They usually call wanting help with a tactic. “Create a brochure.” “Revise our website.” “Send out a press release.”
(Don’t get me wrong, we do that kind of work. Happily do that kind of work!)
But if the client doesn’t have a marketing plan in place before they begin to execute all the tactics, they wonder why “it’s not working”. Or why they continue to re-do things over and over.
A good marketing plan has a strategy. It needs to be based on market research and analysis. And on competitive analysis and SWOT analysis. And on a thorough understanding of the target customer — what they need, why they buy at what price, and why they might switch from a competitor to your brand.
If you want tactics, that’s great. But if you have a plan, you’ll be so much happier when everything is all said and done… and you won’t have wasted any time spinning wheels!
Technorati tags: Tactiocs, Marketing, Branding, Strategy, SWOT analysis
