Marketing Strategy: Gimmickry or Essential Game Plan?
Bring up the topic of a marketing strategy in any agency boardroom and you’ll surely be met with a few sighs and some heavy eye rolling. With ever-shrinking marketing budgets, it’s becoming tougher to get buy-in around appropriating some of your marketing spend to strategy development, especially when your creative is champing at the bit to spend said budget on executing their big ideas.
When things are going well, it’s easy to overlook the importance of allocating budget towards a marketing strategy. But here’s the thing, just as a pilot needs a flight plan or a trucking company needs cargo tracking, a business needs a marketing plan to stay on course. Think of it as a rudder for your ship – it provides the necessary direction and purpose to keep your business afloat and sailing towards success, never giving complacency the opportunity to sink your ship.
Developing a marketing strategy ensures a business has a clear roadmap for the long-term helping it navigate murky waters and find direction in a world of other marketers headed for the same destination. A well-defined marketing strategy is a set of guidelines and options that give directives to all marketing efforts of a business. It’s worth noting that a marketing strategy not only guides the team on what to do but also acts as a tool to course-correct if they venture off the intended path.
Here’s a little secret we’ve learned: In the world of marketing, it’s not just about working hard but working smart. And the smartest place to start is by building your marketing strategy around a set of key questions. Here’s a sneak peek at what we dive into when creating a robust, customised marketing strategy:
- Who are you talking to?
- Why should they care about what you’re saying?
- What do you want them to do with the information?
- What makes them want to choose you over your competitors?
When it comes to business success, investing time and resources in answering these pivotal questions should be at the top of your to-do list. Consider it a navigational chart that directs where you invest your resources and effort. Once everyone’s on the same page and these questions have been unpacked and understood, you’ll be ready to set sail confidently to explore your next steps and find creative ways to drive your objectives forward.
Ultimately, even with a marketing strategy in place, it’s not always smooth sailing. There may be days that your content misses the target, your competitors outspend you on their marketing endeavours, or your conversion rates start to dwindle. While a marketing strategy cannot solve all the problems your business faces, it does help you gain a better understanding of your target audience and what works best when communicating with them. It serves as a trusty compass pointing you in the right direction, so you don’t have to navigate the treacherous waters of marketing alone.
At A.M.A Digital we’re firm believers in using your marketing strategy to guide your next step. For us, knowing who you’re talking to and where these people are most receptive to your message – and when – is what guides our approach to tapping into this audience through various smart tech solutions.
If you’re in the market for a solution that will give you unparalleled insight into your market and their key touchpoints, get in touch and we’ll make magic together.