So every year, my family has a gingerbread house competition.

And when I say competition, I mean serious competition. We’re all competitive, and the bragging rights last all year.

It’s been years since I’ve won, so this year I decided it was going to be different. I went all out.

I looked up a fancy design, gathered all the materials, and sat down determined to claim victory. I built the foundation, carefully added the walls, and topped it off with a roof. Everything was going according to plan.

As I added the final decorations, I noticed one wall starting to tip. No big deal it thought. I carefully fixed it and kept going. Victory was within my grasp.

But then another wall started leaning. And before I knew it, the entire house crumbled before my eyes.

In 10 seconds, I watched my masterpiece turned into a pile of rubble.

I sat back in my chair, stunned. What had happened?

As I sifted through the wreckage, I realized my fatal flaw. Instead of using the proper frosting to hold the house together, I had accidentally been using glitter decoration icing. My foundation wasn’t strong enough to support everything I was building on top of it.

The Lesson: Build on a Strong Foundation

In gingerbread houses, and in business, your foundation determines everything.

You can have the most beautiful website, a great product, or eye-catching ads, but if your marketing foundation isn’t solid, it’s only a matter of time before everything starts to crumble.

The foundation of your business is your marketing strategy.

It’s the glue that holds everything together. Without it, no amount of “decorations” will save you.

Here’s one foundational tip to get you started:

Know Your Customer’s Journey
Do you know how your audience finds you? How they decide to buy from you? What makes them trust you enough to say yes?

If not, it’s time to map it out. A clear customer journey ensures that every piece of your marketing work together to guide people from awareness to purchase.

If you’re wondering how to build a marketing foundation that supports your growth, it starts with understanding the key pieces of your funnel.

A well-designed funnel is like the sturdy frosting on a gingerbread house. It keeps everything connected and working together to guide customers toward taking action.

I just wrote a detailed thread on X breaking down why funnels are the foundation of your business and how to create one that actually works. Check it out here: https://x.com/thejimshields/status/1866483076123304207

By the time you’re done reading, you’ll know exactly what you need to make your marketing as strong as it should be.