Our company is named Strategic Communications to emphasize our belief that to be effective, communication must be strategic. Too often, marketing initiatives are focused more on tactics (let’s get on TikTok! let’s put up a billboard!), rather than strategy. That’s probably one of the biggest mistakes that marketers can make. Why? Because unless you just “get lucky,” and you might, simply picking tactics may result in doing the wrong things, wasting time, effort, and money.

The Top Reasons You Need a Marketing Strategy

Thinking strategically literally involves starting with the end in mind and then backing up to consider the various inputs and environmental impacts that can influence how you approach a target audience.

If you don’t know, specifically, what you hope to achieve, it’s highly unlikely that you’ll put the best tactics in place to achieve what you want to achieve. For instance, if you don’t understand your target audience, you’re likely to choose the wrong channels and messages to get their attention and lead to some desired action. If you don’t understand your capacity, you’re likely to either under-or over-promote what you have to offer.

Strategy ensures that you’re using resources wisely. One impactful example from my early years of marketing was working with an optometry practice to create a “marketing campaign” only to find at the end of the process that the practice could only accommodate an additional five appointments a week. The tactics required to achieve that low level of activity would be far different than what would be required if they could accommodate, 100 – 500 – 1000 or more new appointments.

Strategy ensures you’re focused on the right messaging. In another situation, also in a healthcare system, the leadership team wanted to go out with a communication campaign to address their community’s concern about rising healthcare costs. I convinced them to first do some research to determine the level of concern that actually existed. What we discovered was that, while there was concern about healthcare costs nationally, these concerns were very low, almost nonexistent, within our service area. Our healthcare leaders — physicians and nurses — were highly regarded and trusted, and the community was highly satisfied with our services. Had we gone out with messaging around “high costs,” we would likely have inadvertently introduced that thought to them — creating an issue or concern that didn’t exist before.

Strategy matters. And it matters a lot. Take the time to step back and start with the end in mind as you consider your marketing plans for 2022. You’ll be glad you did.

Want to learn more? We’ve written a number of blog posts on strategy and strategic communication. Or get in touch with us for help in creating and implementing your marketing strategies in 2022.

About Us

Strategic Communications, LLC, works with B2B clients to help them achieve their goals through effective content marketing and management with both internal and external audiences. We work with clients to plan, create and publish high-quality, unique content. Whether on- or offline, or both, we’ll help you achieve desired results.

(Strategic Communications is certified as a Woman-Owned Business Enterprise through the Wisconsin Department of Administration.)

Stay up-to-date on the latest traditional and digital marketing trends and insights for communication leaders: subscribe to our monthly e-newsletter.

Recommended Reading:

21st Century Secrets to Effective PR

Managing Remote Staff

Direct Mail in the Digital Age

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Strategic Planning

The Everything Guide to Customer Engagement