage covers checkout pages, sign-up forms, email sales sequences, and onboarding.
E – Engage
Build loyalty and advocacy.
This is about nurturing your existing customers through email, communities, content, and post-purchase care, to turn one-time buyers into long-term fans and advocates for your business.
Each stage builds on the last, and the gaps usually show up where you’ve been too focused on one area (like conversions) and not enough on others (like engagement or reach).
Here are your actions for this week:
Run a Mini Gap Audit Using RACE
Use it to figure out:
→ What’s working?
→ What’s not?
→ And where should you focus next?
👀 Reach – Are you getting in front of the right people?
→ Check visibility and audience growth.
Metrics to check:
Website traffic (Google Analytics > Acquisition > Overview)
Social media reach/impressions (Instagram/LinkedIn/Facebook Insights)
Email list growth (Mailchimp, Flodesk, Klaviyo dashboards)
SEO rankings (Google Search Console)
Quick check: If reach is low but conversions are good then you need more eyeballs on your business, not a new offer.
🤝 Act – Are people actually doing anything once they find you?
→ This is the ‘click, comment, sign-up’ phase.
Metrics to check:
Bounce rate (Google Analytics > Engagement > Landing Pages)
Average time on page
Click-through rate (CTR) on CTAs and buttons
Lead magnet opt-ins (email platform or CRM)
Quick check: Low clicks or engagement might mean your message or layout needs work. Your site or content may not be making the next step obvious or enticing enough.
💸 Convert – Are you turning interest into income?
→ The decision point where someone buys, books, or signs up.
Metrics to check:
Conversion rate (Google Analytics or Shopify checkout funnel)
Sales volume or revenue
Abandoned cart rate (Shopify, WooCommerce, etc.)
Email sales funnel performance (open rate, CTR, purchases)
Quick check: If people are showing interest but not buying, look at your offer clarity, pricing, or proof points (like testimonials, guarantees, or social proof).
💌 Engage – Are you keeping the relationship going?
→ This is about retention, community, and long-term loyalty.
Metrics to check:
Email open/click rates (newsletter performance over time)
Repeat customer rate (Shopify dashboard or CRM)
Engagement on community posts (Facebook Groups, Instagram comments, etc.)
Customer Lifetime Value
Customer feedback and reviews
Quick check: If you’re not nurturing after the sale, you’re missing a big opportunity as loyal customers spend more and refer others.
🧠 What Most People Miss
Most businesses only look at the end result — conversions — and panic when they’re low. But the problem might actually be three steps back.
By mapping your gaps with RACE, you get clarity on where to put your time and money right now and not in six months when you’re burnt out and ready to bin your website.
🎯 Your Micro-Challenge This Week:
Block 30 minutes. Map out your marketing using RACE.
→ Jot down your current performance in each area (use the metrics above as your guide).
→ Identify the weakest stage.
→ Focus there this week.
That’s it for this week.
One focused step forward — less stress, more strategy.
And if you're reading this while checking your inbox and eating toast over your desk...
You’re not alone. Finish the toast. Add this to your to-do list for the week. Then give your business the 30 minute boost it deserves.
See you next Monday. ✨
Tahlia x
Good marketing isn’t magic, it’s a system. Strengthen the weakest link, and the whole chain pulls harder.
P.S. Did you see my Linkedin post that went viral last week? It's had almost 50k impressions! Pop over and have a look - we'll be unpacking it and the true impact it had on the business in a future edition of The Growth Edit.