Understand first.
Then make
it happen.
Before choosing a channel or adding another tool, I look at your business, your customers and what is getting in the way. Together, we turn that understanding into a practical plan and agreed work.
Help people find you.
Give them a reason to act.
Marketing supports a journey. People may move backwards, compare alternatives or return later. We look for the missing step in your business, then choose the work most likely to help.
- 01 / Discovery
Get noticed.
Relevant search, content and advertising can introduce your business to people with a reason to care.
- 02 / Understanding
Make it clear.
Your positioning, pages and messages explain what you offer and who it helps.
- 03 / Confidence
Answer the questions.
Useful detail, credible evidence and a consistent experience help people assess whether you are right for them.
- 04 / Action
Make the next step easy.
A clear page, working form, booking route or checkout helps interest become a useful action.
- 05 / Relationship
Follow through.
A practical CRM and relevant email support enquiries, ongoing relationships and repeat business.
Underneath it all: measurement helps us decide what to improve. Suitable automation can reduce repeat work. Neither replaces a useful offer or a good customer experience.
From where you are.
To what comes next.
Six stages, shaped around your business.
The depth and pace fit the agreed scope.
Understand the business
What are we trying to achieve?
We talk through what you sell, who buys it, why they choose you and where you want the business to go. I ask about your market, competitors, sales process, team, delivery capacity and the constraints that matter.
Your part: share the context, the challenges and a realistic sense of budget. There is no need to arrive with a perfect marketing brief.
What you come away withA shared starting point: the business goal, the audience and the questions we need to answer.
Look at what is happening
Evidence before more activity.
I review the agreed parts of your website, content, search presence, adverts, customer journey, analytics, CRM and email. We look at existing work and available data, including how enquiries turn into customers. Where useful, we compare relevant competitors and listen to customer feedback.
The depth of the review depends on the agreed scope, access and time. Missing data is identified, not filled in with guesses.
What you come away withA practical findings summary: what is working, where people get stuck and what needs checking.
Choose the priorities
The right next steps, in the right order.
We weigh each opportunity against its likely value, effort, cost and dependencies. That might mean fixing the enquiry journey before buying more traffic, clarifying an offer before writing adverts, or sorting follow-up before adding automation.
We choose what to do now, what to test and what can wait. Recommendations come from your situation; buying every service is not the starting point.
What you come away withA prioritised plan with actions, owners, estimated time and a clear way to judge progress.
Agree the work and budget
Know what you are committing to.
We agree the deliverables, responsibilities, monthly hours or project scope, review points and proposed dates. Your written proposal sets out Minerva’s fee, VAT and total payable, alongside any external costs and payment arrangements.
You approve outside providers and pay them directly. Start dates depend on confirmed capacity, access and approvals. Detailed reviews and planning use agreed paid time; the initial enquiry is a check of fit, not a free full audit.
What you come away withA written scope and budget, so everyone understands the work, the limits and the next decision.
Put the plan into practice
Make the work useful and usable.
I carry out the agreed work, guide your team or coordinate approved specialists. We prepare content, campaigns or systems, check the relevant links, forms, tracking and mobile experience, and obtain the agreed approvals before launch.
Meetings, preparation, coordination, delivery and revisions all use the same allowance. If the work changes, we agree what to defer, reduce or approve as extra before proceeding.
What you come away withThe agreed work implemented and checked, with a record of what changed and any remaining dependencies.
Review, improve and hand over
Learn from what happens next.
We review completed work, hours used and the measures we agreed. Where the data allows, that can include enquiry quality, cost, conversion and follow-up. I explain what the evidence supports, where it is limited and what I recommend next.
Useful work can improve the foundations for growth, but sales, leads, rankings and AI mentions are not guaranteed. We adapt the plan to the evidence and the capacity available.
What you come away withA clear progress review, next priorities and practical handover notes for the agreed work.
What the work looks like.
And why it matters.
Open a service to see the practical steps, its marketing purpose and what you can come away with. These are options for us to agree and estimate. Your brief and monthly hours determine what gets delivered.
