Intro

Like this cat (and the internet), tactics lurk in the background… waiting to become strategy – and that can be dangerous. It’s easy to fall into the tactics as strategy trap. Here’s a list of three things to review when you’re up against the uncertainty of what it is you or your company is trying to accomplish.

BACK TO BASICS – WHAT ARE YOU SELLING, AND WHO ARE YOU SELLING IT TO?

Just because digital marketing has disrupted the traditional marketing delivery system, it doesn’t mean that everything else you’ve learned goes out the window. Tactics are a distribution center to reach your audience and achieve your goals.

#1 The Basics

Remember the 4 P’s – Price, Product, Promotion & Place. Place has evolved to become the internet, paid search, paid social (Facebook, Snapchat, Linkedin, et-al.) But don’t forget that you have a price, a product and a promotion to reach your audience at their “place” (whether it’s physical, digital or both).

The Takeaway

The 4 P’s should be used to craft your approach to engage your target audience. Avoid the mistake of allowing a channel (distribution source) dictate or change your marketing strategy.

• Price – how much you’re selling your product or service (make sure you’re measuring properly for your marketing ROI)
• Product – the goods or service that you’re marketing and selling to your target audience
• Promotion – your message or offer to your target audience to get them to buy. It should be tailored to your audience and thoughtful for where the message is being delivered (you likely will not use the same message on a display ad like you would for paid search)
• Place – the distribution source, physical or digital that your message is delivered

#2 Your Audience

Do you know your target audience? Who is it that you’re trying to reach? What are the best ways to reach them? You should know everything that there is to know about who they are and what they think to ensure that you’re selecting the appropriate tactic… especially for nurturing and re-engagement campaigns.

The Takeaway

If you don’t know who your audience is, you’re wasting your time and money. For example:

• Just because everyone (Millennials and up) and their mom is on Facebook, this doesn’t green-light you to make a play for your brand or product to garner a lead or sale by advertising on social media… who is your audience, and what frame of mind are they in when you’re attempting to solicit their business? Especially important for direct-response marketing
• Social media advertising can burn a hole in your pocket when it is used inappropriately
• Used correctly, it can yield tremendous results… it’s a tactic and a channel, not a comprehensive strategy

#3 The Data

It’s important to get your measurement and research right. Incorrect assumptions lead to disastrous results at scale. This is especially true for smaller businesses with limited budgets, or large organizations with high cost per acquisitions in verticals that do not create demand.

The Takeaway

Use the right goals, metrics and research to quantify your marketing strategy and target audience. Some things to consider:

• How confident are you in your data?
• Take your time. Quick judgement or knee-jerk reactions can lead to misguided campaign briefs
• Apply the right analysis and any contextual filters (it doesn’t hurt to speak with IT or the business analyst to learn and inform yourself on how this data or information is translated into that report you asked for… you’d be surprised)

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