We all want marketing strategies that perform, are long-term and the results are the best we have thought of and at the same time to make a minimum of effort. Before we go any further and define the steps of a strategy with results, it is important to know what a marketing strategy is and how to build it.
The marketing strategy is an action plan, based on a previous marketing analysis, which has the role of contributing to the growth of the business. The products or services offered must meet the needs of consumers so that they are desired in the market. In addition, they must constantly adapt to market requirements so as to meet their current needs.
Benefits of marketing strategy:
- You have an overview of the actions you are going to carry out;
- You constantly check the moment you are currently in and make decisions based on it;
- Consider the advantages and disadvantages of actions and their results from the beginning;
For a well-defined marketing strategy focused on results and performance, here are the steps to take.
- Purpose and objectives of the campaign
From the beginning, it must be established exactly what is the main purpose for which we want to implement the campaign in question, respectively what its objectives are. For better results management, it is important to set SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Accessible, Relevant and Time-bound).
- Market analysis
You never start a “fight” without knowing your terrain and your competition, which is why market analysis is essential for establishing marketing strategies.
First of all, a detailed analysis of the environment in which activation is desired is made. Given the context, there is a lot of reliance on the digitization of businesses and their migration to the online environment. Once we see what are the “waters in which the company bathes”, we move on and analyze the online and offline competitors, direct and indirect competitors. From the external analysis we move easily to the internal one, more precisely to the customer analysis followed by the SWOT analysis and the analysis of the target audience. Once the conclusions are drawn and the necessary recommendations are reached, you can move on to the customer avatar.
- Customer Avatar
The customer we are addressing must be known in the smallest detail. Who he is, what he does, how he spends his time. What influences him in making purchasing decisions and what is the budget he has available for those purchases. Once defined exactly, it will be much easier to address him, and to speak to him in a way that the results are as desired.
- The environment in which we operate
Once all the above are identified, we move on to the environment in which we want to operate. Specifically, what are the channels where we want to be present with the products or services sold. Thus, the main communication channels are:
- Google Adwords
- SEO
- Video marketing – Facebook and YouTube
- Referral marketing
- Google Display
- Email marketing
- Content marketing
- Influencer marketing
Each channel is intended for a different type of content, but you can opt for several at the same time to cover several areas.
- Action plan
A marketing strategy that performs is based on a well-defined marketing plan. Thus, it must be clearly established which messages we come out with, the tone of voice, how we address the target audience and where exactly we find it. Above we can see the most relevant communication channels, so presence on them is important. The action plan is usually made in two directions. In the short term, where it is specified punctually and exactly what needs to be done: launch campaigns, punctual campaigns, posts on social networks, topics for articles and others are addressed. While the long-term plan encompasses all of the above, only on a larger level, plus campaigns and directions over longer periods of time.
- Strategy implementation and constant monitoring
The implementation of the marketing strategy is an important step, which directly influences the performance of the campaigns. For the most favorable results, it is recommended to call on a specialized marketing agency to deal with the strategy but also with the previous points. Once implemented, it is necessary to monitor it constantly because it often requires real-time decision-making for better results.
- Strategy conclusions and performance
In the end, a report is needed to see where it started, what steps were taken, the evolution of the strategy and what results were obtained in the end.
On the basis of this report, future decisions can be made that can influence the long-term strategy and contribute to its improvement. Without the conclusions at the end, a marketing strategy is incomplete because its purpose is precisely to improve the company’s performance and results so far. With their help, the decisions made are based on results and the performance of the following strategies tends to be higher.