01Marketing direction & positioning
Why it matters for marketing
Marketing works better when your offer, audience and message agree with each other. Positioning means making it clear who your business is for and why they might choose it. It gives your website, adverts, content and sales conversations a shared direction.
How I approach it
Listen and investigate
Review your offer, existing customers, enquiries and sales feedback. Discuss the buying decision, the alternatives people consider and what your team can realistically deliver.
Make the offer clear
Identify priority customer groups, the problems you solve and the evidence behind your claims. Develop messages in your customers’ language, without inventing benefits or proof.
Choose a focused plan
Match channels and activity to the goal, budget and buying journey. Put the work in order, name an owner and agree when to review it.
Lead and adapt
Brief the people doing the work, review materials and use available results to decide what to continue, improve or stop.
What you receive
A positioning and messaging brief, priority audiences and a practical marketing plan with owners and review points.
How we assess progress
We look at whether the message is understood, which enquiries fit the offer, and how marketing supports the sales process. Revenue also depends on pricing, demand, capacity and follow-through.
Scope and costs: Fractional marketing leadership is scheduled support within your agreed hours. It can guide your existing team or approved suppliers; it is not full-time cover.
02Websites, landing pages & online shops
Why it matters for marketing
Your website connects the promise in your marketing with the next action. A landing page focuses on one campaign or offer; an online shop also needs clear product information and a usable buying journey. Good structure helps people find answers, assess trust and take the next step.
How I approach it
Agree the job of the website
Decide whether the main action is an enquiry, booking, purchase or something else. Map the essential pages, customer questions, content, integrations and budget. Check whether improving the current site would meet the need.
Choose and set up the platform
I can help set up or improve WordPress, Wix and Shopify sites. Squarespace and Webflow are further options we can scope. We check the required features and ongoing costs before choosing, then agree account access, domain arrangements, template and page structure.
Build around the customer journey
Prepare agreed copy, navigation, calls to action, forms and imagery. For a shop, organise the agreed products, categories and product information, and support setup of approved payment, delivery and checkout options. You confirm business policies and any tax settings with the appropriate adviser.
Check, launch and hand over
Review the mobile layout, keyboard access, readability, links, forms and agreed tracking. Test bookings or checkout using the platform’s test facilities where available. Publish after approval, record outstanding work and show your team how to make routine updates.
Which website platform?
These are options we can assess for an agreed setup or improvement project. Your requirements and ability to maintain the site come first. Platform names do not imply a partnership or certification.
| Platform | A possible use | What we agree |
|---|---|---|
| WordPress | A site with editable pages, articles and an agreed theme or plugin setup. | Hosting, updates, backups and plugin compatibility need clear ownership. |
| Wix | A managed website builder for agreed pages, forms and supported business features. | Check the required plan, domain connection and any app costs before building. |
| Shopify | An online shop with products, collections, a theme and an agreed buying journey. | Catalogue size, paid apps, payment fees and delivery requirements affect scope and cost. |
| Squarespace | A site built around selected layouts, content and supported booking or commerce options. | Check which features are included in the subscription and which need another service. |
| Webflow | A visually designed site, with structured content such as articles or case studies where needed. | The appropriate site plan, editing arrangements and maintenance need agreeing. |
You hold the business accounts and approve subscription purchases. Access should be through appropriate user invitations where supported. Choosing a platform does not include every feature or a full website in a monthly package.
What you receive
The agreed pages or store setup, a checked customer journey and practical handover notes. The brief states the page count, product count, functionality and revisions.
How we assess progress
Useful measures include completed enquiries, booking or checkout completion and the quality of those actions. We investigate where people stop; a new design alone does not guarantee more sales.
Scope and costs: A page improvement may fit within monthly delivery hours. A full build, migration, large product catalogue or custom integration needs its own estimate and may require a separate project or specialist. Hosting, domains, subscriptions, themes, apps and payment-provider charges are separate. Ongoing maintenance is agreed explicitly.
