I didn’t come here with a script. Just an open invitation to get you thinking differently about your marketing. It’s about making sure you’re asking the right questions before you post, publish, or pay for anything. I know I didn’t always do that myself, but it’s something I’ve learned the hard way.
So, let’s take a step back and take a look at our marketing strategies: what’s working, what’s not, and what we might be missing.
Let me ask you this: do you have a marketing strategy? And more importantly, do you know if you have one? A lot of people aren’t sure. And even if they do have one, they often don’t know if it’s actually doing what it’s meant to.
Let’s start by clearing something up. Marketing strategy is not the same as a business strategy. Marketing strategy comes after your business strategy. So we’re assuming you’ve already got a sense of your overall goals: your vision, your revenue model, your growth plans.
Marketing strategy is what connects your audience, your message, and your channels. It’s the momentum that propels you toward those business goals. It gives meaning to all your day-to-day marketing. Things like emails, social posts, or ads. Those tactics only work if they’re part of a bigger picture.
What I want to do today is guide you through some key questions. You’ve probably heard them before. But even if you’ve already done this work, it’s worth checking in. Are your answers still relevant? Is it time to shift gears?
Who are you trying to reach?
This is about your ideal audience and what they actually value. If you’ve already had customers, or even just people showing interest, that’s your starting point. Look at who’s already shown up. What do they care about? How do they think? What’s important to them?
There are free tools out there to help you shape this. One example is Persona Maker. You feed in what you know, and it helps you create a detailed customer profile. Something visual you can print out and stick on your wall. That way, whenever you’re making a marketing decision, you can ask: Would this matter to that person? If the answer’s no, don’t do it.
Let’s say your ideal customer is Jess, 42. She’s a busy mum of three. She lives in the town centre. Books her beauty appointments online during her lunch break. Follows local businesses on Facebook. Hates calling to book anything. That gives you insight into what platforms she uses, how she shops, and what she avoids. The more specific you can be, the better. Picture your customer. Give them a name. Make them real.
You can’t speak to everyone. If you try, you’ll end up talking to no one. That’s not to say you only have one audience. You can have different personas based on your services or values.
Next question:
Who else is trying to reach your target audience, and what makes you different?
This is where you look at competitors and your unique positioning. It’s not just about what you do. It’s about what people remember you for. If I’m in a room with 50 other marketing consultants, I need to know what makes me stand out.
So, look at competitors.
Pick three.
- What do they say about themselves?
- What are their key messages?
- Check their websites.
- Look at their social channels.
- Use tools like the Facebook Ads Library to see what kinds of ads they’re running.
You don’t need to critique them. You’re not here to tear anyone down, but to see how you compare, where you fit, and where you can be clearer. Positioning isn’t about shouting louder. It’s about being more direct, more relevant, more you.
Google Reviews can also help. You’ll see what customers actually appreciate about your competitors. That insight helps you define your own USP.
What do you want people to do?
This is a big one. What’s the key action you want from your audience? If you don’t know, they won’t either. So from the moment someone finds you, think: what’s the next step? Is it to book a call? Sign up? Download something? Buy now?
Be proactive. If you know people are going to ask the same questions, make a video answering them. Send it before they even have to ask. That’s how you work smarter. Do something once, and reuse it to save time and energy.
Check your own channels and tools.
Look at your website or whatever platform you use to engage customers.
Ask yourself if what your business offers, and why, is clear.
If someone who knows nothing about your work visited it, would they understand what you offer?
Ask someone you know to test it. Let them be honest. You’ll quickly find out where you’re unclear or asking too much.
Where do your people spend their time? How will you reach them?
You need to know where your audience already is. That might be digital or in person. For example, you’re here right now listening to me. That means this is one of my spaces.
Instead of waiting and hoping someone finds you, go where they already are. It saves time and money. Use tools like Google Analytics to track acquisition. It’s less scary than it sounds. Click “Acquisition” in the top left. You’ll see where your traffic is coming from – Instagram, Facebook, email, and so on.
Google Trends is another good one. You can check what people are searching for. Filter it by region or industry. It’s especially useful if something topical is trending, like Covid was at the time. People who saw those trends early and acted on them had a head start.
You don’t need to be everywhere
That’s a really important point. It can feel like the world’s moving too fast. There’s always a new TikTok trend or platform to try. But it’s better to focus. Choose a few things. Do them really well. Spreading yourself too thin won’t help.
Let’s talk resources
This includes time, budget, and tools. And budget doesn’t just mean money. Be honest about what you’ve got. One of the best things a customer can do is say, “I’ve got £X to spend.” That gives you something to work with.
I had someone recently give me a huge list of website features. I estimated about £25,000. They were shocked. Said they wanted to spend £5,000. That’s fine because at least now we had a direction and I could scale back and work toward the right plan.
The key is to base your strategy on what you actually have. Not what you wish you had. There are loads of tools that can help. One I really like is Motion. It’s free and helps you stay organised. I’ve used it on and off for years. Not sponsored or anything. Just a big fan. If you want to know more, let me know.
Finally, track your progress.
Choose some short-term goals. Track them. If you don’t track it, it didn’t really happen. If your goal is sales, track what leads to sales. Not just what makes a graph look good.
Keep a record. Then, when you feel like you haven’t moved forward, you can look back. You’ll see that you actually have.
Key takeaway:
The answers to these questions make up your strategy. Everything else is delivery, such as your content and actions. If your delivery isn’t working, it doesn’t always mean you need to do more. It might just mean your strategy needs a little refining.
Build your strategy based on where you are and what you’ve got. Don’t worry about what everyone else is doing. If you’ve got £100 to spend, that’s still something. Use it. Build from there.
I’ll share a PDF with links and tools mentioned today. And if you want help working through this, get in touch.
