Is Your Marketing Strategic or Tactical?
The first and most important fundamental principle of marketing
is to approach everything you do within the context of a
strategy. Most businesses make the critical mistake of only
using tactical methods to craft their marketing. The question
that must be addressed is: are you strategic or tactical?
What's the difference? Why does it matter?
Take a moment to look in the dictionary and compare the
definitions of the two words. Webster's defines strategy as,
"The skillful planning and managing of an activity." The
operative phrase here is "planning and managing." These are
indispensable ingredients a successful business cannot afford to
overlook. Both are essential for giving a business clear
objectives and direction. They make up the compass which you use
to guide your business to your established goals.
Conversely, take a look at the meaning of "tactic.' It's defined
as, "A way or method of working toward a goal." Tactics are very
crucial when creating a successful business, but they always
subservient to the strategy. Each tactic must work within the
framework of your strategy to accomplish the desired outcomes of
your business. Otherwise, there is no direction or true sense of
purpose, only a mishmash of activities that might produce a
short-term profit.
By operating tactically instead of strategically, many
businesses set themselves up for mediocrity. Countless hours and
thousands of dollars are spent on tactics without a proper
strategy in place. These businesses have no idea what their
marketing goals are, let alone the desired outcome they are
working toward. Sure, sales may increase a little here and
there, but consistent growth is rarely experienced due to the
constant chaos of reacting to the whims of the marketplace.
Successful businesses have developed a strategic plan for their
marketing and continuously execute it as a core function of
their operations.
You've seen them before. They are the marketers whose message
you see everywhere you turn. They have developed a comprehensive
marketing approach that's delivered consistently and
relentlessly to a specific target of prospects and clients.
Their success comes from a basic understanding of the difference
between a strategic attitude and tactical one.
Simply stated, strategy is the what of a business...what you are
going to accomplish and what activities will be required to
reach your marketing goals. Strategy requires thorough research,
long-term vision, and careful planning as well as a commitment
to implement the plan until it produces predictable results.
Tactics, on the other hand, are the how of marketing. These are
the means and methods of making your marketing produce sales and
profits for your business. Tactics include how you're going to
reach your prospects, how you are going to sell to them, how you
are going to service them, and so on. Think of them as the
activities and procedures you engage in within the structure of
your strategy.
Executing marketing tactics without a strategy is like playing a
game of darts in a darkened room; every once and a while you may
get lucky and hit the target but it doesn't happen very often.
It's not the best way play darts or market your business for
outstanding success.
Invest the time to properly develop your strategy and then
create the tactically actions that will create sales momentum
for you. All it takes is focusing on your goals and committing
to do whatever it takes to reach them.
About the author:
Ron Abbott is a marketing coach, entrepreneur, speaker and
author of the www.small-business-marketing-hub.com where you
will find more small business marketing articles, resources,
ideas, and tools.
Written By: Ron Abbott