A strategy? Oh yeah, I have one. I use social media.

In “The Art of War,” Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu wrote “Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.” This was likely the first use of these words over 2500 years ago. Today, strategy and tactics get thrown around many times daily, as business people try to outduel each other with catchphrases. Has anyone been told to “circle back” lately? Indeed.

Since starting as a consultant over five years ago, my largest struggle when working with a new client is having them understand that paying for a strategy is probably the best money they can spend. So many people want to jump straight to tactics as those are fun and results can be immediate. However, tactics have no value if they aren’t connected to an overarching business strategy. Let me explain.

As outlined by MarketingNutz:

I believe the confusion about what tactics are is really the issue. Tactics have become their own entities in the past decade. With the number of digital agencies and social media managers selling tactics to businesses, I completely understand why the waters are muddied. To be clear websites, digital advertising, social media, public relations, content development ARE ALL TACTICS.

Yes, that may be devastating news to many business owners who have put their hard-earned money into each of these components but if you have a website, what is its purpose? If you’re active on social media, what channels are you on vs. your audience? If a social media manager said that Instagram is where it’s at, that’s not helpful if your potential clients are on LinkedIn. If none of these tactics is reflected back into the long-term goals, it’s a waste of time and money.

Hence…a strategy.

While creating a strategy isn’t sexy, it is the most important process to grow your business. Let me outline how I work with clients to develop their strategy document.

1.     Half-day session with the key stakeholders to review the current state, challenges, recent wins, and business vision.

2.     Full competitor and audience analysis

3.     Audit of all communications and marketing materials including brand assessment

4.     Tactical calendar with key dates and timelines

5.     Content development

6.     Evaluation

The process to develop a full strategy can take up to eight weeks depending on how quickly I can access documents, book meetings, etc. Strategy development is the first step I have in working with any client. It is billed separately so any client can just pay for a strategy and implement it themselves, or then pay for execution services.

A strategy should be updated and changed on a yearly basis, as your business goals change. Therefore, any tactics should be reviewed and updated quarterly to ensure the best outcomes.

If you’re interested in learning more about creating a strategy for your business, reach out as we are happy to discuss.