Marketing Without Guesswork: What ISPs Get Wrong and How to Fix It

I hear this all the time from operators: 
“We’re spending money on marketing, but we have no idea what’s working.” 

No leads. No calls. No clear connection between dollars spent and customers gained. That frustration often turns into a quiet decision to opt out altogether. No marketing. No branding. No effort beyond the basics. 

But here’s the hard truth. You don’t get to opt out of marketing. You only get to choose whether you do it intentionally or poorly. 

This episode of Bandwidth started with that exact tension. Operators who feel burned by marketing spend, and teams who know they need growth but cannot see the path clearly. What followed was a very honest conversation about branding, channel choice, measurement, and the risks of doing just enough to feel busy without actually moving the needle. 

Marketing Is Not Optional Anymore 

There was a time when being the only provider in town felt like protection. That time is gone. 

Even in rural markets, customers have options. Low earth orbit satellite providers are one phone call away. National brands are well known. And customers are doing their homework before they ever call you. 

Marketing today is more accessible than it has ever been. That does not mean it is effortless, but it does mean there are fewer excuses for having no presence at all. You do not need a massive agency or a full team on day one. You do need to show up in ways that are clear, consistent, and useful to the people you serve. 

Branding cannot be an afterthought. It is not something you circle back to once growth slows down. By then, the damage is already done.

Your Brand Is Bigger Than Your Logo  

One of the biggest misconceptions we talked about is the idea that branding equals a logo. 

Your brand is your reputation. It is how you show up in your community. It is the story people tell about you when you are not in the room. 

That includes your website, your trucks, your uniforms, your customer service interactions, and your presence at local events. It includes how contractors behave when they are laying fiber and how technicians act when they are off the clock but still wearing your gear. 

You may not think those moments matter. Your customers do. 

Consistency is what turns branding from decoration into trust. Colors, imagery, tone, and messaging should all tell the same story across every touchpoint. When those things change suddenly or without purpose, customers notice and not in a good way. 

Change Carefully and With Intention 

If you have an established brand, changes should be made slowly and thoughtfully. We have all seen major companies roll out logo updates that confused customers or damaged recognition overnight. 

For ISPs, this becomes even more critical during mergers and acquisitions. Customers need help understanding what is changing and what is not. Brand equity is real, and once it is lost, it is expensive to rebuild. 

Before you change your name, your colors, or your positioning, ask yourself whether the change supports your long term story. If it does not, pause. 

Visibility Impacts Value 

Branding is not just about customer perception. It can impact valuation. 

We talked about ISPs operating in dense areas where residents did not even know a local provider existed. No signage. No wrapped trucks. No door hangers. No community presence. 

Those missed opportunities add up. Truck wraps, yard signs, and door hangers are not flashy, but they work. Compared to billboards, they are cost effective and highly visible. They also reinforce legitimacy. You look established. You look present. You look like you belong there. 

Someone Has to Own This 

In small ISPs, everyone touches sales enablement in some way. That makes sense. But as you grow, ownership has to become clearer. 

Throwing up a Facebook page and never posting is worse than not having one at all. Dead accounts signal neglect. They raise questions about whether you are still operating and whether you will respond when customers need you. 

The same goes for reviews. Google reviews are part of your brand. If you are not asking for them, you are leaving credibility on the table. 

You do not always need a full time hire right away. Fractional help and tools can bridge the gap. Just make sure you retain control of your digital assets. Own your domain. Own your email accounts. Own your website access. I have seen too many operators lose control of their own brand because those basics were overlooked. 

Choose Platforms With Purpose 

Not every platform is right for every ISP. 

One of the biggest mistakes operators make is opening accounts everywhere and then copying the same content across all of them. Different platforms have different cultures and expectations. What works on Facebook may fall flat on Instagram. What fits TikTok may not belong on X. 

If you are not willing to maintain a platform, do not open it. Silence and unanswered comments erode trust faster than no presence at all. 

Intentional marketing means choosing fewer channels and doing them well. 

Direct Mail and Door Hangers Still Matter

Yes, they still work. When done right. 

The key word we kept coming back to was surgical. Target addresses you can actually service. Remove existing customers from prospect lists. Personalize whenever possible. A door hanger with a technician’s initials or a local story carries more weight than a generic coupon. 

When technicians are already in the field, they can play a role in this. Incentives tied to installs and referrals create alignment between operations and marketing. Measurement matters here too. Unique codes and QR tracking help you see what is driving results. 

Marketing That Works Creates New Problems 

One of the most interesting parts of the conversation was what happens when marketing succeeds faster than operations can keep up. 

That is not a failure. It is a good problem. 

The real risk is poor communication. If customers sign up and then hear nothing, frustration sets in quickly. Clear timelines, proactive updates, and even small concessions like discounted installs can preserve trust while you work through backlogs. 

Growth and operations have to talk to each other. Marketing cannot exist in a vacuum. 

The Bottom Line

If you can measure it, you can fix it. If you cannot see what is working, you will keep wasting money and patience. 

Marketing is not about being everywhere or saying everything. It is about clarity, consistency, and respect for the customer experience. When those pieces align, marketing stops feeling like a gamble and starts feeling like part of the business. 

That is the shift we hope this episode helps operators make. 

Listen to the Full Episode 

Catch the full conversation on the Bandwidth podcast. Available now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and the Bandwidth YouTube Channel.