The following is adapted from Firecircle 5x5 Method by Deneen Allen.
One of the most challenging parts of running a business isn’t creating a great product—it’s building a marketing strategy that actually works, and then executing it consistently.
Marketing, sales, and distribution all exist for one reason: to connect with the right people and guide them along a path that eventually leads to a purchase. That path might be quick and almost invisible, like grabbing a familiar household item online. Or it might be long, layered, and emotionally charged, like deciding to buy a car, invest in a service, or commit to a new home.
Every buying decision is shaped by more than logic. Our values, beliefs, needs, aspirations, emotional state, and financial reality all influence whether we say yes… or keep scrolling.
As entrepreneurs, our job is to design a path to purchase that feels natural, trustworthy, and compelling. That means more than visibility. It means building genuine relationships and delivering on your value promise again and again. This is where many businesses misunderstand marketing, especially on social media. The goal isn’t to flood feeds with content. The goal is connection.
Effective marketing acknowledges your audience’s pain points, motivations, and aspirations, then positions your product or service as a meaningful solution. When done well, it creates loyalty. Think about the brands you return to over and over. It’s rarely just about price. It’s about familiarity, trust, and how the experience makes you feel. You know what to expect and you feel understood.
Connection doesn’t happen in a single moment. It’s built through repeated, intentional interactions. Consider a recent online purchase you didn’t make on impulse. You likely encountered multiple touchpoints before buying: a social post, an email, a recommendation, a video, or a website visit.
Daniel Priestley’s “7-11-4 rule,” introduced in Oversubscribed, captures this idea well. He suggests that strong customer relationships are built by spending around seven hours with your audience through content, creating eleven meaningful interactions, and showing up in at least four different locations or platforms. In other words, trust grows through consistency, presence, and engagement across channels that matter to your audience.
This is where sales and distribution strategy comes into play. Most businesses operate in both digital and physical spaces, whether that’s an online storefront and an in-person experience, or direct sales alongside partnerships and resellers. Each channel offers different advantages, and a thoughtful mix ensures you don’t leave opportunities on the table.
Today, artificial intelligence makes it easier than ever to execute marketing quickly, from content creation to design and automation. But speed alone isn’t the advantage. The real opportunity is using these tools to amplify your authentic brand story, not replace it.
When marketing, sales, and distribution work together as an integrated system, your business doesn’t just get noticed. It gets remembered, trusted, and chosen… again and again.
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Learn more about creating marketing systems that convert connection into lasting loyalty in the Firecircle 5x5 Method, available on Amazon.
Deneen Allen is a visionary entrepreneur and leading voice in Canadian tourism development. As founder and CEO of Firecircle—the country’s premier online accelerator providing personalized mentorship to tourism and hospitality operators—she has equipped hundreds of entrepreneurs to turn bold ideas into enduring ventures. Her boutique consultancy, Pure North Canada, is renowned for transforming ambitious tourism projects in some of the nation’s most rural and remote landscapes. A graduate of Western University with executive training from Cornell’s School of Hotel Administration, Deneen champions entrepreneurship, sustainable growth, authentic storytelling, and the economic power of tourism across Canada.