The Difference Between A Product Problem And A Marketing Problem

How to stop fixing the wrong thing when sales slow down

Julian Precht

Feb 17, 2026

A couple of years ago, I was asked at work to help promote a product.

It was one of those moments where the expectation was clear:

“Marketing will take care of it.”

Sales were slow, adoption was low, and the assumption was that we simply weren’t communicating it well enough.

So I did what I always do.

I started by looking at the marketing: messaging, positioning, website copy, ads, competitor angles… The whole thing.

And at first, everything seemed fixable. Actually, nothing big struck me as out of the ordinary.

Until I took a step back and asked the one question that changed everything:

“Would I buy this?”

That’s when the uncomfortable truth showed up.

The product wasn’t bad, but it was expensive (like, really expensive!)… and when I compared it to what competitors were offering at the same price point (or even cheaper), the value gap was impossible to ignore.

Same category.

Similar promise.

Better packaging.

More proof.

More features.

More clarity.

And suddenly it became obvious: this was a product problem disguised as a marketing problem.

Because no amount of better copy, more ads, or more visibility can consistently sell something that feels overpriced for what it delivers.

And yet, when sales slow down, most founders (and many experienced C-level executives alike, to be honest) reach the following conclusion:

“Our marketing isn’t working.”

Traffic is low.
Engagement is inconsistent.
Launch results disappoint.

The instinct is to tweak headlines, change content strategy, try a new platform, or invest more in promotion.

And honestly? Sometimes, that’s exactly what’s needed.

But other times… it’s really not.

Sometimes the problem isn’t marketing at all (or it could just be a small part of it), and if you misdiagnose the issue, you can spend months fixing the wrong thing.

Why this confusion happens

Product and marketing both influence revenue.

So when money isn’t coming in, it’s genuinely hard to know what is actually not working. This is especially true as unlike operations or finance, product and marketing are both invisible systems.

You can’t see trust building.

You can’t directly measure desire.

You can’t easily separate “People don’t know we exist” from “People know, but don’t care” from “People care, but don’t believe” from “People believe, but don’t want this version”.

Honestly? At the end of the day, they all feel the same on the surface: nothing is selling.

And because marketing is the part that looks the most “active” (posts, ads, outreach, campaigns), it becomes the default diagnosis.

It feels logical to assume that you just might need more visibility, but selling a product starts long before promotion.

It starts at the moment someone asks themselves:

“Is this for someone like me?”
“Does this solve my problem?”
“Do I trust these people?”
“Do I believe this will work?”
“Is it worth the cost (money, time, risk, effort)?”
“Do I want this now?”

If those answers aren’t already leaning toward “yes”, then you don’t really have a traffic problem, but rather a conversion problem.

And conversion problems are often product problems disguised as marketing problems.

Which is why we need to separate the two clearly.

What a marketing problem actually is

A marketing problem means this:

The right people don’t know you exist.
They don’t understand what you do.
They don’t see why it matters.
They don’t trust you yet.

In short, interest isn’t forming, and you can see this phenomenon happening through signs like low traffic, few conversations, weak visibility, unclear messaging and positioning that is changing constantly.

Marketing problems usually feel like invisibility: even a strong offer won’t sell if no one sees it or if they don’t understand it.

That is why it’s marketing’s job to create awareness, clarity, and familiarity.

What a product problem actually is

A product problem is different.

It means:

People are aware.
They’re interested.
They engage.

But ultimately they don’t commit.

The offer doesn’t feel compelling enough, the problem isn’t painful enough, the outcome isn’t clear enough, or, more simply, the value offered doesn’t justify the cost.

In short, interest forms, but commitment doesn’t.

Signs of a product problem often look like:

Good traffic, but weak conversions
Positive feedback, but no purchases
Sales calls that end in “I’ll think about it”
High engagement, but low revenue

Product problems usually feel like there is friction, in the sense that something isn’t strong enough to move someone from curious to committed.

The simplest diagnostic question

If you’re unsure which one you’re dealing with, ask yourself this (and be honest!):

“If more of the right people saw this, would it sell?”

If the answer is:

“Yes, I’m confident it would” → You likely have a marketing problem.
“Not really… it still feels off” → You likely have a product problem.

