All men can see these tactics whereby I conquer, but what none can see is the strategy out of which victory is evolved.
--Sun Tzu

Sun Tzu is the man. He knew what he was talking about. Sure, he was talking about war but his principles apply whether you’re on the battlefield or in the boardroom. Strategy is the meticulous planning and thorough analysis that get you to the tactics. In strategic marketing, it works exactly the same way. and isn’t for the faint of heart.

Creating a marketing strategy requires serious work. It requires stepping back to look at the complete picture. With the day-to-day work of running a business or managing a marketing department, it can be difficult to dig out from taking care of business to see the big picture.

IS IT THE FOREST OR THE TREES?

Many cliches have a kernel of truth. Take, for example, the cliche “You can’t see the forest for the trees”. It means that you are so concerned with the details (the trees), you can’t see the big picture (the forest). Someone has to take care of the details and someone has to take care of the big picture.

Think of strategic marketing as the big picture. While the every day work is important, the big picture is vital to your business and it is proactive. It requires you to take the time to really understand your business, what you need to do to take it to the next level, and the actions you need to take to keep it around. To get to that next level, you have to ;

• Identify your goals.
• Identify and STUDY your audience.
• Segment and profile the market.
• Analyze the company’s situation.
• Determine the objectives.
• Determine the marketing strategy.
• Define your methods.

Of course, this is a mile high overview. Strategic marketing involves so much more.

MAKE THE STARS ALIGN

Some companies believe that because they send out email campaigns once a quarter they are performing strategic marketing. Sending quarterly emails is a marketing tactic that should be part of  the strategic marketing plan. A true strategic marketing plan aligns marketing with business goals then identifies the tactics needed to reach those goals.

One of the main purposes of a strategic marketing plan is the requirement to look beyond the short-term into the future. Not next year--though that is part of it--it involves making a long-term plan and re-evaluating that plan on a regular basis. An annual review is an excellent idea. Things change during the course of a year and making adjustments to the plan is just common sense. If the plan requires changes, it needs to fit in with your business goals.

The great thing about strategic marketing is what it can do for you. It is one of the least expensive actions you can take with the potential for a huge return.

GET BY WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM YOUR FRIENDS

You know what it takes to run your company or department everyday. This is where the forest and the trees come into play. It makes perfect sense to bring in a third party with a different perspective to help you create your strategic marketing plan.

GottaLotta Marketing has the experience and expertise to help you craft your strategy. We know how to analyze your audience, segment your markets, perform SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses/Limitations, Opportunities, and Threats), define objectives and create your tactics.

At GLM, we provide you with our undivided attention. When you reach your goals, we reach our goal...your satisfaction.