03Content, social media & campaign materials
Why it matters for marketing
People often need more than one encounter before they enquire. Useful content answers questions, explains the offer and shows credible evidence. Consistent messages and a recognisable style help each encounter build on the last.
How I approach it
Choose the message and purpose
Define who the piece is for and whether it should introduce the business, explain a service, answer an objection or prompt an action. Choose relevant channels instead of trying to be everywhere.
Plan a manageable content mix
Create agreed themes, formats and a schedule. That might include articles, selected social posts, email copy, case studies or a campaign landing page, all based on information you can substantiate.
Prepare and review the materials
Write, edit and adapt the work to the channel. Use approved brand assets and properly licensed imagery. Brief a photographer or videographer where original production is needed and separately approved.
Publish and learn
Schedule or publish agreed items with approval. Review useful responses and website actions, then use those findings to inform the next pieces.
What you receive
An agreed content plan and selected finished assets, with their intended audience and next action made clear.
How we assess progress
We can review relevant engagement, visits, enquiries and customer questions. Likes and impressions describe attention; they do not establish revenue or demand.
Scope and costs: The volume, formats, channels, revisions and any community management are agreed in advance. Photography, filming, extensive design and production have separate supplier costs where commissioned.
04SEO, local search, GEO & AIO
Why it matters for marketing
Search often starts with a need: a service nearby, a product comparison or a question. SEO improves how your website can be found and understood. GEO concerns visibility in generative AI answers; here AIO means AI search optimisation. The terms overlap, and the useful work starts with reliable information.
How I approach it
Understand the search
Identify the phrases, questions, locations and comparisons relevant to your customers. Distinguish someone researching a topic from someone ready to choose a provider.
Check the foundations
Review important pages, indexing, internal links, titles, headings and technical issues within scope. Check relevant business listings for accurate names, contact details, services and opening information.
Improve the answers
Develop or improve selected pages with clear explanations, evidence and specific answers. Use structured information where appropriate and ensure it describes what the page actually says.
Review visibility and enquiries
Use available search data and repeatable samples of AI questions. Record the platform, question and date, and compare useful traffic and enquiries rather than treating every mention as a customer.
What you receive
A search baseline, prioritised fixes and agreed page or listing improvements, with a record of what was changed.
How we assess progress
We can track relevant search impressions, clicks, rankings and enquiries. AI answers vary, so sampled mentions have limits. Google’s ordinary SEO guidance applies to its AI search features; there is no special optimisation that guarantees inclusion.
Scope and costs: No ranking, indexing, AI recommendation or time to results is guaranteed. A local listing must meet the platform’s eligibility rules. Paid adverts have a separate budget.
Further reading: Google’s guidance on AI search features ↗
05Semrush setup & practical search reporting
Why it matters for marketing
Semrush can help research search opportunities and monitor a chosen site. Setting it up is only the beginning: the marketing value comes from choosing relevant targets, checking the findings and acting on the right issues. A dashboard score is not a business result.
How I approach it
Define what to monitor
Confirm the site or section, target market and useful search topics. Agree which Semrush features are needed and whether the subscription supports them.
Configure the checks
Set up the agreed Site Audit crawl scope, page allowance and review schedule. Configure Position Tracking around a relevant keyword set, location and device, with suitable comparison domains.
Interpret the findings
Separate issues affecting important customer pages from lower-priority warnings. Compare research with available Search Console, website and enquiry data; tool estimates are not your accounts or a complete view of competitors.
Turn reports into work
Create an action list, implement agreed changes or brief the responsible specialist, then check again. Report what changed, what remains and the next decision.
What you receive
The agreed Semrush configuration, an initial baseline and a prioritised action list, with a simple reporting routine.
How we assess progress
We review selected fixes, relevant visibility and available enquiry data together. We do not chase a perfect tool score or promise growth simply because tracking is switched on.
Scope and costs: Semrush subscriptions and any add-ons are separate client expenses when required. Research and monitoring support the work; they do not replace implementation. Features, limits and data coverage depend on the chosen plan.
