We've seen some creative interpretations of "results" in our time. We've watched agencies spin click-through rates like carnival barkers, turn impressions into "engagement," and somehow make a 0.02% conversion rate sound like a victory parade.

But nothing—and I mean nothing—prepared us for the masterclass in expectation management we discovered when we deep-dove into how one of our competitors actually operates.

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When "Brand Awareness" Becomes a Magic Shield

Your phone isn't ringing. Your intake team is playing solitaire. Your revenue is flatter than a pancake under a steamroller. 

You call a marketing agency that seems to get good reviews online. They promise to "get your name and face out there" with beautiful videos, streaming ads, and social media campaigns. They talk about "reach" and "frequency" and "verified visits." They show you impressive charts with big numbers.

What they don't mention? They've already decided you're not getting leads.

When we analyzed how agencies like Crisp position themselves, we found a pattern: They explicitly avoid being held accountable for lead generation. They've built their entire business model around the idea that actual customer acquisition is just a happy accident, not the primary objective.

Let that marinate for a second.

Compare that to how we approach new clients at Foster Consulting®: We don't even take on a project unless we're confident we can make your phone ring with qualified prospects. We don't hedge our bets with "brand awareness" safety nets because we know what works—and we stake our reputation on delivering it.

How to Charge Premium Prices for Vanity Metrics

The genius of this particular snake oil operation lies in its simplicity:

  1. Position yourself as a "brand awareness" agency, not a lead generation agency.
  2. Create a bunch of pretty videos and streaming ads that look professional and expensive.
  3. Appeal to the client's ego with vanity metrics that make them feel important—impressive reach numbers, frequency stats, and "verified visits" that sound meaningful but don't translate to actual business growth.
  4. When clients ask about actual results (you know, phone calls and new clients), point to your "reach" numbers and explain that leads are just "icing on the cake."
  5. Collect your monthly retainer while the client's actual business slowly dies.

When we researched how these agencies operate, we found they literally use ad conversions primarily to build audience numbers for impressive-looking metrics rather than focusing on generating actual business for their clients. New patients and clients aren't treated as the goal—they're treated as marketing props to make the agency look good.

Meanwhile, at Foster Consulting®, we treat every prospect like what they are: your next paying client. We don't view conversions as byproducts—they're the entire point. We design every campaign, every landing page, every ad with one question in mind: "Will this make the phone ring?"

When Someone Shows You Who They Are, Believe Them

Want to know how you can spot this con in the wild? Look for these red flags:

  • They obsess over "frequency" and "reach" instead of phone calls. These become their "most crucial metrics." Not leads. Not revenue. Not growth. Just how many times people might have glanced at your ad while scrolling past cat videos. Meaningless metrics make you feel successful without actually being successful. They stroke your ego while avoiding accountability for real results.
  • They create elaborate explanations for why leads don't matter. Their service becomes focused on "showing data that suggests they've put your name and face out into your target market." Notice what's missing? Any mention of that target market actually doing anything.
  • They build complex "stacks" and "funnels" that sound impressive but accomplish nothing. We've seen operations with "Social Stacks" and "Streaming Stacks" that somehow work together to... get people to look at static display ads. It's like building a Rube Goldberg machine to butter toast.

At Foster, we keep it simple: We build systems that turn prospects into patients and clients into revenue. No fancy stacks, no elaborate explanations, no smoke and mirrors. Just proven strategies that have generated millions in revenue for practices across the country.

The Reality Check: Your Business Runs on Conversions, Not Compliments

Here's what these "brand awareness" pushers don't want to acknowledge: Your practice doesn't pay rent with impressions.

You need actual human beings to pick up the phone, fill out a form, or walk through your door with their credit card ready. You need conversions that turn into consultations that turn into cases that turn into revenue that keeps your lights on and your team employed.

Everything else is just expensive entertainment.

What we've discovered is that some agencies have built their entire business model around avoiding accountability for the one thing that actually matters: generating new business for their clients.

That's exactly the opposite of our approach at Foster. We don't just track conversions—we optimize for them. We don't just monitor your ad spend—we maximize your return on it. We don't just create brand awareness—we create brand preference that drives people to choose you over your competitors.

Numbers Don't Lie (When You're Measuring the Right Ones)

Look, anyone can show you impressive reach numbers. Anyone can create beautiful videos. Anyone can generate thousands of "impressions."

But can they show you a direct line between their work and your revenue growth?

Our clients don't get reports full of vanity metrics. They get reports showing how many new cases we generated, how much revenue those cases brought in, and exactly which campaigns and strategies drove those results. Because that's what actually matters.

When a personal injury firm sees a 340% increase in qualified leads after working with us, that's not "brand awareness"—that's business growth. When a medical practice adds $2.3 million in new patient revenue in 18 months, that's not "reach"—that's results.

The Bottom Line

If your marketing agency's primary goal is to show you pretty numbers instead of delivering actual customers, you're not working with marketers—you're funding someone's creative writing exercise.

At Foster Consulting®, we believe you deserve an agency that's as invested in your success as you are. An agency that measures success by your bottom line, not their impression counts. An agency that builds campaigns designed to generate revenue, not just reports.

Your practice deserves better than snake oil salesmen in expensive suits talking about "brand awareness."

You deserve results. And that's exactly what we deliver.

 

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