Your success at achieving your marketing objectives rests primarily on having a solid marketing strategy. In addition, you must have a consistent commitment to follow through with your strategy. So far, so good, right? In fact, this is fairly straightfoward and basic.The problem is that, for many marketers, there is the tendency to start the process backwards.
A Marketing Strategy for Your Marketing Objectives
In other words, the tendency is to simply start with their proposed budget and use that to dictate what they can or can't do with marketing. This is not only short-sighted, but springs from the wrong perspective.
A more strategic approach to is to start with your actual objectives. This is analogous to planning a journey. If you think want to go from San Francisco to, say, the East Coast you wouldn't simply look at your bank account and say, "Well, we can only get as far as Kansas City, guys. But let's see what happens anyway." Of course not!
No, you would determine where you want to go (like Boston), how you can best get there efficiently and cost-effectively (bus? train? rental car?), and then you would plan and create your budget to make it happen. But, without a clear objective, it could be a waste of resources and money to simply head off with no clear destination in mind.
Three Steps For Your Marketing Objective Success
One approach is to create a strategy built on three legs, or three perspectives. A successful strategy always takes into consideration the objectives being sought, the actions needed to achieve those objectives, and the resources needed to support those actions. Your marketing strategy should be no different.
Here, then, are the three key steps to achieving your marketing objectives:
2. Action Plan
Included in this action plan step should be a production calendar with periodic progress meetings and updates, etc. One approach that is often employed with this step is what is known as S.M.A.R.T. goals. The acronym originally stands for goals that are: Specific, Measurable, Assignable, Realistic, and Time-related.
3. Budget Plan
Bringing it All Together as a Marketing Strategy Plan
Ultimately, this can be seen as a three-stage, or three part, marketing plan. Regardless of what actual marketing tools or tactics you employ, it makes sense to start with clear objectives first. Having an action plan in place for achieving these objectives is necessary in order to see your overall plan to completion. And, once these plans are established, you can create the budget plan.
Achieving these objectives with your marketing strategy takes time. If you are engaged in content, or inbound, marketing it won't happen with a few blog posts or great ebook. People will need to consume your content for a while before they contact you. But without your content compelling them to contact you, your goals may never be met.
Content and inbound marketing work day in and day out. Once you post a blog article or upload a Slideshare piece, it is always there, working to educate and compel people to become leads. And when they do come to you, they are educated, informed, and much more likely to make the decision to buy.
Get your Free Complimentary Inbound Marketing Session to help you make an informed decision or call BroadVision Marketing at 707-799-1238.
Jaco Grobbelaar is the owner and CMO of BroadVision Marketing. BroadVision Marketing works with business owners to put in place inbound and outbound marketing strategies that consistently secure new clients. The BroadVision Marketing Training Center is located in Petaluma, CA and primarily serves companies in the San Francisco Bay area.
Jaco can be reached at jaco@broadvisionmarketing.com or 707.766.9778 or connect with Jaco on Facebook -www.facebook.com/broadvisionmarketing - and LinkedIn -www.linkedin.com/in/JacoGrobbelaar.