Remember: marketing amplifies and the product converts. If amplification wouldn’t fix it, amplification isn’t the solution.

The dangerous middle ground

There’s a subtle trap here we need to talk about.

An average product with average marketing can look like a marketing issue.

So founders:

post more
switch platforms
test new formats
tweak copy

Instead of asking the harder question: “Is this offer strong enough?”

Marketing is often easier to adjust because it feels external, while improving the product feels personal, but long-term growth rarely comes from amplifying something mediocre.

Why founders prefer to blame marketing

There’s also a psychological layer to consider.

If marketing isn’t working, the solution feels tactical: you can try to improve reach, tweak the messaging, post more consistently, or test a different channel.

It feels fixable.

It feels like execution.

And most importantly, it lets you keep believing the core thing is good.

On the other hand, if the product isn’t working, the solution feels deeper: you need to rethink the offer, refine the promise, revisit pricing, or simply admit that the problem you’re trying to solve might not be as painful to the customer as you thought it was.

That’s a much heavier conclusion.

Because it’s not just about changing what you do.

It’s about questioning what you built.

It’s easier to adjust content than to rethink value, but if you want to turn things around you need to be honest with yourself.

How to fix the right problem

If it’s a marketing problem (people don’t get it / don’t see it):

1) Clarify your positioning

Make it instantly obvious:

who it’s for
what it helps with
why it’s different

If people need 30 seconds to understand what you do… you’ve already lost them.

2) Simplify your message

Don’t try to say everything.

Your job is to make one clear sentence stick, and not to explain the full business.

3) Increase repetition

You’re bored of your message after 5 posts, but remember that your audience doesn’t read everything you produce.

Realistically, your audience will need to read something of yours multiple times before making a buying decision, so don’t be afraid to repeat yourself: it’s how you build clarity.

4) Choose one platform and show up consistently

I’ve discussed this before in another article, but trying to be everywhere at once at the start is a sure fire way to burn out.

Pick one place where your audience already hangs out and become impossible to ignore there.

5) Improve distribution

Good content is not enough. It needs to be seen.

Especially if you are building alone, you need to build systems for:

collaborations
comments
reposts
communities
partnerships
reusing content across formats
and much more…

Marketing is not just about posting. Posting on its own is just the tip of the iceberg.

Marketing is making sure the right people actually see it.

If it’s a product problem (people see it but don’t buy / don’t stay)

1) Talk to customers

Don’t talk to followers or other creators. You need your customers.

The answers are always in: sales calls, churn reasons, objections, hesitations…

If you need fast feedback, even a short survey can reveal a lot!

2) Deepen your understanding of the real pain

Sometimes people say they want something…

…but they’re actually trying to solve something else.

Think of it like a disease: the patient is your customer, the symptoms of the disease is what he/she tells you the problem is, and the virus causing said disease is the actual problem you need to solve.

Dig deeper!

3) Refine the transformation you promise

People buy a before-and-after, not fancy features.

Your product should make the transformation feel believable, specific, valuable and, importantly, worth the effort.

Make sure your customer knows how his or her life will change for the positive with your product or service!

4) Make the outcome clearer

A lot of offers fail because the outcome is vague.

“Grow your business” is vague.
“Get your first 3 clients in 30 days with a repeatable outreach system” is clear.

Remember: clarity reduces fear.

5) Strengthen perceived value

Even if your product is good, it can still feel weak.

Perceived value comes from:

proof
examples
testimonials
clear deliverables
packaging
confidence in the promise

Sometimes the product is fine.

It’s the framing that’s broken (I’ll admit that here however marketing can help!).

A final reminder

If there’s one thing I want you to take from this, it’s this:

Marketing amplifies. Product delivers.

Before changing platforms, rewriting your website, or launching another campaign, pause and ask: is this truly a marketing problem? Or is it the offer itself?

Growth doesn’t always come from doing more.

It comes from fixing the right thing.

If you found this helpful, feel free to reply with where you think your bottleneck is right now, share it with someone stuck tweaking marketing endlessly, or subscribe for more calm, practical breakdowns like this!