Every business needs a marketing strategy to advance its goals, but designing a marketing strategy is simply a matter of words. Maybe that’s why many companies ignore this stage and consider it a waste of time and capital. However, it is good to know that marketing strategy is one of the main pillars of marketing, leading to increased revenue. This article from businessguide.me provides a complete guide to designing a marketing strategy for you dear readers. Join us to learn more about the importance of marketing strategy and its use.
Table of Contents
- What is a marketing plan
- Differences between marketing strategies and marketing tactics
- Examples of marketing strategies
- Basic principles of marketing strategies
- Why is marketing strategy design important?
- Marketing strategy design training
- Three examples of world-famous brands marketing strategies
- Conclude
What is a marketing strategy?
We all know the importance of marketing strategy, but few people know about marketing strategy design. In the following, we will provide a precise and complete definition of designing and building a marketing strategy. In the business world, there are a variety of definitions for the simple term marketing strategy design. In this article, we will define this phrase from a different point of view. In general, marketing strategy is the understanding that businesses and organizations gain from their target markets and effective methods to influence customers.
The above definition is a brief description of what happens in designing a marketing strategy. If we want to open the topic more, we can say that the marketing strategy means:
- Identify people who have bought your products or are using your services;
- Identify practical ways to persuade the customer to buy or use the service;
- Identify competitors who are doing precisely what you do;
- Identify methods for evaluating marketing activities and make necessary improvements.
The above four principles are the modified form of the classic marketing elements (4P) with the title of products, price, position, and advertising. Everything that marketers do in business is to optimize and achieve these elements.
Differences between marketing strategies and marketing tactics
Most people hear the term “marketing” and remember their actions in their daily lives. These include social media ads, billboards, TV commercials, blog posts, and more. As a result, the public perception of a marketing strategy is the same as what marketers design, without a specific plan behind it. Having such a mindset for designing a marketing strategy is suitable for people not dealing with this field. However, it is crucial to know the difference between marketing strategies and marketing tactics, and it will make you one step ahead of the rest.
A marketing tactic is a process of properly implementing a marketing strategy, not the marketing strategy itself. So any marketing strategy may involve a large number of marketing tactics. In simpler terms, the strategy determines the route and the destination, and its tactics determine the tools and methods of moving towards the route.
Examples of marketing strategies
Who can use marketing strategies on all platforms and communication channels? You will see examples of applying marketing strategies in different areas in the following.
- Social media marketing strategy: It is possible to use organic and monetary marketing strategies in social networks.
- Email Marketing Strategy: Email marketing is not as simple as it sounds; Therefore, proper planning and strategy will help use this method optimally.
- Introverted or hijacked marketing: The methods used to attract customers are called introverted or hijacked marketing strategies, like traditional advertising methods.
- Content Marketing: Introverted and content marketing are very similar, but the content marketing method focuses more on creating content that will attract customers.
- Media Strategy: For brand publishers, it’s essential to have a media strategy or public relations like those in news agencies and media organizations.
- Marketing Communication Strategy: Having a marketing communication strategy makes the brand message reach the audience better.
- Digital Marketing Strategy: Digital marketing strategy includes all digital marketing methods; Including click advertising, SEO, online advertising, email, and a variety of digital methods. Public Relations Strategies: Public relations strategies are sometimes very complex. Public relations is not limited to communicating with customers. You also need to connect with the general public, shareholders, the media, relevant government agencies, and other influential individuals and organizations.
- SEO Strategy: Organic search is one of the most important ways to drive traffic to websites on the Internet. It would be best if you had more luck to succeed in the affiliate business.
It does not matter which of the above strategies you use because they all have something in common that we will tell you later.
Basic principles of marketing strategies
As we have said, although marketing strategies are different, they all follow certain principles, which are:
- Who do you want to access? The answer is to access all the people who benefit your business, your customers, and your target audience. These people will positively impact businesses by buying products, using services, supporting business ideas, and other similar actions.
- How are you going to reach customers? These strategies cover a wide range of customer access methods and focus specifically on this topic.
- How to convince customers? Designing marketing strategies to answer this question. Advertising channels and marketing tactics play an important role in convincing customers to buy or use services.
- What are the methods of evaluating marketing success? If business success is not measurable, there is no success. Therefore, the marketing strategy must be able to prove its results.
If you have a thorough understanding of the basics of marketing strategies, you can use marketing strategies in any way, no matter what platform you use.
