Stop following fleeting marketing trends — jumping from one random act of marketing to the next, spinning your wheels and wasting time, money and resources.
2024 is in full swing, and marketing trends will continue to evolve faster than you can keep up. But let’s pause and refocus, because amidst the constant marketing landscape fluctuations, the bedrock of any successful venture remains the same: a well-thought-out marketing strategy and a corresponding plan to execute it.
Below is a 6-step process to ensure your marketing plan is rooted in strategy, not just fleeting trends.
This is your guide to laying a foundation that will weather any storm, ensuring that your business isn’t just following trends, but leading with a vision.
Step #1: Outline Your Business & Marketing Goals
Start with the end in mind. What do you want to achieve this year? Think in terms of revenue targets, customer acquisition & retention, market penetration or product launches…
What offers are currently driving the most revenue in your business?
Do you want to diversify your revenue streams?
Any new products/offers that you want to launch?
Are there any new markets you want to tap into?
How is your customer retention? Could it be better?
These goals should be specific, measurable and tightly aligned with your overall business vision.
By defining clear business objectives, you can then outline the marketing goals that will help you achieve those objectives and create a roadmap that guides every marketing decision you make.
For example, let’s say you run a small e-commerce business that sells handmade jewelry. Your business goal for 2024 could be to increase revenue by 30%. To align with this objective, your marketing goal may be to improve your online visibility (optimizing your website for search engines, increasing engagement on social media, running Facebook ads, creating email marketing campaigns, etc.) so that you can attract more customers and create more sales.
Action Item: Choose 1-3 goals for your business. Ensure the goals are measurable and aligned with your overall business vision. Then, choose marketing goals that will help you achieve those business goals.
Step #2: Identify Your Target Audiences
Knowing your audience is like having a treasure map; it leads you to the gold.
Crafting detailed buyer personas goes beyond mere demographics — it’s about knowing their daily challenges, their deepest needs and how your product or service fits into their lives.
Use these personas to inform and empower your marketing messaging. By pinpointing the exact problem your product solves, you can tailor your messaging to speak directly to that pain point, resonating with your audience on a personal level. This connection is invaluable and can transform casual browsers into loyal customers.
Keeping with the handmade jewelry business example, one of your target audiences might be environmentally-conscious consumers who appreciate unique, sustainable products. So you would need to create a detailed buyer persona that goes beyond demographics to include their values, preferences and lifestyle. Understand their challenges, such as finding eco-friendly jewelry options and how your products fit into their lives.
Action Item: Craft detailed buyer personas that reflect your audience’s needs, and tailor your marketing messaging to address specific pain points that resonate on a personal level. You can use our free Customer Persona Development tool to aid you in developing your personas.
Step #3: Conduct a Competitive Analysis
It’s a battlefield out there, and knowledge is your armor. Analyze your competitors to gauge your market position. What are they doing well? Where are they falling short?
A thorough competitive analysis not only reveals your position in the marketplace but also uncovers areas where you can innovate and improve. For example, if a competitor’s weakness is customer service, make yours exemplary. By doing so, you can turn their weakness into your competitive edge, providing a clear choice for customers when they’re deciding whom to trust.
Use this intelligence to strengthen your business, identify market gaps you can fill and develop strategies to protect against industry threats.
In the case of the handmade jewelry market, you would analyze competitors in that industry, determining what they excel at and where they fall short. If a competitor lacks strong customer service, prioritize exceptional service as a competitive edge. Showcase customer testimonials and reviews to highlight this strength.
Action Item: Evaluate your competitors to uncover market opportunities and threats. Innovate and improve your offer (and marketing) based on those competitors’ weaknesses. Spyfu is a great free tool to help you with your competitor analysis.
Step #4: Craft Your Core Message
What makes your business the best choice for your customers? That’s the heart of your core message. It’s a promise, a commitment to solving your customers’ problems better than anyone else. This message should resonate through all your marketing efforts, distinguishing you from the competition and connecting with your audience on a deeper level.
For instance, if your jewelry product is the most durable on the market, don’t just state that claim — emphasize how it translates to long-term savings and reliability for the customer. Your core message should be a beacon that consistently shines across all your marketing materials.
Action Item: Define what makes your business the best choice, and ensure your core message resonates with customers and differentiates you from competitors. ChatGPT is a great tool for developing messaging and content.
Step #5: Determine Your Content Pillars
Content pillars are the thematic cornerstones of your content strategy. They ensure that every piece of content you create is not only relevant and valuable to your audience but also reinforces your brand’s message and contributes to your SEO efforts.
Choose topics that are not only relevant to your target keywords but also provide real value to your audience. This approach ensures your content efforts drive traffic, engage readers and support your business goals. By strategically selecting and developing these pillars, you build a content ecosystem that supports your marketing goals from multiple angles.
For instance, you may choose content pillars relevant to your handmade jewelry business, such as ‘sustainable practices,’ ‘handcrafting process,’ and ‘customer success stories.’
Action Item: Select topics relevant to target keywords and that are valuable to your audience. Develop 5-7 content pillars that align with your marketing goals. Create content around these themes to engage your audience, drive traffic and reinforce your brand’s message. You can use Google Trends to help you determine the right keywords/topics to target.
Step #6: Document Your 90-Day Marketing Plan
Break your marketing strategy into a 90-day sprint/plan and document it. This allows for agility and responsiveness to market changes. This approach helps you stay on track with your annual goals while adapting to any market changes.
In the instance of the jewelry business, you may decide to create the following quarterly marketing plan:
- 5 organic (IG/FB) social media posts/week
- 1 email marketing campaign/week
- 1 promo offer/month
- 1 blog/month
- 1 guest blog (backlink)/month
- 1 FB ad campaign per quarter
Action Item: Create a 90-day plan, outlining your priorities, marketing mix and channels. Decide on content formats, frequency and timelines. Assign responsibilities and set measurable key performance indicators (KPIs). Budget for your activities, but remain flexible to pivot as needed. Here’s a free content calendar to help you map out your activities.
By having a clear, documented plan, you can measure success, make informed decisions and maintain momentum throughout the year.
Conclusion
In the race to stay relevant, it’s easy to lose sight of what truly matters. Remember, a marketing strategy and plan that are carefully crafted and rooted in the core of your business will always outlast trends. Adaptability and flexibility are important, but they must be grounded in strategic thinking.
By focusing on these steps, you’re not just preparing for the year ahead; you’re setting the stage for enduring success. So, resist the urge to jump on every new trend. Instead, invest in a marketing plan that’s built on a solid strategy—your business will thank you.
Ready to craft a marketing plan that stands the test of time? today and start building a future-proof strategy for your business.
Article written by Debbie Oster, a passionate Digital Marketing Strategist and the Cofounder of Entrepreneur’s Edge, a strategy-first marketing firm. As partners with Mi Group, both organizations are committed to empowering their clients for success in the digital landscape.