Strategy before marketing

Overwhelmed by today’s proliferation of communications channels, marketers often focus their attention on the project of the moment. Without a strategy-first approach, these businesses frequently spend their marketing dollars on isolated tactics that generate low ROI.

You may think that your company needs a Facebook page or to sponsor a local event. But what you really need to do is to take a step back, and look at exactly why you think that is necessary. Before you dive into strategy, you first must strengthen your foundation regarding your company’s unique selling proposition.

A marketing plan will help answer the “why” questions and ensure not only that you select the optimal tactics but that you develop the right marketing assets to use in communicating with your target audiences.

Finally, getting clarity on the details can help you to efficiently allocate your marketing dollars. In fact, a study by OnStrategy found that businesses that use strategic plans in their marketing are 12 percent more profitable than business that do not.

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If your company’s core goals are clearly defined, the leaders of the company will make better-informed decisions.

In addition to helping everyone in your organization keep in mind the big picture, a strong marketing plan lays out a detailed path to meet the company’s goals. The marketing plan makes it easier for members of the marketing team when they face both major and day-to-day decisions. It puts everyone on the same page, thus ensuring that they are able to work together efficiently – and more cost-effectively – toward achieving companywide goals.

To reap the benefits we’ve just outlined, begin by evaluating the current state of your business. I recommend that you conduct a full audit of your company’s current marketing efforts, reviewing the competition, speaking with customers and speaking with employees in order to gain a better understanding of the current state of your business.

Next, outline your company’s priorities. What are you trying to get out of this plan?

After defining your company’s priorities, estimate the ROI of various tactics that can get you closer to those goals, in order to determine which tactics should be implemented first and in what manner.

The result of this process should be an annual marketing blueprint in which the marketing tactics are chosen based on expected ROI and detailed marketing calendars are provided for each initiative.

Several areas are key to any strong marketing plan: a delineation of all marketing assets and how to strengthen them, an internal marketing strategy, initiatives for new business outreach, a strategy for customer retention and concrete next steps for each of those.

As mentioned, the description of each project should include a detailed timeline. Staff assignments for each initiative should be determined based on the strengths of the individual employees. TribalVision uses Gantt charts for this.

If your organization doesn’t have a clear marketing plan in place, now is the time to develop one.

Don’t be afraid to look beyond standard marketing tactics, such as email newsletters, paid search and search-engine optimization; additional opportunities may come from properly equipping and training your salespeople, forming industry partnerships or co-marketing with suppliers or distributors. Finally, be sure to consider new markets and new opportunities for growth. •

Chris Ciunci is founder and managing partner of TribalVision, which has offices in Warwick, Boston and New York.

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