Marketing Strategy
Marketing Strategy
In all honesty, very few companies come to us directly for help defining or honing their Marketing Strategy. However, it’s a service that often transpires on the back of being awarded a web design contract. For many small and medium sized companies, creating a new web site or redeveloping an existing site is a task that forces focus on the entire marketing operation – from marketing strategy through to marketing plan and marketing tasks. As we ask questions to fully understand the business, gaps in the marketing strategy come to light. Many businesses understandably get caught up in the tactical daily marketing execution (advertising, website, email sending, email responding, marketing materials, marketing events, tweeting, blogging and so on), that they are not taking the time to work on the decisions that will improve the performance of their tactics.
Strategy is simply the decisions you need to make so your tactics work better. Your Marketing Strategy is the foundation for creating awareness, generating interest, closing new sales and continuing customer engagement. Your marketing strategy guides your company culture, your products and services mix and your pricing.
An effective Marketing Strategy is all about FOCUS
A marketing strategy will help you focus. It will identify the different ways you can talk to your customers, and concentrate on the ones that will create most sales.
It tells you what to say, how to say it and who to say it to in order to make more sales. Because timing is critical, it will tell you when to say it, too.
A marketing strategy will help you tailor your messages and put the right mix of marketing approaches in place so that you bring your sales and marketing activities together effectively in an effective marketing plan.
A successful marketing strategy depends on understanding your customers, what they need and how you can persuade them to buy from you. You’ll also need to understand how your market operates and your strategy should even tell you how you measure up against the competition and what new trends to expect in your market.
A marketing plan explains how to put your strategy into action. It will set marketing budgets and deadlines, but it will also tell you how you’re going to talk to your target customers.
Crucially, it will tell you when to talk to your customers. Timing your activities to fit their buying cycles will save money and maximise sales.
Finally, your marketing plan should look to the future: it should outline how you follow up sales and what you’re doing to develop your offer.
As with any plan, progress should be regularly measured and reviewed to see what’s working and what isn’t, so you can set new targets as your market changes.
How InForm can help with Your Marketing Strategy
InForm can help you re-evaluate and hone your Marketing Strategy. From there we can work with you to develop your Marketing Plan and from there, define and implement the most appropriate use of Digital Marketing to best meet your Marketing Strategy.
Many companies employ our services across their entire Marketing Operation. We have many examples where we have worked as the entire Marketing Team. Other clients use our services on a Consultancy basis to help manage other 3rd party Digital Media suppliers. Whatever your need, get in touch – we’re happy to offer some free advice on all aspects of your Marketing Operation.
