A marketing strategy directly impacts the success of a business. It helps you to define your overall goals with your product / service, and summarizes the steps that need be executed in order to achieve these goals. Having a sound marketing plan in place helps to define the specific platforms that you will utilizing, as well as the timeline for each component of the implementation.

Creating a marketing strategy should not be challenging for a company that knows their product and target audience well.

Step 1: Define your business goals for the specific campaign that you will be running.

Be specific when describing these objectives. If your goal is to sell a product, how many products do you want to sell by X date? If your goal is to generate leads for your business, describe what kinds of qualifiers you will be looking for.

It’s also important to consider the analytics as part of the equation. How can you measure your progress and success? Are there tools that you could use to track your results?

Step 2: Create an ideal customer avatar

Take a look at analytics from your existing channels, and jot any characteristics or qualifiers that you find about your customers / followers. Consider their age, gender, location, specific interests, job titles, behaviors, etc.

These attributes will help you to make an educated marketing decisions within your strategy.

Step 3: Research your competitors

What platforms have your competitors been successful with? How are they using the platforms to engage their target audience?

Take note of the types of content that they are publishing on their blogs, social media channels, within their email blasts,  etc. It’s also helpful to look at the frequency that they are creating content.

Ask yourself – are there any ways that you could present similar information, but in your own unique way? How can you make the resources that you see better?

Are you competitors missing out on specific market that you cater to? You can use these types of observations as opportunities when developing the details within a marketing strategy.

Step 4: Define your marketing channels, mediums, frequency, and budget

Based on your the research of your ideal customers, what platforms will be most effective for reaching them?

Are they on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tiktok, Pinterest, Reddit, Snapchat, etc.? How have your email campaigns performed in the past? Brainstorm creative ideas with your team that go beyond the typical platforms. What are some ways that you could promote that are unique and fit within your campaign budget?

Out of the platforms that might have the most impact, how many of these will your team realistically be able to take on?

Typically, I always recommend that businesses start off with 1-2 platforms, and build as they acquire more resources. I have a few reasons for this. It’s much more effective to be really good at 1-2 platforms, rather than to be “kind of” active everywhere. With more than 2 platforms, you run the risk of burning out, and in turn, it will become harder to create for those platforms consistently. Plus, being on less platforms will allow you to have more time for engagement on those platforms, which is extremely important when you are trying to build a community.

You’ll also want to set up some guidelines on the mediums for how you will deliver value. Will your marketing strategy include video, still imagery, or other forms of content? Make sure to research best practices for each platform that you’ll be making content for in order to maximize your reach and engagement.

How often are you planning on showing up for your audience? Setting milestones helps to reinforce accountability and gives you a timeline within which you will measure results.

If there are elements in your campaign that will require monetary investment, this is also the time to budget for those costs. When planning a marketing strategy, it’s helpful to allocate the budget into buckets – social media marketing, printing costs, etc.

Step 5: Create a marketing strategy document

Compile your goals, target avatar, competitor research, and defined marketing objectives into a single document to share with your team. Throughout your campaign, you can refer to this document to guide your content and timing of each marketing effort.

At times, you may find it helpful to adjust your marketing strategy, change deadlines, etc. Remember – marketing is all about testing a bunch of ideas to see what works the best, looking at the campaign analytics, and then doubling down on the best performing strategies.

Need help with creating a marketing strategy? Book a free consultation call by clicking the button below, and I would love to help you get set up with a customized marketing solution for your business.