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Why Marketing Strategy is just as Important as Tactics

25/05/2018 - Digital Marketing

Before diving in to the nitty gritty of this article, it’s probably a good idea to clearly differentiate by what is meant by ‘strategy’ and what is meant by ‘tactics’ when it comes to your digital marketing approach.

All too frequently, the two terms are deemed interchangeable when it comes to a company’s digital marketing plans. But this shouldn’t be the case.

Essentially, strategy is the ‘what’ element of what a company is aiming to do. Tactics are ‘how’ they do it.

But make no mistake – the two are very closely linked. In fact, without trying to become too abstract in our points of reference, Sun Tzu, the famous Ancient Chinese Military strategist, wrote: “Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory, tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.”

Man pointing a post-it notes on a whiteboard

Solidify your goals

Now admittedly Mr Tzu was discussing these concepts in a slightly different context. But what he says still rings true when it comes to your digital marketing strategy.

Knowing what you want to do is in some respects easier to identify than how you do it. But strategy can still get lost beneath tactics if you’re not careful.

In fact, a recent article from Econsultancy.com argues that many companies are focusing too heavily on tactics and losing sight of their overall strategy.

You might think that if you adopt a tactic and it proves successful, there’s no problem. In some instances, that’s certainly the case. But there is a risk of adopting tactics that are disparate and don’t ultimately lead you towards the desired end goal.

In fact, some companies might not have an end goal in mind and are just trying things and seeing what happens. But that’s not the best way to realise long term success.

Pin your Plans Down

We advocate identifying and adopting a clear digital strategy. This approach allows you to better reach your customers and truly realise what you want to deliver and get back in return.

Knowing what you want to do is vital when it comes to working out the best way to do it. At Un.titled, we can help you pin this down and then offer a wide selection of ‘hows’ that can help you reach your goals and turn your strategic vision into a reality.

Top Tactics for Digital Marketing Success

Once your strategy is decided, choosing your tactics is an exciting thing to do.

You might want to enhance the user experience (UX) on your website, convert more site visitors into customers with conversion rate optimisation, or rework your website altogether with a new ecommerce design.

You may also want to push your name and your services to more potential customers. Tactics such as paid advertising, SEO, and content and social media marketing have proved effective when it comes to promoting your brand to the right target audience.

But don’t go charging in with one of these tactics without doing the groundwork and establishing what it is specifically you want to achieve.

Make sure you do your research, speak with potential partners around and find the right approach for your business.