What Is A Marketing Strategy And How To Implement One

01 October 2022By Michelle

30% of marketers think Facebook offers the highest digital ad ROI
An average Facebook user clicks on 8 ads per month
85% of followers feel more connected with a small business after following them

In the midst of launching a business, it can be tempting to jump into advertising without too much thought. Especially given the alluring stats above.

But here’s the thing – those results are hard-earned
.
Without a carefully defined marketing strategy in place, you’ll soon discover that the promising returns you’ve read about remain well out of reach (much to your frustration).
A strategy should clear up exactly what you want to achieve and how you’ll achieve it step by step.

Your marketing strategy – Seven essential sections
Summary/background
This provides an overview of where you are right now in terms of sales and target market awareness.

Goals
This nails down what your goals are, such as:
• Drive online sales
• Grow brand awareness
• Expand market share
• Develop stronger relationships with stakeholders
• Enter new markets or territories
• Reach new audiences or demographics
• Raise more revenue
• Secure funding

Objectives
This third section will detail how you’ll achieve your goals through well-defined objectives that provide concrete targets.
• Boost website visitors by 5% month on month
• Grow email marketing list to 10,000 by May 2020
• Increase Facebook followers by 50% by November 2020
• Increase website sales by 10% by January 2021
Whatever your objectives, make sure they’re S.M.A.R.T. (e.g. Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Timely – read this in-depth guide if S.M.A.R.T. is new to you).

Tactics
Now we’re really getting into the nitty gritty. The tactics sections breaks down your objectives into tick lists as to how you’ll achieve them. Let’s develop the objectives above a little further…
Boost website visitors by 5% month on month.
Commission an agency for an SEO campaign
Put together a content marketing plan, including weekly blog posts
Launch a PPC campaign

Grow email marketing list to 10,000 by May 2020.
Add a newsletter sign-up box throughout the website
Run a social competition through paid adverts where users must sign up to the newsletter

Increase Facebook followers by 50% by November 2020.
Collaborate with three industry influencers with large social followings on joint content
Invest in a Facebook advertising campaign

Increase website sales by 10% by January 2021
Ask consumers to test the website for issues and user experience
Personally purchase via the website to experience the buying process
Create a reminder follow up email for abandoned carts

Competitor analysis
What are your competitors doing to market their businesses? How are they using social to engage? Ate they harnessing PPC to drive website visitors? Competitor analysis will answer all of these questions, and more. When undertaken by a professional marketing agency, you should effectively receive a copy of their own marketing strategy.

Messaging
What do your potential customers think and feel when they come into contact with your marketing? What impression do you want to leave?

Target audience
Do you know your audience? Marketing personas can help you really dig down into who they are and what they care about. A typical persona might include:
• Gender
• Age – He’s 35
• Location – He lives in London
• Job – Marketing manager
• Income – £50,000+
• Education level – Degree educated
• Hobbies – Running in Hyde Park and festivals
• Pet owner? – One labradoodle
• Parent? – No

Budget
How much do you think you reasonably need to spend to hit your goals? This section may need to be revised as your marketing progresses, as many marketing newbies drastically underestimate the cash they’ll need to pour into it for the results they want.

Marketing a business is a challenge, especially with a hundred ‘To Dos’ and only so many hours in the day.
If you need some professional helping hands, you know where we are.