Why Do I Need a Marketing Strategy?
Can’t I just…
start posting on social media
publish a blog
send a newsletter…
to grow?
If you're running a business, your time is precious. You need to get the most out of each hour of the day, and not waste time on activities that don’t add value to your business. One activity not to ignore is determining your marketing strategy.
But why can’t I just start posting on social media, blogging, updating my website…..?
You can, but it can be so much more effective if you think about a few factors first.
The value in marketing planning is twofold.
It gets you to do some vital business thinking about your product/service, ideal client, differentiators, competition, and strategies to reach your target market.
It also helps you put yourself in your client’s shoes and think about your buyer’s issues, problems, and solutions that could help them.
At the high level, you want to think strategically, and identify:
What you’re selling – while this might seem silly – of course you know what your product or service is, it is important to succinctly describe your product or service in terms that will appeal to your ideal client.
Who is your ideal client and what problem are you solving – Think about your ideal client’s biggest pain point – and how can your solution resolve it.
What sets you apart? Your differentiators and competitive advantages that will grab the attention of that ideal client.
Once you’ve done this hard work, you can start brainstorming about marketing tactics that would be the most effective to reach your ideal client. You’ve started developing your message already when you defined what sets you apart.
The key to marketing is consistently reaching out to that ideal client through several different methods. We don't all learn in the same way – some of us are visual, better with a hands-on approach, and some of us are auditory. The same is true for marketing – one tactic doesn't work for all clients, so try different avenues to reach them. Measure, evaluate, and stick with the tactics that are most effective.
Armed with your understanding of the market, your differentiators, and your target market, you have all you need to develop an effective marketing strategy.
Now you can get to the implementation with a clear focus on who that ideal client is, and where you can reach them most effectively.
