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JFP Studios Research · The Marketing System Index · 2026 Edition · Published October 2026

7 in 10 business owners can't say which of their marketing is paying off.

Could name itCould notOut of every 10 owners · 115 answered

We scored the marketing of 142 businesses. The typical one earned 29 of 100 points. The biggest gaps open after someone shows interest.

Get your score Check yourself in six questionsThe full scorecard takes about 5 minutes. Free.

Read this first · What the score means

What it measures

How effective a business's marketing is at winning, following up with and keeping clients
Based on the owner's own answers to the JFP Marketing Scorecard

What it does not measure

Revenue, profit or growth
The quality of the work, or how well the business is doing

Many strong businesses grow on reputation alone. A low score shows where marketing could do more. Read the method

Key findingsFor readers with one minute

7 in 10

could not name the marketing that brought in the most revenue last quarter.

115 owners

3 in 10

send an automatic first reply when someone shows interest. 4 in 10 have a website form for it.

77 owners

7 to 10x

Top scorers are this much more likely to have ways to catch interest and track sales. On the message, the gap is about 2 times.

Top quarter against bottom half

A score of 100 means all five are in place

A clear reasonto choose you
A way to reach youfor interested people
Follow-upthat runs without you
A view of what payswhich marketing brings in money
A plan to keep clientscoming back

29 typical business

44+ top quarter

100 every part working

Below: where the other 71 points go, and where to start.

Get your score Get the free worksheet

How to read this pageThe data What owners told us, with how many answeredWhat it means JFP Studios' read on it, and what to do

Part 1

The findings

What 142 owners have in place, and where the gaps open.

1.1The basics

Half of owners have a clear reason to choose them. 1 in 5 track a lead all the way to a sale.

The data · Share of owners with each basic in place

In the order a new client meets them. Each bar is the share of owners who said yes, with how many answered.

What it means

Owners know what they want to say. Fewer have a process in place for after someone shows interest.

For a business that runs on referrals, that may be fine. For owners who want steadier months, the right side of this chart has the most room to build.

1.2How owners scored

2 in 3 owners scored below 40%. 3 scored 80% or higher.

The data · 142 owners

Every square is one business that took the scorecard, placed by its score. Tap or hover a square to see it. Pick an industry to light up its owners.

29 typical

44+ top quarter

Scored below 40 · 95 ownersScored 40 or higher · 47 owners

What it means

If you score under 40%, you are in the company of 2 in 3 owners we scored.

A low score says nothing about whether a business is good or successful. It shows how much of the setup for winning and keeping clients is built today.

1.3What top scorers have

Top scorers are 7 to 10 times more likely to catch interest and track sales. On the message, the gap is about 2 times.

The data · Top quarter against bottom half

The top quarter scored 44% or higher. The bottom half scored below 29%.

Top quarterBottom half

Has in placeShare of ownersHow many times more likely

Based on 18 to 28 top scorers and 31 to 56 bottom scorers per question. This shows what top scorers have in place, not proof of cause.

What it means

The biggest differences sit in the plumbing behind the pitch.

Top scorers pull ahead on the setup: a form for interested people, an email that goes out right away and a way to see which marketing became a sale. It can usually be set up in weeks.

1.4Six gaps

Six gaps that show up in the scores.

The data · Each card shows how many owners answered

Proof · 113 owners

1 in 7 can show their marketing makes money

50%

Can say clearly why a client should choose them

14%

Can say that and also track which marketing turns into sales

What it means

AI tools now summarize competitors in seconds. Real client results help you stand apart.

Do this first

List your last ten clients and what brought each one to you.

Capture · 77 owners

Interested people have nowhere to go

40%

Have a form on their website where visitors leave their details

30%

Send an automatic first email when someone does

What it means

Someone looks you up, likes what they see and leaves. Without a way to reach you, you never know they came.

Do this first

Add one form or booking link to your site and an automatic reply.

