Marketing Insight

SARAH WEST

‘If you fail to plan, you plan to fail’ is a cliché. But, in marketing, it’s one which has been proven true. Most leaders plan all the time. However, we’re not always so quick to communicate our plans with others. If marketing is critical to your business, formalising your strategy and plan could be critical too. Sarah West of leading B2B marketing agency Full Mix Marketing, takes a look at why:

A formal marketing strategy is a written document which details your marketing plans. Beyond that, the format can be flexible. It could be a short document, highlighting the marketing you intend to use – or a larger document including all the analysis, decision making and details you used.

When we create a client’s marketing strategy, it typically includes: • Background and objectives – the company’s journey and what it hopes to achieve • Market analysis – of their products and services, competitors and marketplace • Existing marketing analysis – a look at any marketing they’ve delivered and lessons learnt • SWOT analysis – especially good for identifying opportunities • Marketing channel mix – the right blend of strategic, digital or traditional marketing • Messaging – the core message to communicate • Plan and Gannt chart – breaking down the what, when and how much • KPIs – ways to gauge success. Whilst it’s good to consider all these areas, not every element needs to be present. A smaller document can be created simply detailing your chosen marketing channels, key messaging and a Gannt chart of planned delivery.

A written marketing strategy and plan helps crystalise thoughts and provides a permanent record of decisions. Referring to your marketing plan and delivering what was agreed helps save time and focus efforts.

Business is best when everyone pulls in the same direction. A written marketing strategy is easy to share with your team and can be referred to in meetings when instructions are given and efforts assessed.

Guess work is rarely the best method for deciding anything! Writing a marketing strategy encourages everyone to give it due attention. By following a tried and tested path, decisions tend to be better.

Most businesses have more marketing experience than they think. Over the years, you may have tried varying approaches. Creating a strategy is a great opportunity to consider your experiences. If prior marketing failed, it’s important to understand whether it was wrong or simply not sustained for long enough!

We’ve all started with a clear goal that’s quickly changed into another! It’s important to be flexible and pragmatic and - if situations change or something isn’t working - it’s important to change tactics. However, if you made good decisions for the right reasons, sticking to your marketing strategy should be best.

Your marketing strategy needs to be big on digital marketing, right? Picking the correct types of marketing is critical and you need to consider what to choose, what to lose and how to make your marketing methods work together. Creating a strategy gives the opportunity to formally consider your options. Put yourselves in your customer’s shoes. Consider how they hear about products or services, where they search and the methods which will break through the noise of their busy day.

If your customers are interested in quality, there’s little value in talking about costs! A marketing strategy can help you think about how you’re going to present who you are and what you do. Consistency is key. Say the same thing enough times and people will believe you!

If you don’t set goals, how will you know when you’re successful? Setting purely statistical milestones can be misleading. Instead, a formal marketing strategy can help you identify the actions which lead to the desired outcomes. And, don’t forget time. Results are typically slow at first before they dramatically increase as momentum builds!

An effective marketing strategy is an investment which saves time and increases results. Few businesses achieve their goals without one. A successful strategy is typically at the heart of what we deliver for clients, helping turn their aspirations into the strategic, digital and creative marketing which will make them a reality. If you’d like more help to create the right marketing strategy, visit www.fullmixmarketing.co.uk