Tactics vs strategy: what do I need?
Let’s start by talking about the difference between marketing tactics and marketing strategies. A marketing strategy is an overall, high-level piece of work that seeks to answer the big what, who how and why questions.
What do you offer?
Who to? And why them?
Why should they buy it?
How are you going to attract and convert your ideal clients or customers?
When you’re talking tactics, you’re moving into the specifics: the where, when and which.
Where will you market your product or service?
When will you promote it?
Which channels will you use?
Think of it like this: when covid hit, your strategy represented the core fundamentals of your business, the bits that probably didn’t change too much, but your tactics were what you pivoted to respond during the panic of the pandemic. Strategy is what you’re saying, tactics are things like which marketing channels you use to say it.
Strategy sorted, what next?
So once you’ve nailed down the big questions and you’ve sorted your overall strategy (check out my handy blog post on this for inspiration), how do you easily figure out the marketing tactics that work for you?
This, my fantastic entrepreneurial friend, is where your values come in. Whether it’s tactics to increase brand awareness, increase sales or attract new clients or customers, the most important driver is your values. What do you stand for, and why? What drives you to solve an old problem in a new way? What do you really care about? Defining your core values will help you choose the most effective marketing tactics for you and understand which ones to avoid. As an entrepreneur, don’t forget you are your business and your business is you. Choosing marketing activities that align with you as a person will make them both more effective and more enjoyable. And who doesn’t want that!
How does it work?
Let’s take a live example: me! I recently wrote out my marketing manifesto, which you can read here. It not only sets out my core values, but also what they mean for you when you interact or work with me. One of my values is about choice AND boundaries. This is about showing you that I am here to provide you with choices: about who you work with, how you run your business, what marketing tactics you use. I want to help you see the possibilities you have available to run and promote a successful business you can be proud of. But alongside this freedom of choice, I want you to know that I have boundaries, and to encourage you to have them too. Just because you have the freedom to choose, it doesn’t mean you need to choose everything, all the time! So, returning to one of the tactical questions above about where I will market myself, this value helps me understand that whilst I need to have a mix of marketing platforms to meet the needs of my audience, I also need to set boundaries to ensure I’m not taking on too much. As for the ‘when’ question, I want to ensure I’m providing you with options around how or when you can work with me, but I need to ensure I set boundaries around when I’m available.
How can I do this for myself?
The best place to start is with your values. If you need some inspiration, just google ‘values’ and read up on some common values that individuals or organisations often have. Find words that resonate with you in some way and think about why that is. The next step is to think about why those values are important in your work and how you display them. This will give you the insight you need to match your marketing tactics appropriately. After all, the most powerful marketing is about showing your audience what you can do for them, rather than just telling them. For example, are you passionate about client service and going the extra mile to surprise and delight your clients? Then think about how to translate that into your marketing. Maybe it means that you always respond to comments and DMs, and Google reviews? Or maybe that you are happy to provide your audience with offers that you know will excite them?
What next?
I’d love to invite you to read my values. Hopefully you will feel inspired to set out your own or get back in touch with them, so that you can use them to guide your business and marketing decisions. If you need help with this process and you’d like to understand how to better communicate your values to your audience, please do get in touch or find out more about how we can work together. Choose a button below to find out more. Thank you for reading!