Follow-up · 24 to 113 owners

Follow-up depends on the owner remembering

35%

Use a tool to track contacts and deals (a CRM)

20%

Use it to follow each lead all the way to a sale

What it means

18 of 24 owners in the 2026 edition follow up by hand or not at all, so leads go quiet in a busy week.

Do this first

Write three follow-up emails and schedule them for day 2, 7 and 21.

Referrals · 24 to 77 owners

Referrals bring the business. What they find decides it.

96%

Get clients through referrals and word of mouth

34%

Show client reviews or results on their website

What it means

Referred clients look you up first, often with an AI tool. 8 of 19 owners could not say what they find.

Do this first

Search yourself the way a referral would. Put one client result where they land.

Email list · 77 owners

6 in 10 owners have no list of their own

40%

Average score of owners who send a newsletter

27%

Average score of the 61% who send none

What it means

Without a list, a platform decides who sees each post. A list is an audience no platform can take away.

Do this first

Send one useful email a month to the contacts you already have.

Brand · 27 to 115 owners

Only the founder can make it sound like the business

38%

Have written brand guidelines

26%

Have anyone else creating content with them, fully or partly

What it means

Staff, freelancers and AI tools now write much of what a business publishes. Without a guide, it comes out generic.

Do this first

Write one page: who you serve, what you say, how you sound. Share it.

Part 2

In practice

How the gaps look by industry, in a real business and in 2026.

2.1Find your industry

The businesses that make the most visual work score lowest.

The data · Average score by industry

Select an industry to see its profile. The gray line marks the overall average of 31%.

Industry is known for 118 of 142 owners. 30 named it on the scorecard, and JFP matched 88 more from business name, title and public listings.

What it means

Photographers, designers and realtors make the content other businesses pay for, then score around 25% on their own.

The material audiences come back to already exists in these businesses. The room to build is the system around it: a list, follow-up and a way to see which work brings in clients.

2.2Case in point

A 100-year-old firm with a story worth telling, and no setup to carry it.

Client example · ESRA Real Estate Companies, Harlem

ESRA Real Estate Companies turned 100 in 2025 with a family archive of about 750 images and deep relationships across Harlem. Its marketing ran on word of mouth, with no one place for interest to land.

From March to November 2025, JFP Studios built the setup around what ESRA already had.

Catching interest

One contact system for sign-ups, tickets and payments, so every guest and sponsor landed in one place.

Something to return to

Three events, each building on the last: a panel, a block party and a centennial gala.

Proof

The archive became a 40-page journal and museum panels, with sponsor pages people paid for.

176registrations for the first panel

~280guests at the centennial gala

40page journal built from the archive

What it means

The history was ESRA's. What was missing was the setup that let people find it, respond and pay. The lesson: capturing interest is step one, and someone has to own the follow-up.

2.3Why it matters now

Buyers now make up their minds before they contact you.

The data · Outside research, 2026

68%

of U.S. Google searches ended without anyone clicking a link, January to April 2026. In 2024 it was 60%.

SparkToro and Similarweb

45%

of consumers ask AI tools such as ChatGPT to recommend local businesses. A year earlier it was 6%.

BrightLocal, Feb 2026

53%

of consumers are less likely to buy from a brand they know uses AI to make its social media posts.

Clutch, Sept 2026

What it means

Your first impression now happens without you. Whatever people find is your marketing, planned or not.

Buyers read an AI answer, scan your reviews or look you up after a referral, then decide. Three things help in that moment:

Proof

Show it works

14%can show their marketing makes money
34%show client results on their site

Client results a buyer, or an AI tool, can find and trust.

Something to return to

Give people a reason to come back

61%send no newsletter
26%have anyone else creating content

One thing you publish on a rhythm, built from what you already know.

Systems

Catch and follow up

30%send an automatic first email
23%can see which marketing turns into sales

A place for interest to land and follow-up that runs without you.

What it means for your marketing

Treat your marketing like something you own and build on.

A monthly email, a series or an event keeps working and gets better each time. JFP Studios calls these media properties. This index is one.

