Why Your Marketing Campaign Must Start With Strategy

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You may have been lured in to working with a marketing agency by their promises of immediate implementation or pie in the sky results. Or maybe you’re locked into a long-term contract with a marketing agency and “results” plateaued. Both are red flags that an intentional strategy is not in place. Quick, put on the brakes! Pull the cord! Sound the alarm!

Even though it’s tempting to ditch an agency to hire a junior marketer that jumps in and churns out content, the short term “results” could cause long term damage. You would be surprised how many companies hire marketing employees and then send them off to start creating content without a long term vision or plan in place.

Content creation without strategy inevitably requires you to go back and formulate a strategy. This costs you time and money — and severely damages your brand’s credibility and authority.

We often tell our clients it’s better to do something right the first time and take the time to do it well, than rush to meet an arbitrary deadline.

This applies to inbound marketing tactics such as:

• Social media content
• Blogging
• Sales collateral
• Your buyers’ journey
• Your buyer personas
• Drip campaigns
• … and much more!

Creating a solid marketing strategy

Data must always guide your strategy. Strategy is not the equivalent of the CEO’s personal preferences; strategy uses dynamic market research and real user data. Gathering data often required a strong, dedicated software like HubSpot’s Marketing Hub and heat mapping

When you combine real user data with expert Growth Strategists, you develop your story and systems that are key to effective marketing campaigns. Without a strong growth-driven strategy, you're flying blind toward the milestones that matter most. 

When looking to partner with a marketing agency, be weary of the one-size-fits-all approach. As every industry and business is different, so should a strong marketing campaign. Look for a team that asks a lot of questions in the sales process about who YOU are and what YOUR goals are. (Here is a list of questions to ask any marketing agency you are considering hiring.)

Whether you are a team of one, or have a large group of marketing professionals working with you, don’t rush the developmental strategy for your marketing efforts. Trust me, you’ll thank me later. Need help with your marketing strategy? Let's get in touch.