Why is marketing strategy design important?
You may think that your brand does not have to be global; You may not even dream of reaching this level of progress and development. The fact is that many companies, for whatever reason, can not reach the pinnacle of success; However, paying attention to marketing strategy design is essential for business development. Paying attention to your marketing strategy does not mean investing heavily in it. Still, it does mean that if you have customers who expect you to serve them, you need to think strategically to provide the best service to them; In this way, who will guarantee your success. Here’s the most significant advantage of designing a marketing strategy.
Marketing strategy design; One step closer to business goals
You have heard many times that you need to plan for business success. Today, it is clear that building a marketing strategy has many benefits, and using the right programs will ensure your success. According to research, marketers who have a specific strategy are 313 percent more likely than others to believe in the effectiveness of their work. However, only 41% of marketers use marketing strategies in their work. These statistics show many opportunities for businesses to compete in ways that others do not. The above information shows:
- Recording a marketing strategy is essential, especially if done effectively;
- Despite the benefits of designing a marketing strategy, most people do not take action, which means creating more opportunities for you;
- It would be best if you had more luck to succeed in the affiliate business. Your marketing strategy gives you a world of opportunities, so make the most of them.
By now, you have learned what a marketing strategy is, why it matters, and its basic principles. In the following, you will learn how to design it.
read more: Decision-Making – Types, Steps And Techniques In Management And Business
Marketing strategy design training
There are many ways to build a marketing strategy, but our 12-step guide is the most effective and easiest way to do it. Remember the important points carefully and use them in building your marketing strategy.
Step 1: Better understand the competitive market using the SWOT matrix
To be successful in marketing, you must first have a thorough understanding of the market. Understanding the job market is very easy. To begin with, it is better to identify the following 4:
- Strengths: What are the top features of your products or services?
- Weaknesses: How vulnerable are your products or services?
- Opportunities: How can the company grow?
- Risks: Are there external factors that negatively affect your success? (For example, changing market trends, forecasts that cause the market to stagnate, increase the competitive atmosphere, reduce demand, etc.)
Using SWOT analysis, all the above will appear to you like the day. What can use this method in two ways:
- In marketing strategy: Using the SWOT framework, it is determined in which areas your competitors perform better and how they can progress in those areas.
- Business as a whole: Start by understanding the market and your business, and then focus on getting the job done right. Using SWOT analysis should be reflected in all aspects of work.
Step 2: Familiarity with the audience and customer base
Businesses are created to meet the needs of customers. This concept may seem simple, but you should not neglect to know your audience and customers. So whatever marketers do, it has to be in the service of the people who pay you. Knowing the customer base does not happen overnight but has an evolutionary process. During this process, you will find a better and more complete view of customers and offer your products and services according to their needs and wants. The better you do at this stage, the easier the rest will be. To get started, you need to do the following.
- Research Customers: To do this, you need to survey customers, consult with the customer service team, and analyze your website data; As a result, you will discover the interests of the visitors.
- Create a buyer persona: Using a buyer persona, you get an idea of the personality of your regular and ideal customers.
All stages of marketing strategy design can be complicated, but getting started is easy. In the next step, we will show you where to start.
Step 3: Better identify your competitors with competitive analysis.
When everyone is swimming to one side, you have to swim in the opposite direction; But how to do it? In this way, if everyone is doing a sure thing, by doing something different, differentiate yourself from them (read the article What is a competitive advantage?). By identifying your competitors’ marketing approach, you will understand how you treat them differently. Fortunately, there are many ways to gather information from competing companies; there is no need to spend a lot of money and no spying. Just use a few simple tactics described below.
- Identify people on the opposite front: In other words, identify your competitors in the market.
- Know the strengths and weaknesses of competitors: To do this, you need to answer a few questions, for example, in what areas do competitors perform better? What methods should I use to improve the performance of my company? Which of the competitors’ weaknesses can be used to their advantage?
- Plan better and execute your marketing strategy: If you understand your competitive perspective, you will better understand what sets you apart and how you should convey that message to your audience.
Step 4: Discovering Your Purpose There is no such thing as a “budget” business
To make money, you must first spend money; So if you do not have a proper budget, you will have trouble implementing your marketing strategy appropriately. You need to know your financial balance to know how much you can spend, how much money is needed to implement the projects, and how much money will be returned to you for every thousand tomans spent. If you do not have a proper budget, you will have problems with your customers and your boss at the end of the year, because you have to explain what you have spent the budget on. Even if you do not have expertise in accounting and budgeting, there is no problem because marketing budgeting is straightforward.