Part 3

Your turn

See where you stand and take the first step.

3.1Check yourself

Answer six questions. See how you compare.

113 owners in the index answered all six. Under each question is the share who said yes.

3.2Free worksheet

The Media Asset Inventory

Free download · 4-page fillable PDF · About 30 minutes

Find the marketing material you already have, pick one thing to build and close the gaps that let attention slip away.

Take stockList what you have in nine areas and mark what you have actually used in the last 90 days.
Pick one thing to buildChoose from six kinds of marketing people come back to, and plan it in six lines.
Close the gapsCheck the six gaps from this index and set a 30-day plan with one number to watch.

Download the worksheet Get your score

Preview the worksheet here

Step 1. Nine areas to take stock of

ExpertiseWhat you explain to clients over and over

RelationshipsClients and partners who would show up or be featured

AccessRooms, people and places others cannot reach

PersonalityYou or someone people want to hear from

ExperiencesEvents, behind the scenes, client results

Your methodsFrameworks, checklists and how you do the work

DataNumbers and patterns only you see

CultureHow your team works and what you stand for

ReachYour list, followers and partners' audiences

Step 3. Six gaps to check

The gap	Index	Do this first	Watch this number
Interested people have nowhere to go	30% send an automatic first email	Add one form or booking link and an automatic reply.	Inquiries per month
Follow-up depends on you	18 of 24 follow up by hand or not at all	Schedule three follow-ups: day 2, day 7 and day 21.	Leads who reply
Nothing to see when they look you up	34% show client results on their site	Publish one client result with a name, a quote and a number.	Referrals that book a call
No list of your own	61% send no newsletter	Start a monthly email to the contacts you have.	List size and replies
No one knows what worked	30% can name what brought in the most revenue	Ask every new lead how they heard about you, and write it down.	New clients by source
Only the founder can create	20 of 27 say no one else creates with their brand	Write a one-page brief for everyone who creates for you.	Pieces made without you

Part 4

About the research

Why we published it, how to use it and how it was built.

4.1A note from the founder

Why we are publishing this

In 2024 I started opening client conversations with a scorecard. Before recommending anything, I wanted owners to see their own marketing in plain terms, and I wanted to see it with them.

Over two and a half years, 142 owners finished it: realtors, consultants, photographers, financial advisors and founders of consumer brands. Their answers gave me certainty about what JFP Studios should build for clients and in what order. The way we work today traces back to patterns in this data.

Read the rest of the letter

The scorecard changed as our service changed. The 2024 version asked about brand and planning. In 2025 it added the website, lead capture and email. The 2026 edition covers seven parts of a marketing system. I built it to get better intelligence before serving a client. Over time it became something of its own: a body of research, a method JFP Studios owns and, with this index, a media property people can come back to.

For too long those answers sat in a spreadsheet, and I had not used them as much as I could have. This index gives them back to the owners who shared them, and to anyone deciding what to build next.

A low score here says nothing about whether a business is good. Some of the strongest businesses I know grow on reputation and relationships alone. The index shows where marketing could carry more of the load, for owners who want it to.

Every scorecard completed from here feeds the 2027 edition.

Jordi-Lakeem FosterFounder and Lead Researcher, JFP Studios · Brooklyn, New York

4.2For press, partners and researchers

Data and press kit

Use the findings in your own reporting, talks and research. Please credit JFP Studios and the Marketing System Index 2026.

Downloads

Data packSummary tables: scores, industries, years, every question, top scorers, current-edition choices and who answered. No names or individual answers.Excel workbook · 9 sheets

Download

Question benchmarksEvery scorecard question with the number of owners who answered and the share who said yes.CSV · 101 questions

Download

Press kitKey facts sheet, four chart images, the JFP Studios logo and boilerplate text.ZIP

Download

About the index

The Marketing System Index is a benchmark from JFP Studios Research. The 2026 Edition draws on 142 business owners who completed the JFP Marketing Scorecard between May 2024 and September 2026. It measures how effective a business's marketing is at winning, following up with and keeping clients.

