As a completely right-brained creative, I was a little intimidated when my lovely colleague Kim asked me to write a blog about marketing strategy (with a 24-hour deadline, thanks, Kim!). I immediately think about marketing research, demographics, numbers, budgets, and all the tasks that require more “left-brained” thinking than I’m used to.
While requiring creativity, marketing strategies also demand essential “soft skills” such as asking the right questions, active listening, and the ability to read between the lines. A successful strategy is built on understanding the client, their goals, and their industry. It’s not just about the numbers but about creating a strategy that truly meets the client’s needs.
As you create your strategy know that a marketing strategy is not the same as a marketing plan. The strategy is a key component of the marketing plan, which includes elements such as goals, messaging, industry, and client identification. It’s an exciting process, especially when working with diverse clients in various industries. The strategy serves as a blueprint for achieving marketing results, and I’ve broken it down into several steps to make it more manageable.
Do your homework
Learn as much as possible about your client, their clients, and their industry. Every product or service has an ideal client, and our job is to not only learn about those products and services. But also identify the people who would benefit the most from them.
Identify your goals
While being profitable is usually the overarching goal, it is also important to identify short-term goals. These can include improving brand recognition, increasing customer engagement, generating leads, or establishing brand authority through thought leadership and strategic planning. These “smaller” goals are the stepping stones needed to reach your final destination and provide good benchmarks to help measure your progress.
Create your message
Ah, my personal favorite! Now that we have goals and have done our homework, the fun begins! Creating content and everything it involves is the juicy part of marketing strategy. Copywriting, images, branding, color stories, logos, and WHERE and HOW this content will be used are key. Picking the right social media platforms is an important part of creating and delivering your message through the right channels. Additionally, deciding if email campaigns or monthly blog posts are needed is crucial for effective communication.
Make sure to measure your results
You can’t improve what you don’t measure. Keeping track of your analytics will let you know if your message is reaching its audience. This is also the time to consider paid advertising if it’s part of the plan- and budget. Review and revise as necessary using data!
Be patient: Give your strategy time to “settle.” Generally, three months is enough time to determine if you’re on the right path, but changing the goalposts too soon or too often will do more harm than good, as it will come across as chaotic and unstable. Flexibility is important, but bend it too much, and you’ll break.
The best part? It’s never too late to create a marketing strategy and never too soon to start thinking about one. Both new and established businesses can benefit from having a strong strategy in place, and it’s one of the things that we, as a comprehensive marketing company, love to do!
As Bekah always says, “Plan your work and work your plan!” What’s yours?