Step 5: Discovering Your Purpose There is no such thing as a “brand”, “sound”, and “tone”
All brands have sound. Brand voice influences how potential customers perceive your actions. Each brand has a specific identity and tone. Brands use their tone as a shortcut and deliver their product faster and easier to the people who need it. The components of brand voice include many things, including the emotional burden of marketing content, what speeches should be used, and so on.
The Brand Voice Writing Guide makes it easier to follow the voice recording instructions. A copy can be given to any member of the content writing team and ensures that the brand voice stays the same no matter what the company submits or publishes.
Step 6: Use the content funnel professionally
Although the marketing funnel is one of the simple concepts in designing a marketing strategy, it is imperative to understand it. In the following, we will review the concept of the marketing funnel. The marketing funnel represents the various steps that customers go through during the buying process. In short, the initial stages of the funnel include identifying the problem and the solution and finally reaching the purchase stage. Briefly, the marketing funnel is divided into the following sections:
- Funnel head (TOFU): At this stage, customers become aware of the products and services of different brands in the market.
- Medium Funnel (MOFU): In the middle of the funnel, customers begin to explore available options seriously.
- Funnel End (BOFU): At the end of the funnel, customers are ready to buy from you or others.
The basic principles of all marketing funnels are, but some funnel models may have more steps or use different terms. The task of the marketing strategy is to deliver the message and content that customers need to them at every stage of the funnel, even after the purchase, who must maintain the brand relationship with the customer to increase customer loyalty.
Step 7: Define your marketing goals
The achievement of desires measures success. That’s why everything is in targeted marketing. Without a goal, how should marketers prove to organizations that they are moving toward their business growth? It is better to use the SMART method for targeting. The intelligent method consists of 5 pillars which are:
- Specificity: Objectives should be defined by specific scales.
- Measurability: It is possible to track and measure data in targeting.
- Achievability: Achieving set goals should be possible.
- Relevance: Goals must be relevant to your business.
- Having a time limit: To achieve the goals, specify a time limit.
These goals usually fall into one of two categories:
- Business goals: Business goals are the general goals of organizations.
- Marketing goals: Goals that are influenced by the marketing system and achieve organizational goals are called marketing goals.
Step 8: Choose the best ways to communicate with customers
Potential customers tend to get the right message when buying at the right time and place. Part of achieving this goal is to choose the right communication path. Choosing the best communication channel is a big challenge with so many new platforms. The most critical communication channels for companies that use modern marketing strategies are:
- Websites and Blogs: Websites and blogs are the home of brands. The sales process takes place in them, and all marketing tactics revolve around the website and blog.
- SEO: 3.5 billion searches are done on Google every day, so SEO is one of the most critical and competitive ways to drive web advertising traffic.
- Email Marketing: The return on investment using email reaches 3800 and 4440% (different in different sources). The above figures are enough to understand the importance of email marketing and its high return on investment.
- Organic and Money Marketing on Social Media: Even though social media algorithms are changing, they are still essential for virtual marketing platforms.
- Aparat and YouTube: YouTube is the second-largest search engine globally, and Aparat is the second most visited site in Iran. This means focusing on the video content on these sites.
- Click-through ads: Although organic search traffic from Google is vital in marketing, the traffic generated by Google Ads ads is about 50% more likely to convert potential customers into loyal customers.
Step 9: Use the most effective marketing tactics
As mentioned earlier, how to implement a marketing strategy is called tactics. Marketing tactics are the efforts that you deliver to the customer. They help you achieve your marketing goals, grow your business and become the best marketer possible. Unfortunately, there is never enough time and resources to use all the tactics, so you need to determine which tactics are most appropriate for your business and most effective in a particular situation. Here are some of the most effective marketing tactics.
- Build optimized landing pages with keywords
- Introducing new products in video content
- Get help from Instagram influencers to showcase products
- Create an email newsletter to post the latest content
- Create an online community using LinkedIn groups
- Use of TV commercials
- Holding a click advertising campaign
- The above examples are just simple examples of advertising tactics. In the following, you will get acquainted with more of them.
Step 10: Determine Key Performance Criteria and Indicators (KPIs)
If you do the previous nine steps correctly, you have the goals that you are going to achieve with the help of your team, you know the ways to communicate with the audience, and you have chosen the tactics you want. In the tenth step, you need to identify the criteria needed to monitor the implementation of marketing tactics.