About JFP Studios

JFP Studios is a Brooklyn brand strategy, media production and marketing studio founded by Jordi-Lakeem Foster. It works with real estate professionals, service businesses and consumer brands.

Media contact

Jordi-Lakeem Foster, Founder and Lead Researcher · jordi@jfpstudios.org

Key facts to quote

7 in 10 business owners could not name the marketing that brought in the most revenue in the last 90 days.115 owners · JFP Marketing System Index 2026

The typical business scored 29 out of 100 for marketing effectiveness. 2 in 3 owners scored below 40.142 owners · JFP Marketing System Index 2026

4 in 10 owners have a form on their website for interested visitors. 3 in 10 send an automatic first reply.77 owners · JFP Marketing System Index 2026

Top-scoring owners are 7 to 10 times more likely than low scorers to have ways to catch interest and track sales in place.Top quarter against bottom half · JFP Marketing System Index 2026

6 in 10 owners send no email newsletter. Those who send one score 40 on average, against 27.77 owners · JFP Marketing System Index 2026

Creative and media businesses averaged 25 and real estate professionals 26, against 41 for consultants.16, 34 and 14 owners · JFP Marketing System Index 2026

4.3How the index was built

Method and sources

Who answered

142 owners, founders and executives who finished the JFP Marketing Scorecard between May 2024 and September 2026. Each owner counts once. JFP's test entries are excluded.

What the score means

The share of possible points an owner earned across seven parts: message, getting leads, closing sales, following up, growing revenue, knowing what pays and keeping clients. It does not measure revenue, profit or the quality of the work. Each figure shows how many owners answered it. "2026 edition" means the 27 owners who took Edition 4.

How to read it

Answers are self-reported, so treat the index as a benchmark among peers. Top and bottom scorer comparisons show what is in place, not what causes it. Commentary is JFP Studios' read.

Four editions of the scorecard

The scorecard began as a tool for understanding clients before serving them. Its questions changed each time JFP Studios' service changed, and it has since become a research instrument and a method in its own right.

Edition 1 · May 2024Brand and planning

Questions on positioning, brand guidelines, marketing plans, budgets and tracking.

Edition 2 · January 2025Adds capture and follow-up

Adds the website, lead capture, email and contact-tracking questions. Runs to March 2026.

Edition 3 · April 2026Short transitional version

Used for one week by 8 owners while the scorecard was rebuilt.

Edition 4 · April 2026 to nowThe 2026 edition

28 questions across seven parts of a marketing system. 27 owners so far. Three questions carry over, reworded, from earlier editions.

Who is in the index

Year completed
2024	32
2025	68
2026 (to September)	42
Total	142

How industry was set
Named by the owner	30
Matched by JFP Studios from business name, title and public listings	88
Not enough information	24

How owners reached the scorecard
Direct link or not recorded	119
Social media	8
JFP Studios website	7
Shared scorecard link	3
Search	2
Other	3

Most owners arrived through a direct link, which in practice means JFP Studios shared it with them in person, by message or at events. That makes the index a picture of JFP's network more than of all businesses.

Trend check: did owners improve over time?

2024

29 avg score

30% yes

2025

30 avg score

27% yes

2026

34 avg score

25% yes

Average overall score (32, 68 and 42 owners)Yes share on the 16 unchanged questions (30, 68 and 15 owners)

What it means

Average scores rose from 29 in 2024 to 34 in 2026. On the 16 yes-or-no questions asked the same way the whole time, the share of yes answers did not rise. We read the higher scores as an effect of changes to the scorecard. We are not reporting that owners improved.

Limits and independence

Owners chose to take the scorecard, and most reached it through JFP Studios' own network. The sample is self-selected, so the figures describe these owners, not all businesses.
Answers are self-reported and were not checked against each business's records.
There is no margin of error. Margins of error apply to random samples, and this one is not random.
Groups of fewer than 10 owners are shown with their size and are not profiled in detail.
JFP Studios builds marketing systems for businesses, so we have a stake in these findings. To keep the index honest, every figure shows how many owners it rests on, commentary is kept apart from the data, and we publish results that do not favor our services, such as the trend check above.

