How to write a basic marketing strategy | Colehouse Communications

Every business wants to be seen, but not every business has a strategy for how that actually happens. It’s your map showing where you’re going, who you’re trying to reach, and how you’ll get there.

A practical framework to help you get started.

A marketing strategy needs to be intentional. Here’s what to do.

Define your goals

Ask yourself:

What does success actually look like?
Do you want to increase sales, awareness, leads, or engagement?
How will you measure it?

Be specific and create measurable goals. “Increase leads from social media by 20%” is far more useful than “do more on LinkedIn.”

Know your audience beyond demographics

Forget broad labels like “millennials” or “small business owners.” Consider your audience and their motivations, barriers, and habits.

Think about:

What problems do they have that you solve?
Where do they spend their time (online and offline)?
What drives their decisions — logic, emotion, or both?

By selling your product or service you’re offering a solution to something they care about.

Find your message

Now that you know who you’re talking to and why, it’s time to decide what to say.

Your key messages should explain:

What makes you different
Why that difference matters to your audience
What action you want them to take

You don’t need a slogan or a big campaign idea yet just a clear sense of how you want people to feel after hearing from you.

Choose your channels wisely

Be where your audience already is.

Ask:

Which platforms or spaces do they use regularly?
What kind of content performs well there?
What resources do we realistically have to keep this going?

Start small, do it well, and build from there.

Plan, test, and refine

Your marketing strategy is an evolving document

Start with a simple action plan:

Who’s doing what
When it’s happening
What success looks like

Then test it because the more you measure, the more you learn.

Know when to ask for help

Sometimes an outside perspective helps you see what’s missing.

If you’re feeling stuck, our team at Colehouse can help you to create a clear plan. You bring the business goals. We’ll bring the strategic brainpower.

Continuing on with your marketing improvements? We have more great articles to get you on your way like this one to improve your email marketing.