Let’s Be Strategic: How to Create a Marketing Strategy

Whether it’s through word of mouth or social media, your business needs the right marketing strategy and methods to have any chance of success.

But knowing how to create a marketing strategy that targets the right customers can be difficult if you lack the experience to develop one.

Thankfully, with a set plan, you can build a strategy that can work for you. Let’s run through how to write a marketing plan for your business.

Know What You Want to Achieve

If you want a marketing strategy, you need to have realistic aims. Do you want to achieve bigger profits, increase your customer base, or increase your profile?

Knowing what your objectives are can help you develop a successful marketing plan template for your business. Don’t be vague—make your aims specific and realistic.

Want to increase your customer base by 10% within 6 months? That could be achievable. That doesn’t mean you can’t aim for the stars, as your goals should reflect your short and long term objectives.

Understand Your Audience

You can’t decide how to market to your audience without understanding them.

It’s probably the most important part of your strategic marketing efforts. If you don’t know who to target with your marketing, you won’t succeed.

Baby boomers might be a little bit less Instagram-savvy than millennials, for instance. Location, gender, relationship status, interests—they can all impact on how you build your marketing plan.

Develop a detailed profile of your audience and from there, pick out interesting angles for you to target with your marketing.

Understand Your Competitors

If you want your marketing strategy to succeed, consider your competitors. How do they operate?

Their strategy won’t necessarily work for you, but you can use it to refine your own. It can help you decide what doesn’t work, or what your business can do better.

They may focus on a particular kind of media or use certain tactics to bring in new customers. Tactics that could be improved upon in your own plan.

Understanding your competitors is the best way to beat them at their own game. 

Identify Suitable Marketing Methods

Identifying suitable marketing methods can be half the battle, which is why we recommend that you know your audience first.

Start by asking yourself—how does your audience consume their content? Look at millennials, for instance.

Instagram, thanks to the growth in influencer marketing, has been named as one of the marketing trends you can’t ignore this year. If your audience is mostly retired seniors, Instagram won’t be on your radar (or theirs).

Once you know to reach your customers, marketing to them should become easier.

Consider Your Budget

Let’s talk about money. Your budget might put certain marketing methods out of your reach.

The U.S. Small Business Administration recommends that small businesses spend around 8% of their revenue on marketing, assuming healthy profit margins.

Some kinds of marketing can be free, like social media accounts, but if you can spend a little money to make even more money, it’s a wise investment.

That’s why you need to consider your budget carefully. 8% may be recommended, but only spend what you can afford to spend, and spend it wisely.

Know How to Create a Marketing Strategy for Your Business

Knowing how to create a marketing strategy can be the first step in building relationships with new customers and clients. Start by having aims you can succeed with.

Research your audience and your competitors, and choose the right marketing channels. Having the right marketing objectives can make you a return on your marketing investment—whether it’s time or money you invest.

Don’t leave your marketing up to chance. Why not get in touch and see what we can do to help you achieve your marketing goals.