Further reading: Semrush Site Audit guidance ↗ · Position Tracking guidance ↗
06Google Ads, Meta & paid campaigns
Why it matters for marketing
Advertising can put an offer in front of people who are searching for it or may be interested in it. The advert, landing page and follow-up need to agree. Otherwise a campaign can generate clicks while leaving customers confused about what to do next.
How I approach it
Check the offer and route to action
Agree the audience, message and intended conversion, such as a qualified enquiry or purchase. Check the landing page and who will respond before increasing traffic.
Build a controlled test
Choose the appropriate platform and campaign structure. For search, that can include relevant keywords and exclusions; for Meta, an agreed audience and creative approach. Confirm tracking, spending limits and approvals.
Launch and monitor the agreed campaign
Check links and settings, submit for platform review and monitor at agreed intervals. Look at spend, response and enquiry quality; scheduled management is not continuous supervision.
Improve or stop
Compare the evidence with the original goal. Adjust messages, targeting or the destination where justified, or recommend a pause if the test is not useful.
What you receive
An agreed campaign brief, selected adverts, campaign setup and a record of performance and decisions.
How we assess progress
Where measurable, review cost per qualified enquiry, booking or sale alongside revenue and margin context. Clicks and reach alone cannot demonstrate a return.
Scope and costs: Your business pays Google, Meta and other platforms directly. Creative production and outside specialists are also separate approved expenses. Results and platform approval cannot be guaranteed.
07Analytics, reporting & conversion improvements
Why it matters for marketing
Conversion means the useful action you want someone to take. Analytics helps explain what happens before and after it. Clear measurement lets us distinguish a visited page from a submitted enquiry and decide which changes deserve attention.
How I approach it
Define the useful actions
Agree what counts as an enquiry, booking, sale or repeat purchase. Decide which questions a report needs to answer and what data is available.
Set up and check measurement
Review or configure agreed tools such as Google Analytics 4, Search Console and Tag Manager where suitable. Check campaign labels and important events, with the agreed consent setup and platform capabilities in mind.
Find points of friction
Review the journey, including mobile pages, messages, forms and follow-up. Investigate confusing steps or recording problems before assuming that more traffic is the answer.
Test a practical improvement
Change an agreed element, such as the form or call to action, and review it against a baseline. Use a controlled comparison where traffic allows; small samples and overlapping changes limit certainty.
What you receive
A measurement plan, checked events or tracking fixes, and a concise report explaining the evidence and recommended action.
How we assess progress
Look at conversion, enquiry quality and cost using consistent definitions. Browser restrictions, consent choices, platform differences and missing records mean attribution will never be complete.
Scope and costs: Complex dashboards, data engineering and large migrations need a separate scope. Analytics software does not by itself prove that a marketing activity caused a sale.
08CRM, email & enquiry follow-up
Why it matters for marketing
CRM means customer relationship management. A practical CRM records contacts, their stage and the next action. Email can then support relevant follow-up and ongoing relationships, instead of relying on someone remembering a conversation in an inbox.
How I approach it
Map the real sales journey
Agree the stages from new enquiry to customer, the information needed and who owns the next action. Check where enquiries are currently recorded or lost.
Configure the agreed system
Set up or improve the chosen CRM’s fields, stages, forms and task rules where supported. Review duplicates and source information before importing approved data. Tools such as HubSpot or Mailchimp may be considered if they fit the brief; compatibility is checked first.
Prepare useful emails
Write the agreed enquiry, welcome or follow-up messages. Define who should receive each message, when it should stop and how preferences or unsubscribes are handled. Do not assume that every enquiry agrees to ongoing marketing.
Test the hand-offs
Use sample records to check form capture, ownership, duplicate handling and stopping conditions. Review messages with you before activating the agreed workflow and give your team operating notes.
What you receive
An agreed enquiry pipeline, selected templates or email sequences and a tested hand-off between the relevant people and systems.
How we assess progress
Review response times, enquiries with no next action, progression to meetings or sales, and useful email actions. Open-rate data can be incomplete or distorted, so it is not the only measure.
