5 Ways to Develop a Killer Marketing Strategy
Need to develop a marketing strategy? Whether it’s for your own business, for a client, or for a special project, here are 5 ways to develop one that’s going to knock some socks off.
Create a Marketing Calendar
Every good strategy needs a good calendar. And that’s not just because I’m super type “A” and live and die by mine. You need to know when certain milestones are going to come due, what (and who) is going to be involved in each step, and how to tie it all together.
Start with a blank excel spread sheet. Now add each milestone date on the top. This can be event dates, publish dates, etc. But make sure these are your bigger milestones. Now, add your details on the side. Divide it up by category like location, person, social media, advertising, etc. (bonus points if they’re each color coded). Now, in each correlating square you can write notes or dates for the two that are shared. So if you have a trade show coming up on a certain date, you can know when the correlating print advertisements, email blasts, social media and blog posts, travel arrangements, are going to need to be put into place.
Once it’s all filled in, it’s going to look like a beautiful piece of art. Your executives will have a single place to come and looks at status, and you’ll have everything you need to operate your day in a single place (win!).
Know Your (or Your Company’s) Goals
Ultimately, to make sure you’re always on the right path with your strategy, you’re going to need to know the mission, vision, and goals of the Company you’re working for (even if it’s your own). Your entire strategy is going to be developed to achieve (and enhance) these goals. So whether it’s to be a thought leader in the industry, to increase sales, or anything else, get clear on what those goals are and you’ll be able to put the right moves in place.
Understand Your Audience
It’s absolutely essential to know who you’re speaking to in each and every stage of your strategy. Tone, content, and timing are all going to be different based on the audience. When you have a good understanding of exactly who you’re trying to reach, and when, you’ll be able to gear your messaging/imagery/etc to target appropriately.
Choose Between Short and Long Term
You can’t really start a killer marketing strategy without knowing your end game. Are you strategizing for a year? Two? Five? Get this down before you make any serious decisions, because knowing how long you’re in for can help you break down (and space out) your major milestones.
Short term marketing strategies are traditionally project-based and can last from anywhere from two to six months. Longer term, one year or longer let’s say, are going to have a much bigger vision, so they take more planning. They’re also less stable, because so much can change in that span of time. So in this case, leave room for errors and for things to change, because they will.
Tell The Right Story
Finally, you’ve got to tell the right story with your strategy. Emotion plays such an important role in the marketing process, and you want to make sure you’re tapping into the emotions of your audience with every email, ad, event, etc. If you’re executing strong visual storytelling, combined with powerful content, you’ll be sure to create a winning strategy.