Every question on the scorecard, with the share who said yes

Question, as written on the scorecard	Years asked	Owners	Yes
Current questions
Do you have a one-sentence statement that makes your business the only logical choice for your ideal client - and does it appear consistently across every touchpoint a prospect might encounter?	2024–2026	142	39%
Has a specific piece of content you published in the last 90 days directly produced a qualified inbound lead or a sales conversation - without any outbound effort from you?	2024–2026	142	45%
Do you know your exact sales conversion rate from first contact to closed client right now - and is that the same number you track and review every month?	2024–2026	140	30%
Do you know the specific number of days it typically takes a lead to move from first contact to closed client - and have you used that number to make a specific decision about your sales process in the last 90 days?	2025–2026	68	16%
Does every place a prospect might find you - referral, search, or social media - communicate the same clear picture of what you do and who you serve?	2026	27	41%
Does someone other than you use your brand or messaging guide to create content or materials for your business?	2026	27	19%
Do you know which channel produces your highest lifetime value clients - and have you made a specific investment decision based on that finding in the last 90 days?	2026	27	19%
Do you know the specific number of qualified leads that entered your pipeline last month - and can you show whether that number is trending up, down, or flat over the last three months?	2026	27	7%
Do you have a documented definition of what a qualified lead looks like for your business -and is that definition actively used to decide who enters your sales pipeline?	2026	27	30%
When the last new lead entered your pipeline, did your system automatically follow up, tag, and route them through a defined sequence without any manual step from you?	2026	27	19%
Can you see your complete pipeline in one view right now - including every lead, their current stage, and their last touchpoint - without manually pulling data from more than one source?	2026	27	30%
When a lead does not convert after their first touchpoint, does your system re-engage them automatically - without you deciding to follow up or initiating any manual step?	2026	27	11%
Does your business have a specific entry point offer that a cold prospect can say yes to - and has it produced a new pipeline conversation in the last 30 days?	2026	27	19%
Does each active marketing initiative have a specific revenue target - and has reviewing performance against those targets changed how you allocated budget or time in the last 90 days?	2026	27	19%
If your primary lead source stopped producing tomorrow, do you have a written plan to replace that pipeline within 30 days?	2026	27	19%
Does your offer progression have a defined entry point that naturally leads a client to a higher tier - without requiring a separate pitch from you?	2026	27	15%
Have you conducted a formal review of your pricing in the last 12 months that resulted in a documented change to at least one price, tier, or offer based on market positioning, delivery cost, or client results?	2026	27	30%
What is your current annual revenue?	2026	27	Multiple choice
Which of the following are you actively using to generate leads right now?	2026	24	Multiple choice
How do you currently follow up with leads who haven't converted?	2026	24	Multiple choice
What does your current sales process include?	2026	24	Multiple choice
What do you actively do to retain current clients?	2026	24	Multiple choice
Which of the following do you have in place to grow revenue from existing clients?	2026	24	Multiple choice
When someone looks you up after hearing about you from a referral, does what they find reinforce the recommendation or raise questions about it?	2026	19	0%
Based on documented data rather than instinct, do you know which specific touchpoint most often moves a lead to the next stage in your pipeline?	2026	19	42%
Do you know your current client retention rate as a specific documented number - and have you taken a deliberate action to improve it in the last 90 days?	2026	19	26%
Do you have a documented expansion process for existing clients - and has it produced measurable revenue in the last 90 days?	2026	19	11%
Do your client check-ins include a specific agenda item designed to identify new needs or future opportunities beyond the current engagement?	2026	19	32%
Retired questions
What metrics do you track to measure the success of your marketing activities?	2024–2026	115	Multiple choice
