Marketing can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re constantly bombarded with advice about what you should be doing—social media, email campaigns, paid ads, SEO, and more. But before jumping into specific marketing actions, it’s crucial to take a step back and understand the bigger picture - the 30,000 foot view from the sky.
Understanding the difference between a marketing strategy and marketing tactics is going to help you better plan and execute an effective marketing plan. The default strategy that most business owners and leaders employ is what I call the “Spaghetti Strategy” - trying various activities without any direction just to see what sticks.
Let’s break down the difference so you can make sure your marketing efforts are purposeful and effective.
What is a Marketing Strategy?
Your marketing strategy is the high-level roadmap that guides all of your marketing decisions. It’s based on the goals of your organization and the types of people that you want to reach, your target personas.
The main thing to understand about strategy is that once you select one, it’s going to eliminate some of the tactics you could use. Strategy forces you to prioritize. As a business leader, it’s easy to get caught up in feeling like you need to do all the things, especially what’s trendy or working for someone else. But if you take the time to develop a strategy that focuses on the people you want to reach, you won’t need to worry about missing out. And of course, selecting a strategy and the respective marketing tactics to go along with that strategy don’t mean that you can’t ever do anything else. A part of marketing is experimenting and testing. The main point is that you don’t want to try to do all the things all at once.
There are different ways you can classify marketing strategies, but these are a few simple examples:
Digital vs. print media
Purchaser vs. influencer personas
Social media vs. in-person networking
Paid vs. organic
What are Marketing Tactics?
Marketing tactics are the specific actions you take to implement your strategy. They are the activities and techniques used to reach your target audience and guide them through their journey with your business. Some common marketing tactics include:
Writing blog posts
Running Facebook or Google ads
Posting on social media
Sending email newsletters
Hosting webinars or events
Optimizing your website for search engines (SEO)
Attending networking events
Tactics are important, but they should always be chosen based on your strategy. Just because a particular marketing trend is popular doesn’t mean it’s the right fit for your business. The key is selecting tactics that align with your strategy and help move your ideal clients forward in their journey.
Why You Need Strategy Before Tactics
Many small business owners start with tactics before they have a clear strategy in place. They might hear that Instagram is great for marketing and immediately start posting, or they see a competitor running Facebook ads and decide to try it, too. But without a strategy, they may not be reaching the right audience, communicating the right message, or using their resources effectively.
Think of it like planning a road trip. You’ve selected your destination, but it’s somewhere you’ve never been to before. If you jump in the car and start driving without a map or route planned, you probably won’t end up at your intended destination, and even if you do, you probably will have taken a long and inefficient route. Granted, on an actual road trip, taking the scenic route has its appeal, but it’s less so the case in marketing. A marketing strategy is your map—it helps ensure you’re taking the right route to reach your business goals.
A Strategic Approach to Marketing
Marketing should never feel like a guessing game. Before jumping into tactics, take the time to develop a strategy that’s tailored to your business. For a more detailed discussion on developing your marketing strategy, check out part 1 and part 2 of our “How to Make a Marketing Strategy”.
By developing a solid strategy first, you ensure that your efforts are intentional, consistent, and results-driven. When your tactics align with your strategy, your marketing will feel more natural, and you’ll see better engagement and conversions.
If you’re ready to stop spinning your wheels and start marketing with purpose, let’s talk. At Marketing to Mission, we help businesses like yours create strategy-first marketing plans that connect with the right clients and drive real results.
Get in touch today and let’s build your roadmap to success!
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