It's actually quite simple: a proper marketing
strategy is essential for successful marketing. And yet it often seems as if
companies or departments just proceed very haphazardly with their marketing
systems. But, this just wastes a lot of potentials. In the following, we will
show you how you can develop a marketing strategy and what nuances are
important.
Definition:
What is a marketing strategy?
The definition of marketing strategy is often not
taken very seriously. The motto is true: "I already know what it is",
only a few people work with a truly precise definition. Instead, a marketing
strategy is simply a plan for promotion and sales. This is partially true, but
it is only a small part of the strategy.
A marketing strategy covers many business processes
and follows a plan to make the company and its products known and attractive to
potential buyers. Marketing strategy thus provides a "red thread" for
marketing and serves as the basis for decisions in this department. More often
than not, it's the details that count. A successful marketing strategy should
not only outline potential goals but also outline how to achieve them. Hence a
marketing strategy can also be described as part or extension of a corporate
strategy.
That is
why a marketing strategy is essential
As mentioned in the beginning, not having a
marketing strategy is a bad idea. Chances and possibilities of success are
ignored and perhaps completely untapped. There are also some other benefits:
●
Addressing the right people
(prospects become buyers)
●
Assistance in investment planning
for marketing
●
Uniform and consistent appearance
of the company
●
Clear the "red thread"
for the marketing department
●
Evaluation and analysis enable
measurable results
How to
develop your own marketing strategy
Depending on the plan, the marketing strategy
serves as the marketing specification for a long time. It is more important to
proceed with extreme caution while developing the strategy. In the following we
will show you which points you should take into account and how you should best
proceed here:
●
Set a rough goal
●
Perform analysis
●
Know the customer
●
Wealth planning
●
Specifications and implementation
plan
●
Set the budget
●
Create a marketing plan
Objective
There is no strategy without a goal. With a
marketing strategy, everything starts with a rough objective. Based on these
goals, the next steps are formulated for implementation by the department. In
general, marketing goals should always be aligned with company goals and should
not interfere with them. Don't worry: the wording and purpose here can still be
a little unclear. For example, it is enough to set the goal of acquiring new
customers or increasing sales in a certain region. In the later course of planning,
goals are defined more precisely.
Conduct
marketing analysis
Marketing analysis is the foundation of a
successful marketing strategy. Here you first discuss what internal and
external circumstances to consider. So you should gain an overview of what your
target market needs and how it might develop in the coming years. Additionally,
you shouldn't just go for the positive aspects of marketing analytics.
Potential competitors and challenges should also be analyzed in detail here.
Do you
know your customer?
A product and a service can ultimately satisfy
customer needs better than the competition. For this, it is essential to first
deal with the respective target group and your own core market. Focusing on
customer needs in the marketing planning phase is a key building block and
serves as a signpost for further alignment.
Resource
planning
Developing strategies becomes more difficult when
planning the required resources. This is not always easy to evaluate, which is
why a detailed view of the product or service is required. The marketing mix
with the four elements of the product, price, distribution, or communication
policy is often used for this. It is better to go through the four points step
by step and think about the right approach.
As part of the communication policy, you can, for
example, decide where and with which message you want to advertise yourself.
This gives you a good overview of the resources required for each.
Placement
and implementation planning
After the goals are roughly defined at the start
of planning, it's time to specify and plan for implementation. The so-called
SMART method is helpful here, with the help of which goals can be formulated as
precisely as possible. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Acceptable,
Relevant, and Timely. Such a goal can be set, for example, with the following
formula: "30 percent increase in new customers in the fourth quarter of
2028."
The next step is the concrete implementation
plan. Here you focus, for example, on the marketing channel or strategy you
want to use. You can determine whether you need specific tools, programs, or
the like here.
Budgeting
Budgets can be recorded in both the marketing
strategy and the so-called marketing plan. In any case, it is important to
include a budget plan. You should always have an accurate overview of your
budget, costs, and expenses. This is the only way you can determine which costs
or investments are truly worthwhile.
Creation
of a marketing plan
A marketing strategy includes creating a
marketing plan. It defines concrete measures and exact schedules. In general, a
marketing plan includes:
●
Content planning
●
Goals of the respective campaign
●
Time schedule
●
Responsibilities and Marketing
Activities
●
budgeting
Follow up
regularly
You can never be too careful when it comes to
implementing a digital marketing strategy. Ensure that all activities are
progressing as they should and that each team member is aware of their
responsibilities. Track your marketing initiatives before, during, and after
their lifecycle to ensure your plans are proceeding as planned.
Be sure to update your project status as you
progress and adjust your deadlines as needed. Continually refine your
strategies and adapt your priorities as needs change. By regularly monitoring
and tracking your activity, you act quickly on blocking points and save time.
Evaluate
your results
The main advantage of digital marketing is that
it gives you access to a lot of relevant data. This way, you measure the
effectiveness of your initiatives and are able to adapt them in real time. No
more risky endeavors with every new campaign, launch or project! With such data
at your disposal, you can optimize your processes on the go and achieve better
results.
Remember the first established target KPIs? Now
is the time to take stock and compare your results to your initial goals,
helping you determine if you achieved your expected results.
If you miss some of your goals, ask yourself why
these results are happening. Conversely, if they exceed your forecasts,
identify what contributed to such performance and learn from it for your next
venture.
What are
the tools of digital marketing?
There are over 7,000 technology marketing
solutions. So you must focus on adapting the tools to achieve your strategy and
goals.
What are the essential tools for digital
marketing? To get started, create and manage your influencer marketing using an
agency or track your data on a data analytics platform. Each element of digital
marketing has its dedicated tool. From email marketing automation and social
media management to video hosting and website testing.
You need to use one essential tool: an influencer
marketing management platform, which will help you design your digital
communication and your creative processes from A to Z. This is the marketing
secret that makes all the difference.
Conclusion
A marketing strategy is not just a "nice to
have", but essential to successful marketing. Accordingly, you should be
specific while developing the strategy. Although such a strategy must be
individually adapted for each company, the basic building blocks of marketing
strategies are always the same. Constant evaluation of results is also
essential. This not only enables adjustments for current campaigns but can also
provide experiential value for future projects.