🧠 If Your Growth Plan Is “Spend More,” You’re Doing It Wrong

Welcome back to the 72nd edition of Nord Media

Hope you’re all having a stellar week and have an amazing Thursday 🫡

In the region where I live, the first sparks of spring are starting to appear.

One day, it’s freezing. The next, a spontaneous 50-degree afternoon sneaks in. 

You step outside, feel the sun hit your face, and for the first time in months, everything feels different. Lighter. More alive.

It makes you stop for a second, take a deep breath, and actually feel the change.

And (trust me on this one), marketing works the same way.

Right now, you might be stuck in a never-ending winter of overspending. 

Pouring money into acquisition, hoping more ad spend will be the thing that finally drives growth. 

But all it’s really doing is keeping you in survival mode.

That moment where everything clicks, when efficiency kicks in, CAC stabilizes, and revenue starts compounding, that’s your spring.

And today, I want to show you how to get there.

We’re breaking down The Marketing Efficiency Formula. A framework for balancing CAC, LTV, and retention so you can cut ad waste and grow profitably.

Because just like those first warm days of spring, the right changes might just make you see everything differently.

Let’s dive in:

Why Most Brands Overspend on Acquisition Without Increasing Profitability

A lot of brands treat growth like a game of “who can spend the most on ads.” 

They throw more and more money at acquisition, convinced that if they just push harder, revenue will follow. 

But if you’re spending $10 to make $9, no amount of volume is going to fix that.

Most brands don’t have an acquisition problem. They have an efficiency problem.

As CAC keeps creeping up (thanks to rising ad costs), brands keep swiping the company card, hoping volume will somehow outpace inefficiency. 

Without a strategy to balance CAC, LTV, and retention, they’re just setting money on fire.

This is what I call marketing bloat. The silent profit killer that sneaks in when brands:

• Pay too much for low-quality traffic 

Running ads that attract people who never buy (or only buy once).

• Chase vanity metrics 

High CTRs and low CPMs feel good, but they don’t pay the bills.

• Ignore retention 

Pouring all your budget into acquiring new customers while ignoring the ones who already gave you their credit card.

Not every customer is worth acquiring. 

If your LTV isn’t outpacing CAC, you’re just subsidizing customers who won’t stick around. 

The real growth lever will come from getting the right customers and keeping them engaged.

The Efficiency Framework: Balancing CAC, LTV, and Retention for Sustainable Scaling

​​If you’re stuck obsessing over lowering CAC, you’re looking at the wrong problem. Instead, focus on maximizing every dollar by balancing CAC, LTV, and retention.

1. CAC: Get the Right Customers, Not Just More

Don’t chase cheaper clicks. 

The smarter play: Acquire higher-value customers at a sustainable cost.

• Stop optimizing for cheap traffic 

Low CPC ≠ high-quality buyers.

• Prioritize high-LTV segments

Some customers are just worth more.

• Make your offer irresistible

Better messaging = lower CAC, higher conversion.

2. LTV: Squeeze More Value From Every Customer

If your LTV isn’t growing, you’re stuck in a spend-to-survive cycle. Boosting it means:

• Increasing AOV upfront

Bundles, upsells, subscriptions. Get more $$ per order.

• Automating repeat purchases 

SMS, email, and loyalty programs drive second (and third) buys.

• Turning customers into marketers

Referral incentives = free, high-value acquisitions.

3. Retention: Plug the Leaks Before You Scale

If customers don’t stick around, you’re just refilling a leaky bucket.

• Fix post-purchase drop-off

Stop ghosting buyers after checkout.

• Make reordering seamless

Subscription & retention flows should be frictionless.

• Build brand affinity 

Community and great content keep your customers coming back. 

When you’ve built a strong LTV engine, you’re not guessing how much you can afford to acquire a customer. You know. 

And when CAC, LTV, and retention work together, growth starts to compound.

How to Spot & Eliminate Marketing Bloat That Silently Drains Profit

Marketing bloat is sneaky. You don’t see it right away. 

It doesn’t wave a red flag or announce itself. Instead, it creeps in through inefficiencies, unnecessary spend, and low-impact tactics that look like growth but quietly drain your profitability.

Here’s how to spot it and cut it before it drains your margins.

1. CAC Creep: Spending More, Getting Less

If your acquisition costs keep rising, but conversion rates and LTV aren’t improving, you’re stuck in an inefficient growth loop.

What to do instead:

• Stop over-relying on paid ads. Test organic referrals and partnerships.

• Focus on high-LTV segments instead of chasing broad reach.

• Test fewer, high-impact changes instead of endless low-value experiments.

2. Vanity Metrics: Looks Good, Does Nothing

Big impressions, low CPMs, and high CTRs are meaningless if those clicks don’t convert into actual revenue.

What to do instead:

• Track revenue-driven KPIs, not just engagement.

• Analyze post-click behavior to see if traffic is actually buying.

• Cut budget on “cheap traffic” sources that don’t translate to sales.

3. Low-Intent Audiences: Attracting the Wrong People

If your acquisition strategy pulls in one-time buyers who never return, you’re paying for churn.

What to do instead:

• Refine targeting to attract customers with higher retention potential.

• Strengthen post-purchase retention strategies to drive repeat orders.

• Shift budget from cold acquisition to nurturing existing customers.

4. Overly Complex Funnels: Too Many Steps, Too Much Friction

If customers have to jump through hoops to buy, many won’t.

What to do instead:

• Simplify the buying process. Reduce steps and improve UX.

• Optimize checkout to minimize drop-off.

• Ensure landing pages align with ad messaging for a seamless transition.

Eliminate inefficiencies fast and focus on what actually moves the needle.

Closing Thoughts

There’s a reason growth feels harder than it used to. 

Ad costs are up. Competition is fierce. What worked a year ago might not work now. But that doesn’t mean the answer is to just keep spending and hoping for the best.

You don’t need a bigger budget. You need a better strategy. 

Cut the fluff, focus on efficiency, and build a machine that compounds over time.

And good news, spring is just around the corner.

The season of fresh starts, new opportunities, and momentum.

This is your chance to shed the inefficiencies that have been holding your business back. Cut the bloat. Tighten up your strategy. Lean into what actually moves the needle.

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Thank you for reading! I appreciate you.

Sincerely,
Kody