When it comes to executing a killer marketing strategy, the multitude of moving pieces to consider can be daunting. From logo design and printed collateral material to website development, social media platforms and everything in between, the details are enough to make your head spin.
Having a solid, goal-oriented marketing strategy in place helps to keep all of these components organized, while serving as a roadmap of where you’re going and how to accomplish getting there.
Whether you’re a new start-up developing a plan from the ground up or an established company in need of a refresh, everyone can benefit from these tips to focus on exactly who your business is and how to achieve its goals. With fresh eyes and an open mind, let’s dive into some keys of executing a marketing plan to get your strategy on point.
Define Your Vision
Have a clear, concise understanding of exactly what the vision for your brand is, how it enriches the lives of your customers, and why consumers should choose your company over a competitor. Defining this before attempting to develop a plan is crucial. With the core purpose of your business continually the focal point, you’ll have answers to questions before they arise, making crafting your strategy immensely easier.
This rings true for new and established business alike. A new business must institute the core or vision for its brand in order to properly present itself to the world. Established businesses also need to be mindful of their strategies to maintain focus on their roots, or sometimes reinvigorate their business with a new direction to keep up with the times. Every company is unique, and its marketing strategy should reflect that.
Get Proactive
Once your vision is clearly defined and your company’s marketing plan is outlined, you can start putting your plans into action. Be proactive about getting ahead of tasks and working your strategy to get the most out of your marketing efforts.
Things like securing your website URL, determining your optimal mediums, building a solid image library, creating fresh content, and establishing your presence on social media are just a few pieces to put into action to help get the ball rolling. Have a clear plan of what needs to be accomplished, deadlines to abide by, research to conduct, and which person is in charge of what tasks to keep everyone accountable and productive.
Maintenance Is Key
Now that you’ve established your plan, put it into motion, and started checking things off your list, you should be set…right? Not the case. Marketing strategies need to be continually nurtured. Your dedication to the company’s vision and hard work to create a killer marketing strategy will have been all for nothing if the plan is not constantly in motion.
It is vital to remember that this is an evolving process and needs a lot of TLC to get the absolute most out of your efforts. Be flexible and open-minded with your strategy, allowing adjustments as needed to keep up with the fast-paced, ever-evolving world of marketing to accomplish your overall goals.
Patience is a Virtue
Good things come to those who wait (and work), and that is the exact case when it comes to successful marketing plans. There are no shortcuts and fast tracks in marketing – this is a long-term strategy that requires commitment to your vision and patience to see it through.
An important piece of the pie to remember is that everything does not have to be done all at once. At Stray Media Group, we oftentimes work with customers to build out their plans in phases to accommodate things like timelines and budget. If you don’t have the budget to cover everything you want to accomplish right away, let us help guide you in determining what you need right now to begin achieving your goals and growing your business.
Not sure where to start? If you’re a do-it-yourself type, an excellent resource to check out and get the gears turning is the ‘Start With Why’ book and TED Talks video by Simon Sinek, providing a powerful model to put into place that inspires action. More of a leave-it-to-the-experts type? Contact a marketing professional for advice and assistance in building a complete strategy tailored to your needs.