Do you have a single, documented brand style guide that includes fonts, colors, logo usage, and tone of voice?	2024–2026	115	38%
Have you defined your brand's unique value proposition that sets you apart from competitors?	2024–2026	115	50%
Have you conducted market research to understand your target audience's perception of your brand?	2024–2026	115	20%
Is your brand style guide shared and used consistently across your website, social media, and marketing materials?	2024–2026	115	37%
Do you have a clearly defined brand positioning statement or tagline used in your public materials?	2024–2026	115	50%
Have you trained your team or contractors to follow brand guidelines in content, design, and messaging?	2024–2026	115	32%
Can you identify which specific marketing activity generated the most revenue for your business in the last 90 days?	2024–2026	115	30%
Do you have a written marketing plan that outlines your strategies, target audiences, and goals for the next 12 weeks?	2024–2026	113	25%
Do you have a scheduled time of the month to plan and create content?	2024–2026	113	32%
Have you implemented a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) tool to track client interactions and sales?	2024–2026	113	35%
Do you have a written Social Media Strategy?	2024–2026	113	15%
Do you use any automated marketing tools to streamline email campaigns, social media posts, or other repetitive tasks?	2024–2026	113	32%
Is there a process in place for regularly reviewing and updating your marketing plan based on performance metrics?	2024–2026	113	14%
Have you designated a budget within your marketing plan for advertising, promotions, and other marketing activities?	2024–2026	113	24%
Are your marketing analytics connected to revenue outcomes (i.e., sales tracking, closed deals)?	2024–2026	113	23%
Do you have clearly defined KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) included in your marketing plan to gauge success?	2024–2026	113	18%
Is there a contingency plan in your marketing strategy to address potential market changes or challenges?	2024–2026	113	14%
What Platforms Do you run Ads on?	2025–2026	77	Multiple choice
Do you have more than one active lead magnet tailored to different audiences?	2025–2026	77	19%
Is your website optimized with forms to collect lead information?	2025–2026	77	40%
Are new leads automatically segmented by type or source when added to your CRM?	2025–2026	77	36%
Are you capturing leads from multiple channels (e.g., social, website, ads)?	2025–2026	77	60%
Do you offer more than one way for a lead to take action (e.g., book a call, download, apply)?	2025–2026	77	56%
Are you currently using a quiz, form, or survey to qualify leads?	2025–2026	77	29%
Do you have testimonials or case studies displayed prominently on your website?	2025–2026	77	34%
Do you have a resource library for your customers on your website?	2025–2026	77	17%
Do you have different email sequences for prospects vs. paying clients?	2025–2026	77	21%
Do you have a welcome email that is automatically sent to new subscribers?	2025–2026	77	30%
Do you clean or update your email list regularly (remove inactive contacts, bounces)?	2025–2026	77	34%
How often do you send email newsletters?	2025–2026	77	0%
Do you have a system in place for handling and tracking sales calls?	2025–2026	77	36%
Are your ads linked to specific lead capture pages (not just your homepage)?	2025–2026	74	18%
Have you researched your target audience’s behaviors and preferences?	2025–2026	74	28%
Are leads from all channels directed into one central database?	2025–2026	74	30%
Are your service or product pages optimized with clear benefits and pricing?	2025–2026	74	27%
Do you regularly update your website’s content to keep it relevant and engaging?	2025–2026	74	35%
Is your website mobile-friendly and easy to navigate on all devices?	2025–2026	74	59%
Are you tracking the entire customer journey, from lead capture to conversion, in your CRM?	2025–2026	74	20%
Is your CRM integrated with your email marketing or lead generation tools?	2025–2026	72	32%
Do you have a personal website?	2025–2026	72	57%
Do you engage with your audience by responding to comments, messages, or mentions?	2025–2026	72	72%
Do you post regularly on your social media feed (e.g., daily, weekly)?	2025–2026	72	47%
Do you schedule email campaigns in advance using a marketing platform?	2025–2026	41	37%
Do you have a documented or automated follow-up system for leads who do not convert after the first touchpoint?	2025–2026	41	24%
