Marketing Strategy vs Tactics? Tips for Success in 2023

Are you overwhelmed by all the marketing options available to your small business? Do you feel like you’re trying every tactic out there, but nothing is working?

You’re not alone. With so many marketing strategies and tactics available, it can be challenging to determine which ones will work for your business.

Generally, we see marketing planning problems play out in one of two ways. On one hand, you may have a marketing strategy but need help defining tactics that support the big picture. On the other hand, you may be juggling too many tactics, much like throwing spaghetti against a wall to see what will stick.

If any of this resonates, you’re in the right place. Whether you’re a small business owner, marketer, or nonprofit leader, it’s important to understand the difference between marketing strategy and tactics and how these work together in a successful digital marketing strategy.

Here are guidelines to keep in mind as you plan to market your business in 2023. We hope that this will help you create a winning marketing strategy that gets results. Let’s get started!

Marketing Strategy vs. Tactics: What’s The Difference?

Many people use the terms marketing strategy and marketing tactics interchangeably, but there is actually a big difference between the two. Marketing strategy is the long-term plan for gaining an audience and promoting your product or service. It’s inlcudes figuring out who your target market is, what needs they have that your product or service can fill, how you can reach them most effectively, and get more leads in your sales funnel. You must complete the marketing plan before moving on to tactics.

Marketing tactics are the specific actions you take to implement your marketing strategy. These can include things like redesigning or optimizing your website, designing a social media campaign or using brand videos to convey your messages. While tactics are important, they won’t be effective unless they’re part of a well-thought-out strategy. So if you want to create a successful marketing plan, make sure you start by defining your strategy.

Read More: How to Keep Up With Digital Marketing Trends and Increase Revenue

How to Successfully Combine Marketing Strategies and Tactics

If you want to be successful in marketing, you need to know how to combine marketing strategies and tactics. Some marketing experts say that marketing strategies are the “what” of marketing, while marketing tactics are the “how.” In other words, your marketing strategy is your plan for achieving your goals, while your marketing tactics are the specific actions you take to implement that strategy.

It’s not enough to have a thorough digital marketing strategy; you also need to execute it effectively. That’s where marketing tactics come in. The best marketing tactics are those that align with your overall strategy and objectives.

The key to success is ensuring that your strategy and tactics work together harmoniously. When they do, you’ll be able to achieve much better results. Problems occur when businesses need a clearer understanding of why they’re doing a particular marketing activity and how they will measure the results.

For example, don’t jump on the TikTok bandwagon just because it’s the popular new tool du jour. Before starting any new tactic, have a good reason for doing it, tie it to a   specific goal, and define metrics for measuring success.

Read More: 5 Ways a Creative Marketing Agency Can Help You Thrive

Tips for Evaluating Marketing Strategies and Tactics

As a marketing professional, it’s your job to ensure that your marketing strategies and tactics are working. But how can you tell if they’re actually effective?

Here are four key indicators that will help you evaluate the effectiveness of your marketing efforts:

1. Sales numbers. This is the most obvious metric to track, and it’s essential in assessing the success of your marketing strategy. Keep an eye on both overall sales numbers and any spikes or dips that coincide with specific marketing campaigns.
2. Website traffic. Another important metric to track is website traffic. This will give you an idea of how many people are seeing your marketing materials and then taking action by visiting your website. Look for increases in both overall traffic and targeted traffic (from specific demographics or geographic regions, for example).
3. Social media engagement. If you’re active on social media, pay attention to likes, comments, shares, and other forms of engagement. This will give you a sense of how well your content resonates with your target audience and whether they’re sharing it with others.
4. Leads generated. Finally, keep track of the leads generated by your marketing efforts. This includes both the number of leads and the quality of those leads (i.e., are they likely to convert?). A good way to measure lead quality is through conversion rate, which you can track using analytics software such as Google Analytics.

By monitoring these key indicators, you’ll be able to tell whether your marketing strategies and tactics are working—and make adjustments as needed to ensure continued success.

Read More: Are You Prepared for Google Analytics 4? Here’s What You Need to Know

Need Help With Digital Marketing?

In order to be successful in marketing in 2023, you need to develop a strategic mindset and understand how to combine different strategies and tactics. Our team of digital marketing specialists will help your business or nonprofit do just that through comprehensive marketing planning and execution.

If you would like to learn more about our services or schedule a meeting, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We would be happy to share our expertise with you and help your business grow!