From tactical to strategic. Stop marketing in the dark.

Research from The Marketing Centre at the back end of last year that said only about 30% of small and medium-sized businesses in the UK had a formal marketing strategy. And even more striking, only 40% or so had a documented business plan.

Now, most of these companies will say they are “doing” marketing. But if your business hasn’t clearly set out its objectives, how can marketing possibly align to support them?

Without a strategy, you’re effectively marketing in the dark. And likely wasting time, money and missing out on opportunities. I see many businesses with a revenue target – they know they want to grow – but they lack the structured goals beyond the financial figure to actually achieve it. And its exactly these goals where marketing would step in to support their delivery.

Businesses without a strategy will remain trapped in a cycle that is short-term, tactical and reactive. This will only achieve so much. To achieve your full potential, you need a strategic approach.

A real strategy means ensuring that every penny spent on marketing is aligned to your short, medium and long-term business objectives. It means moving away from “just doing things” and focusing on measurable impact on the bottom line. It’s about having a “less is more” mindset, focusing your limited resources on the specific things that will actually drive growth and provide better “bang for your buck.”

When you move away from being reactive, you can focus on getting the things that matter right. Defining your target market, how best to reach them, and building a compelling brand story for your business that makes buyers want to choose you. So you can start demonstrating your expertise, driving engagement and differentiating yourself from the competition.

Stop wasting your money on random acts of marketing. Get a strategy in place, align your resources and get confidence that your investment is delivering maximum impact against your growth goals and clients’ needs.