Is Your Marketing As Strategic as You Think It Is?

It?s the end of the year, and you?ve made most of your sales goals. Maybe all of them. And things seem to be generally ?moving along? for your business. All good news. So your marketing strategy must be working, right? Or maybe you don?t have any strategy at all ? and you?re thinking that you don?t need any. After all, look how well you?re doing without it.

It?s true that some businesses can get along without much of a marketing plan. But if that?s the case ? just think for a moment how much better they might do if they were to apply some smart marketing strategy to their overall business plan. And when it comes right down to it – why would anyone who is passionate about their business ever be content with just “getting along” when there is the potential to do better?

Whether you’re convinced your marketing is working or whether you’re not sure, it’s worth your time to run down this list of indicators that your marketing may not be as strategic as you think it is – and then ask yourself if any of these apply to your business.

We?ll start with the most obvious indicator: You don?t have a strategy document.

?Sell more stuff? isn?t a strategy. Your strategy document doesn?t have to be printed up in slick notebooks and stuffed with charts and MBA lingo to work, but it does need to give thought to your best customer, your most-likely-to-convert untapped prospects, key messages and the best methods for reaching those customers and prospects, all prioritized based on your budget and resources.

You?re obsessed with deliverables.

A marketing program that is constantly obsessed with getting stuff out the door ? whether it?s off to the printer or upstairs for approval ? is probably a ?checklist marketing? program that?s not operating strategically.

You find yourself in a lot of ?parking lot meetings?.

You know what we’re talking about: Those impromptu, lengthy discussions held late at night when two overworked colleagues end up heading to their cars at the same time. If these chats tend to center around frustrations with marketing or sales, that?s probably a sign that your company is not employing a clearly-defined marketing strategy.

The strategy exists only in the CMO?s head.

Everyone in your company should be able to articulate the company?s purpose – and marketing strategy – if they were asked to do so after being shaken out of a deep sleep. If your team can?t pass this test it?s time to head back to the planning board.

You can?t describe your best customer.

Even if you have a marketing strategy, it?s hard to believe it?s being executed accurately if it?s being directed as some vague people or businesses, instead of a clearly defined customer persona whose motivations and buy buttons are understood by your company.

We love to talk marketing strategy. Hit us up anytime to tell us more about your challenges.