Do you offer a lead magnet, free trial, or initial consultation to warm up new leads before the sale?	2025–2026	41	29%
Do you review and improve your lead generation strategy quarterly or more frequently?	2025–2026	41	27%
Have you made a budget decision in the last 90 days based on campaign performance data?	2025–2026	41	27%
Do you use retargeting ads to reach people who visited your site but didn’t convert?	2025–2026	41	5%
Do you test multiple ad creatives and offers in your campaigns?	2025–2026	41	17%
Do you have a written set of goals for what you want your brand to be within 6 - 12 months?	2024–2025	38	47%
Do you run Ads on Google, Facebook, Tik Tok or other digital mediums?	2024–2025	36	25%
For each paid campaign you are actively running right now, does it drive traffic to a dedicated landing page with a single conversion goal rather than your homepage?	2026	8	25%
Have you run a structured test on your paid campaigns in the last 90 days that produced a measurable improvement in performance?	2026	8	0%
Without opening your CRM or checking any notes right now, how clearly can you describe the total value of your pipeline, the stage of your top five opportunities, and which lead is most likely to close this month?	2026	8	12%
Do you have separate automated email sequences for prospects and paying clients, are both actively running right now, and do you know the specific conversion rate of your prospect sequence in the last 90 days?	2026	8	0%
Are your email campaigns planned and scheduled around specific revenue goals or offer launches, rather than sent on an ad hoc basis?	2026	8	25%
Do you know which email in your sequence or campaign history generates the most replies, clicks, or direct revenue conversions?	2026	8	25%
Do you know your current marketing cost per acquired client, is that number documented somewhere you review regularly, and has it been the subject of a specific improvement action in the last 90 days?	2026	8	12%
Do you have an active paid channel running right now, do you know your current cost per acquired client from that channel, and is that number lower than your average client lifetime value?	2026	8	12%
Do you review marketing performance data at least once per month and has that review resulted in a specific budget or activity change in the last 90 days?	2026	8	25%
Is every piece of content you publish mapped to a specific offer, audience, or stage in your buyer journey rather than a general topic?	2026	8	25%
Do you know which content format or topic consistently generates the most engagement or inbound interest from your ideal clients?	2026	8	50%
Do you have a defined pricing structure with clear tiers, and do you know the average revenue per client across each tier?	2026	8	25%
In the last 90 days have leads that arrived with full context about their source, behavior, and intent closed at a higher rate than leads you contacted cold?	2026	8	0%
Does your marketing team receive regular feedback from sales on lead quality, and does that feedback directly inform campaign and content decisions?	2026	8	12%
Do your sales and marketing teams operate from the same definition of a qualified lead, and is that definition documented and reviewed quarterly?	2026	8	25%
Do you know your current client retention rate and average client lifetime value as specific documented numbers, and have you taken a specific action to improve either number in the last 90 days?	2026	8	0%
Do you have a documented process for expanding client relationships beyond the initial engagement, and does it produce measurable revenue?	2026	8	25%
Do you conduct regular client reviews or check-ins that are designed to identify new needs and opportunities, not just report on existing work?	2026	8	50%
Are you running paid ads specifically for lead generation?	2025	3	33%
What digital marketing tools and platforms are you currently using?	2024	2	Multiple choice
How often do you create content	2024	2	0%

Yes counts only a full yes. Partial answers count as not yes. Questions with under 20 answers came from short-lived versions.

How to cite this index

JFP Studios. The Marketing System Index, 2026 Edition. Brooklyn, NY: JFP Studios, October 2026. 142 business owners, May 2024 to September 2026.

Outside sources

SparkToro and Similarweb search data, reported by TechWyse, June 2026 BrightLocal Local Consumer Review Survey, February 2026 Clutch consumer survey on AI social content, September 2026

Marketing System Index · 2026 Edition · JFP Studios Research, Brooklyn, New York · Figures rounded to the nearest whole percent.

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