Answer Three Questions
Who you are?
Simple question, critical answer. Ask your leadership team. If everyone doesn’t have the same response to describe the company, you have work to do. You can’t expect your key stakeholders to know who you are if your internal team cannot define and articulate a consistent message.
Who is your target audience?
Not surface level. Dig in and get to know your key stakeholders. What are their challenges? What problem can you solve for them? How can you connect, build trust and form relationships? The more you know and understand your audience, the more effective your marketing efforts will be.
What does success look like?
The goal isn’t box-check marketing. Don’t waste your budget implementing run rate tactics that generate metrics instead of meaningful results. Know what meaningful results look like. Understand business goals and map the marketing plan to help make those happen.
Make it Happen
Once you have the answers to those questions, start at the end and work backwards. Goal → Audience → Message → Tactics. Developing a strategic plan is an arduous but critical task. Invest the time now and the strategic plan will guide efforts throughout the year as business goals become a reality.