Tactics are used to achieve business goals through communication channels. The most important metrics that will lead to revenue through communication channels are called key performance indicators. These indicators and criteria depend on the type of channels and tactics. In the following, we will tell you how to make the necessary decisions in this field.
Step 11: Visualize and organize your marketing strategy using a marketing calendar
To keep your marketing strategy organized and effective, you need to have many marketing management software in addition to your marketing calendar. However, you do not need to use special software to manage your marketing calendar, workflow, and time constraints. In the next step, you will learn how to do all this and make sure that your plan and execute your strategy are successful.
Step 12: Improve marketing processes to make them better
The best marketing teams always have a clear way of doing things. When the process and workflow of project implementation are repetitive, the output’s quality, continuity, and efficiency can be increased. So your marketing strategy will be more effective, and all the work you have done so far is worthwhile.
Three examples of world-famous brands marketing strategies
Successful and well-known companies have not reached their current position by chance. Even if they were unaware of their work at first, they naturally knew what problems they were trying to solve, how they should be distinguished from the products or services on the market, and how they should ultimately attract people to benefit them. Have. In other words, they had a strategy. Maybe their strategy was not perfect initially, but they knew what they were doing.
Remember, the best brands will never stop repeating the original idea that got them to where they are today. In the following, we will introduce you to 3 world-famous and famous brands that have achieved success by using their approaches. All these brands have in common: they understand what the real needs of customers are, what their products are in the market, and how to meet customer needs in a different way than competitors.
Nike: Sell your ideas before selling the product.
The goal of the product you want to sell should be to meet the need. If people need to be aware of this, you must first come up with an idea before selling the product; Nike did just that. After revolutionizing the hiking shoe industry by installing a two-sided lodge, Nike introduced the “Do” sport as an excellent way to get fit, thus encouraging more people to run. So if the idea of running influenced someone, you would naturally have to buy sneakers.
Nike sold more shoes and provided the best educational content to get the most out of its entertainment; That is, it created a self-sustaining cycle that led to an incredible increase in sales rates and building trust among customers. That said, the basic premise is to conclude your marketing strategy. Although Nike was not the first company to do so (The Furrow, John Deere Magazine was one of the first to use modern content marketing in 1895), it became one of the strongest examples of marketing power. What achieved them with content. Finally, the brand’s ads are one of the most visited ads in the world.
Red Bull: Before selling the product, sell its identity.
Have you ever wondered how Red Bull, the world-renowned energy drinks brand, came into line with professional sports? Red Bull had planned to achieve this goal. Many people may not have the resources to do this, but anyone can start by implementing simple, basic ideas to succeed. Red Bull’s strategy can be summarized in the following 3 cases:
- Produce Content That Favorites Your Audience: This is not about producing content about Red Bull drinks, but about content that connects content publishers to the audience’s needs and can indirectly promote the brand and product.
- The second priority of the product: Red Bull made its product one of the by-products of people’s lifestyle and thus became a part of the daily life of its customers.
- Maintaining continuity: The Red Bull brand is known everywhere. The company attracted the attention of its audience and managed to keep their attention for a long time.
Everything you’ve seen from the Red Bull brand, from financial sponsorships to magazines, all follow the same strategy. So it is safe to say that the evidence clearly shows how effective this strategy is.
Starbucks: Sell a lifestyle before selling a product.
With 60 million people checking their online stores worldwide, many will likely have Starbucks coffee on their desks. Some of them may even be sitting inside the Starbucks Coffee Shop itself. Coffee is an integral part of many people’s daily lives, and the Starbucks chain of coffee shops has long realized that people do not drink coffee just because of its benefits or tastes but because it is so popular. In addition, people like the feeling of familiarity; When people see the Starbucks logo on their business trips worldwide, a light of hope shines in their hearts.
Starbucks created an experience for its customers according to their needs, so Starbucks coffee shops became a place to meet people, work, spend time with friends, and so on. Today, Starbucks has an important place in people’s daily lives. Not only did the brand succeed in selling coffee, but it was able to take its place in people’s daily lives and, of course, sell more coffee.
Design your marketing strategy now.
You will be ready to design a marketing strategy by studying the above steps. Creating a strategy takes a lot of work, and implementing each step correctly can be time-consuming, but there is nothing wrong with that. Strategy design is a step-by-step process that needs to be modified. Do not expect to become a professional overnight.
