The No. 1 reason advertising fails. (It’s not what you think.)

Health-wise, I’ve seen better years than 2020.

A few months into the pandemic, I acquired “quarantine bod.” I became a father in June, so “dad bod” soon joined the party. Come August, “40 bod” came along for the ride. Then, in November, “winter bod” came along to complete the dreadful quartet.

I looked bad, and I felt even worse.

One thing was for certain: After I got fully vaccinated in February, getting back to the gym was a top priority.

I went to the gym faithfully, on time every morning. But I won’t lie — it was slow going. Four months in, I was pretty frustrated. I was putting in a lot of hard work, and seeing little to no results.

Then, lo and behold, one morning, I looked in the mirror and saw something I hadn’t seen in a while. A little triceps muscle was starting to poke through. Some upper abs definition was appearing.

I stepped on the scales and, sure enough, I was down 10 pounds.

The next week, I gained back 5 of them.

The week after that, I lost 7.

Top-of-mind advertising works in much the same way as exercise. It doesn’t always happen quickly and progress isn’t always linear. But one thing is for certain — it does pay off for those patient enough to let it.

Seven months into my workout regiment, am I where I want to be? Nope. But I’m closer than I was, and I’m getting closer each day.

I’m going to stick with it because I know that, a year or two (or 10 or 20) from now, I’m going to be happy that I did.

The No. 1 reason exercise plans fail is also the No. 1 reason advertising fails. People have unrealistic short-term expectations, then lose patience before they get to enjoy the fruits of their labor.

You’re not going to get on the cover of Muscle & Fitness after 3 months in the gym.

You’re not going to get on the cover of Fortune magazine after 3 months of advertising.

Talk to any retired business owner, and ask them about their regrets. Two things I guarantee you will not hear: “I wish I would have exercised less,” and “I wish I would have advertised less.”

In fact, you will often hear the opposite. “I could have have lived a healthier life and had a more prosperous business had I devoted more time and resources to those things.”

Building top-of-mind awareness isn’t easy. That's why it's important to work with someone who can help you navigate the rugged terrain of today's online landscape.

Contact me and let’s talk it over. I’ll be happy to give you my best advice, whether we end up working together or not.

Jacob Brower is the president of Archer’s Bow Media & Marketing. He has 21 years of experience in mass media, many of which he spent as the chief executive of a state and national award-winning media group in southwest Missouri. He was named one of the nation’s top 25 media professionals under age 35 by Editor & Publisher magazine in 2016. Text or call him at 417-592-3505, or email him at jacob@archersbowmedia.com.