MONADNOCK REGION, N.H. (MyKeeneNow) Many local businesses in the Monadnock region are quietly fighting the same battle:
they’re spending more on advertising but getting fewer new customers than they used to.

And here’s the uncomfortable part — the part nobody likes to say out loud:

It’s not because they aren’t doing enough. It’s because the way a new customer finds and chooses a business has dramatically changed.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a retailer, a service business, or a medical/dental practice — this reality applies to everyone.

Every day, my team and I talk with business owners across the Monadnock Region, Keene, Brattleboro, and surrounding towns. The story is almost always the same:

“We’re advertising more than ever. But it’s just not working like it used to.”

They’re right.

And the reason isn’t mysterious — it’s structural.

How People Find and Choose a Business Today Has Completely Changed

Here’s the new reality, and it’s not debatable:

Nobody sees an ad and immediately chooses anymore. They search.

Whether the ad is on radio, TV, billboards, streaming, print — anything — the next step is always the same: Google.

Your ad sparks curiosity, not commitment.

If your business doesn’t show up clearly when they search — with messaging that matches what they were just interested in — you don’t even get a shot at them.

Customers do more homework than at any point in history.

They compare.
They check reviews.
They jump between:

  • Google
  • Your website
  • Social media
  • Competitors

The way most businesses advertise today simply doesn’t fit this new reality.
Even if you do show up, that doesn’t guarantee you’ll be chosen.

Old marketing habits died quietly — and many businesses missed the funeral.

What worked from 2005–2018 does not work in 2026:

  • Relying on word of mouth alone
  • “One-and-done” advertising
  • Awareness with no search alignment
  • SEO packages that overpromise and underdeliver
  • Assuming customers will “figure out the rest”

They won’t.
They’re too busy.
And the competition is too loud.

If Your Marketing Isn’t Aligned With How People Actually Choose Today… You’re Losing Customers Every Single Day

I’m not sugarcoating anything because it doesn’t help anyone.

If your business:

  • shows up inconsistently in search
  • tells a confusing story online
  • has weak reviews or no recent reviews
  • runs ads that don’t match what people find when they look you up
  • hasn’t updated its digital presence in years

…then you’re bleeding new customers without even seeing the wound.

Business owners don’t usually feel the loss directly — they feel the frustration:

“Why is it so hard to grow now? Why is it so expensive?”

Because the way customers find and choose businesses has evolved dramatically —
and many local businesses haven’t evolved their marketing to match it.

The Good News: This Is 100% Fixable

Not with gimmicks.
Not with “special SEO tricks.”
Not with another agency promising they’ll outrank national companies.

What works today is much simpler — and much more honest:

You must market your business the way real people actually find and choose who they do business with.

That means:

Spark interest: Put your message in front of the kinds of people you want as customers.

Show up instantly when they search: Because that’s where every decision begins today.

Once they start making a decision, re-engage them relentlessly.

Their online actions tell us when they’re deciding — and that’s the moment to show up again and pull them toward choosing you.

When a business gets these three steps right, customer growth becomes predictable again — and the frustration disappears.

If Any of This Hits Close to Home… We Should Talk

You don’t need another sales pitch.
You don’t need a bundle or a package.

You need a straight conversation about:

  • what’s working
  • what’s not
  • and how your business compares to how customers actually make decisions today

Every business I meet with walks away knowing one of two things:

  1. If we’re the right fit and how we may be able to help, or
  2. If we’re not the right fit, and exactly why their current advertising hasn’t been working

Either outcome brings clarity.
And most local businesses haven’t had clarity in years.

Whenever you’re ready, reach out.
But honestly — if you’re losing new customers today, waiting won’t help.