Look, I'm going to say something that might ruffle some feathers.
Your business doesn't need to be the best to win.
I know, I know. Every business coach out there is telling you to be the best in your industry. To have the best customer service. The best product. The best reviews.
But here's the thing: when someone's searching for a service, they're not actually looking for "the best." They're looking for someone they know, like, and trust. And more often than not, that comes down to one simple thing: who stayed top of mind.
Let me walk you through a real scenario that happens every single day.
Meet Danny. He's 34, works in finance, and hasn't been to the dentist in... let's just say a while. Three years, maybe four. His teeth don't hurt. He's busy. There's always something more urgent on his plate.
One afternoon at work, he's scrolling on his phone during lunch and sees a post from a friend who just got their teeth whitened. Looks good. Danny thinks, "You know what, I should probably get a cleaning."
So he pulls out his phone and searches "dentist near me."
Five practices pop up. All have 4+ star reviews. All look professional. All have nice photos of their offices and smiling staff. Danny clicks through a few websites, reads some reviews, thinks "Yeah, these all seem fine."
Then his boss Slacks him about that report due at 3pm.
The dentist search? Gone. Totally forgotten.
Does this sound familiar? Because I guarantee this is happening to your business right now. Someone's interested. They're in that consideration stage. But the sense of urgency isn't there yet. And you get bumped to the bottom of their mental priority list.
Two days later, Danny's scrolling Instagram before bed. A video ad pops up from a local dentist, Dr. Gurki Malhi from Onyx Dental. He's talking directly to the camera, explaining why regular checkups matter even when your teeth feel fine. Something about plaque buildup, early cavity detection, even how oral health connects to heart health.
Danny watches about half the video. Doesn't click. Doesn't book. Just... absorbs the information and keeps scrolling.
The next morning, he's back on Instagram with his coffee. Another ad from Dr. Malhi's practice. This time it's showing the inside of their office. Clean, modern, comfortable. And here's the kicker—they've got TVs mounted on the ceiling above every dental chair so you can watch Netflix during your cleaning. The ad also mentions a free teeth whitening session for new patients.
Danny thinks, "Huh, that's actually pretty cool. Maybe I will book that appointment."
By lunch that day, he's booked.
Now here's my question: Was Dr. Malhi's practice the "best" dentist Danny could have chosen? Maybe. Maybe not. But here's what he definitely was: top of mind.
When Danny searched "dentist near me," he saw five practices. They all had great reviews. They were all qualified. They could all clean his teeth just fine.
So what actually separated Dr. Malhi from the other four?
He showed up. Not once. Not randomly. But sequentially, in the right order, with the right message, at the right time.
First ad: Education. Building trust. Addressing the "why" before asking for anything.
Second ad: Comfort. Removing objections. Sweetening the deal.
That's not luck. That's strategy. And it's what I call storyboarding your customer's journey.
Let's be honest. In most industries, the quality gap between competitors is pretty small. If you're a dentist, an HVAC company, a landscaper, or a contractor, your technical skills probably aren't that different from the business down the street.
Your reviews might be slightly better. Your prices might be slightly lower. Your office might be slightly newer.
But none of that matters if you're not the business that comes to mind when someone's ready to buy.
Think about it this way: You're not competing on who's the best. You're competing for mental real estate. And the business that occupies that real estate: the one that's been showing up consistently in the prospect's world is the one that gets the call.
Here's what most business owners miss: People don't make decisions when they first have a need. They make decisions when they're ready to make a decision.
Danny was "ready" to find a dentist for about 90 seconds during his lunch break. Then life happened. Work got in the way. The urgency faded.
But Dr. Malhi didn't let him forget. He stayed in his world. Not in an annoying way but in a helpful, educational, consistent way.
This is relationship proximity at work. By the time Danny actually made the decision to book, Dr. Malhi's practice wasn't just an option. It was the option. Because in his mind, he'd already been having a conversation with him for three days.
That's the power of staying top of mind.
Alright, so how do you do this for your business? Because I know what you're thinking: "Jason, I don't have time to create a bunch of ads and manage retargeting campaigns."
I get it. But here's the good news: this doesn't have to be complicated. It just needs to be sequential.
Your first touchpoint shouldn't be "Book now!" or "20% off this week only!"
Nobody cares. They don't even know you yet.
Your first ad, post, or piece of content should educate. It should speak to the problem your potential customer is facing even if they haven't fully realized they have that problem yet.
For Danny, that was Dr. Malhi explaining why dental checkups matter even when nothing hurts. He wasn't selling. He was teaching.
That's how you earn the right to show up again.
Your second touchpoint should address objections. What's stopping someone from booking with you?
For a dentist, it might be fear or discomfort. That's why showing a modern, comfortable office with TVs on the ceiling worked. It removed the mental barrier of "ugh, I hate going to the dentist."
For your business, what's the objection? Price? Time? Trust? Complexity? Figure it out and address it in your second message.
Now and only now do you make the ask. And you sweeten it.
Free teeth whitening for new patients. Free consultation. Free audit. Free first month.
You've educated them. You've removed objections. Now give them a reason to act today instead of three months from now.
This is the sequence. This is the storyboard. And this is how you stay top of mind.
You might be thinking, "Okay Jason, but I don't run a dental practice. I'm a landscaper / HVAC tech / contractor / [insert service business here]. Does this really apply to me?"
100%.
Let me give you another example. One of our clients runs a landscape company. When someone searches "landscaping near me," they see a dozen companies. All have nice photos. All have decent reviews.
But our client stays top of mind by running a simple three-ad sequence:
Ad 1: A quick video showing a time-lapse of a backyard transformation, with a voiceover explaining the biggest landscaping mistakes homeowners make in spring.
Ad 2: A testimonial from a happy customer talking about how easy the process was and how the team showed up on time, every time.
Ad 3: A special offer: free landscape design consultation with no obligation.
Guess what happened? Booked solid for the season. Not because they're "the best" landscaper in town. Because they stayed top of mind while their competitors stayed silent.
Your competition isn't just sitting around hoping people find them on Google. The smart ones are building relationships before the prospect even knows they need help.
And if you're not doing the same thing, you're losing customers to businesses that aren't better than you; they're just more present than you.
I've seen this play out over and over again in the last 10+ years running Merged Media. The businesses that win aren't always the ones with the best service. They're the ones that show up consistently, educate their audience, and build trust over time.
Look, I'm not saying you shouldn't strive for excellence. You absolutely should. Your service should be great. Your customer experience should be great.
But being great in a vacuum doesn't grow your business.
What grows your business is being the one people think of first when they're ready to buy.
And that means showing up. Not once. Not randomly. But strategically, sequentially, and consistently.
You need to build a system that keeps you in front of your prospects, educating them, building trust, and removing objections so that when they're ready to make a decision, there's only one option in their mind.
Yours.
Because at the end of the day, the question isn't "Are you the best?"
The question is: "Are you top of mind?"
If the answer is no, it's time to fix that.
Want help building a system that keeps you top of mind with your ideal customers? That's exactly what we do at Merged Media. We help service-based businesses create strategic, sequential marketing that actually converts—without being annoying or salesy. Let's talk. Book a call here.
Co Founder of Merged Media & Co Owner of Chatello.ai
He is the co-founder of Merged Media, an award-winning digital marketing agency specializing in AI-powered strategies. A sought-after speaker and educator, Jason teaches "Leading Change in Digital Tourism" at George Brown College and has presented at major events like Affiliate World and AdWorld. From his unique journey as a Japanese rockstar to building a successful agency, Jason combines creativity and innovation to help businesses worldwide scale their growth and achieve transformative marketing results.