Scope and costs: CRM and email subscriptions, sending costs and connector charges are separate. Migrations and integrations are estimated before work. The client approves the contact data, message purpose and sending rules.
09AI automation & workflows with Codex
Why it matters for marketing
Automation is useful when a repeatable job consumes time or delays follow-up. Some jobs need simple rules; AI can help with less structured work, such as preparing a first draft or summarising approved information. The aim is a dependable process that leaves people more time for customers.
How I approach it
Choose one useful job
Map the current task, its frequency, inputs, owner and expected output. Check whether automation would save more effort than it takes to maintain, and use ordinary rules when AI adds no value.
Build a small, reviewable workflow
Codex can help develop and test scripts, small tools and integrations. I can use it to support an agreed workflow, such as turning an authorised report export into a draft marketing summary or checking a defined set of website links. Available connections and permissions are confirmed first.
Test normal cases and mistakes
Start with sample or appropriately approved data. Check missing information, duplicate inputs and failed connections. Put review points before customer-facing messages, publishing or changes that need your approval.
Agree operation and handover
Decide how the workflow starts, where it runs, who reviews results and what happens if it fails. Document how to pause it, fix exceptions and maintain it. Recurring operation needs a suitable account, running environment and agreed monitoring; using Codex does not automatically create an always-on service.
Inside an automation: a simple example
Trigger: an approved weekly reporting file becomes available. Input: the agreed campaign and enquiry figures. Work: a script checks and organises the figures; AI helps draft a summary with the source numbers attached. Review: a person checks missing data and conclusions. Output: an approved update and next actions.
This is an example to scope, not a prebuilt connection to every platform. We confirm the available export or integration, how it runs and who handles failures before promising automation.
What you receive
A tested workflow within the agreed scope, clear instructions, review points and a named owner. Any supporting scripts or configuration are handed over as agreed.
How we assess progress
Compare time spent, errors, exceptions and completion with the original manual task. AI output needs checking. Time savings and autonomous reliability are not guaranteed.
Scope and costs: OpenAI or other AI subscriptions, API usage, hosting and automation connectors are separate when required. We agree data access, permitted actions, usage limits and ongoing support before launch. Bespoke applications and complex integrations need a separate estimate.
Further reading: OpenAI on reviewable workflows with Codex ↗
How the pieces could fit together.
A local service business might start with an unclear offer and enquiries scattered across inboxes. We could clarify the service message, improve one website page, check search visibility, set up an agreed enquiry pipeline and prepare follow-up emails. Once the page and follow-up work, we could test a paid campaign and review which enquiries are relevant.
That is an illustrative sequence. The starting point, order, dates and amount of work depend on the business and the agreed scope. We do not need to add every channel or tool.
Find your starting pointOur time.
Your external costs.
Minerva’s fee pays for the agreed work and time. It does not include money paid to other providers. Your business is responsible for those expenses and pays the providers directly.
- Advertising: your spend with Google Ads, Meta and any other advertising platform.
- People and production: photographers, videographers, designers, developers and other separately commissioned specialists.
- Tools and materials: CRM or email subscriptions, AI tools, hosting, stock images, printing and other agreed purchases.
We identify what is needed, discuss the cost and get your approval before any commitment. You approve the provider’s quote and terms, and keep control of your accounts and payment details. Nothing is purchased on your behalf without agreement.
If Minerva briefs or coordinates a supplier, that time counts towards your agreed hours. The supplier’s bill remains separate. Any different payment arrangement must be agreed in writing first.
You bring the context.
I help make sense of it.
The enquiry form asks about your company, what you want to improve and the support you have in mind. Budget, timing and what you have already tried are useful if you know them.
- You do not need to know which package or channel to choose yet.
- Keep the first enquiry general. Do not send passwords, payment details or customer records.
- If the work is a fit, we discuss the next step and confirm scope and availability before anything starts.
Let’s work out
what will help.
Tell me about your business, where you want to go and what feels stuck. We can start with the right questions.