How long does it really take to set a marketing strategy in gear?
Lawyerly answer: It depends. Or, to be biblical about it, let me answer a question with, yes, more questions around a few key areas.
Customer/Prospect-Focused
- Have you assessed how many new customers you need to meet your growth revenue objectives?
- Are there different audience types with different purchase cycles?
- What’s the probability of meeting your greatest revenue source, in the shortest amount of time with the fewest new customers?
- How might this help you be more efficient with your marketing dollars?
Content + Messaging
- Have you done an audit of your existing marketing assets?
- Are they on message?
- How are you presenting your products/services—in terms of “features” or “benefits”?
- Are assets targeted to the needs of the audience that represents the best promise of revenue within your desired timeframe?
CTAs
- Besides “Get In touch” or “Contact Us,” are there mid-funnel calls-to-action on your website that start the consideration process among site visitors? What are you offering that doesn’t require anyone to actually speak to you?
- Is there a relevant CTA on every page of your website?
- If you’re sending people to your website via other channels, where are you sending them? Only to the home page? Or, to a landing page that maps to the thing you were referencing in the original content?
Nurture Strategy
- Do you have a prospect nurture program in place for existing leads—one that’s ready to roll as you bring in new prospects?
- Is it embedded in the marketing or sales organizations? Or both?
Tracking and Benchmarking
- Do you have data from existing marketing programs that provide a benchmark for future programs?
- If so, which programs will you move forward with (while minding your budget)?
What’s Your Timeline?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, you could jump-start a marketing strategy quickly—with a few weeks of decision-making and budgeting.
Have you done an audit of your existing marketing assets?
On the other hand, if many of these are not answered—yet—which tasks can you begin to fulfill in the next eight weeks so you’re ready to start the strategy process?
Now, my final question: How can I help?
I do have a definitive answer to that one:
- See more videos on marketing strategy on our YouTube channel—and don’t forget to subscribe so you get the new ones in your inbox.
- Check out the webinar, How To Avoid Random Acts of Marketing to start framing your marketing roadmap so you spend wisely on marketing.
- Let some air out of your marketing strategy “balloon” by exploring a part-time CMO to guide your in-house or outsourced marketing teams. Here’s an option that might work for your organization.
- If your team needs a strategy primer to finesse your current strategy roadmap, get in touch so we can set up a time to discuss timing and cost so you're in good shape moving into Q2.
