Tactical vs Strategic Marketing

30 Aug Tactical vs Strategic Marketing

If you’ve already created a marketing strategy for your business, then you’re off to a good start – but in today’s increasingly competitive world, it’s vital that you do more if you want to get one step ahead of your competition. In order to really succeed, you need to break down your strategy and consider two fundamental parts: tactical marketing and strategic marketing. So, what exactly is tactical and strategic marketing?

As a marketing agency in Nanaimo, Vancouver Island, we’re here to explain what the terms tactical marketing and strategic marketing mean, and why they’re fundamental to your strategy.

Simply put, strategic marketing refers to ‘what’ you’re trying to achieve, or in other words, your goals. These might be your marketing objectives and KPIs for example.

Tactical marketing is the process involved to bring those goals and ambitions to life, the actions you will take to fulfill your marketing mission. Think special offers, specific branding, blogging, adverts, and social media, for example.

It’s important to note that the two go hand-in-hand, and one can’t work without the other. Strategic marketing is what you want to do, and tactical marketing is how you will get there.

Let’s take a closer look at exactly what the two processes are.

What is strategic marketing?

Strategic marketing is all about asking those important questions, to help you determine the long-term goals of your business. You need to look at your company, as well as customer behavior, the industry you’re in, and your competitors. 

To determine your strategic marketing, try asking yourself questions like:

• Who is your target audience?
• Where are you now and where do you want to be?
• What perception do you want your brand to give off?
• What gap do you want to fill in your industry?
• What are your strengths as a business?
• Are there any weaknesses you want to change?
• What budget do you have?

The questions you should ask should be around this idea of ‘what’ you want to achieve, not ‘how’. Try looking at what’s missing from your current strategy and where you want to be in the future.

Your strategic marketing plan should always take into account the budget you have to work with – this will make it easier to determine your tactical marketing strategy later on. We can help with your marketing strategy in Nanaimo, Vancouver Island.

What is tactical marketing?

In essence, to optimize the success of your overall strategy, your tactical marketing plan should support your strategic marketing goals. Strategy first, tactical second. The tactical marketing plan is definitely more detailed of the two, as it dives deep into the actions that you will take to meet your goals. 

Consider tactical marketing as practical solutions, like using social media, writing a blog, or creative digital adverts – plus, they should all include measurement strategies and should be monitored on a regular basis (and amended if your business’s goals aren’t being met).

It’s important to note that if you don’t spend time working on your tactical marketing plan, then your strategic marketing goals will suffer. 

Is your marketing strategy generating the results you want?

To make sure you’re getting the most out of your marketing strategy, contact Better Mousetrap Marketing. We specialize in marketing consulting in Nanaimo, Vancouver Island, specifically helping small businesses to grow. We use our expertise and passion to help develop and implement marketing strategies for success.