Marketing Strategy: How to Implement It Correctly
Why Business Requires a Marketing Strategy
A clear strategy is necessary for both emerging and established brands. It performs several important functions:
- First, a clear plan sets the overall direction for marketing. This way, you optimize resources without wasting efforts on chaotic campaigns.
- Second, such a foundation helps you avoid common mistakes and focus on effective methods. For example, it immediately becomes clear which channels are a better fit for communication.
- Third, a thought-out approach increases the effectiveness of all marketing actions, from advertising to customer retention, thanks to consistency and a unified goal.
To put it simply, a strategy is needed so that every cent invested in promotion works towards achieving measurable goals instead of being spent chaotically.
How to Create a Marketing Strategy: Step-by-Step Guide
1. Market Research
The first stage is to conduct a comprehensive analysis of data on the current situation. Marketers study the internal environment of the company, including business processes, products, resources, and current indicators.
The external environment is analyzed simultaneously: macroeconomic factors, market trends, legislation, technologies, and other conditions that affect the business. The target market is also evaluated as part of the analysis. SWOT and PEST analyses are used to identify strengths and weaknesses and to consider market threats.
2. Setting Goals and Objectives
After analyzing the situation, it's important to understand what exactly you want to achieve. The marketing strategy goals should be aligned with the overall business objectives, for example, revenue growth, reaching out to a new audience, or strengthening the brand in the market. The goals should be clear, understandable, and achievable within specific deadlines (SMART Goals), making them easier to implement and track progress.
For example, a goal might sound like this: “increase market share in the region from 10% to 15% within a year” or “attract 1000 new customers through online channels within a quarter”. In addition to ultimate goals, it is useful to identify intermediate tasks and KPIs: the number of leads, conversions to purchase, retention, and other indicators.
3. Developing the Strategy
At this stage, the strategy itself is formulated.
First, positioning and value propositions for each target segment are defined: what are the product's advantages when compared to competitors, what problem it solves for the customer, and what brand image will be promoted. Next, promotion channels are selected, ranging from classic channels (television, outdoor advertising) to modern digital ones (website, contextual advertising, SMM, email marketing, etc.).
Tactics and events are also planned during the strategy development stage. A comprehensive marketing plan is created, detailing stages of work, campaigns, promotions, content plans, and more.
4. Implementing the Strategy
Once the strategy is approved, the implementation phase begins. This may include launching advertising campaigns in selected channels, conducting mailings, publishing content, collaborating with influencers, implementing loyalty programs, and other tactical steps.
5. Monitoring, Analysis, and Optimization
No strategy works effectively without constant monitoring. The final (but essentially continuous) phase is monitoring the results. Data analysis shows what works well and what requires improvement.
Key Principles of a Modern Marketing Strategy
The modern consumer market dictates new principles that must be considered when building a strategy. Four main principles required for a successful strategy in 2025 are highlighted below: omnichannel, personalization, effective data storage, and marketing automation.
| Principle | Description | Key Benefits |
|---|---|---|
| Omnichannel | Seamless interaction with the customer through multiple channels: website, app, email, social media, offline, etc. | Increased satisfaction and loyalty; increase in repeat purchases; unified customer experience |
| Personalization | Tailoring communications to each customer based on their behavior, interests, and purchase history | Increased conversion and response rates; higher revenue; precise targeting of customer interests |
| Data Storage and Analytics | Centralized collection and analysis of customer data from all sources to build a unified profile and derive insights | Support for omnichannel and personalization; predictive analytics; strategy optimization |
| Marketing Automation | Using technologies to trigger scenarios, send messages, segment the audience, and optimize marketing efforts without human involvement | Resource savings; timely touchpoints; scalable communication; reduction of human factor |
Tools for Implementing the Marketing Strategy
To bring the strategy to life, businesses use various marketing tools: software solutions and services that simplify communication with customers and data management.
Let's take a look at several key categories of tools:
- CRM System. CRM (Customer Relationship Management) is a system for storing, organizing, and automating work with customers. It helps track purchases, inquiries, deal stages, segment the database, and build long-term relationships. For example, you can set up a reminder for a call or automatically send an offer to VIP customers.
- CDP and Marketing Automation. A CDP is a platform that collects and integrates customer data from various sources into a single repository. Unlike CRM, it focuses on marketing information and helps segment the audience and send precise messages.
- Email Marketing and Mailing Services. Email marketing remains an important channel for communication with customers. It helps attract, retain, and bring back customers through personalized and automated messages. Email remains effective in both B2C and B2B thanks to its low cost and high ROI. Businesses use mailing services for automation, database segmentation, and tracking results. Modern platforms often include not just email but also other channels, such as SMS, push notifications, CRM, and advertising integrations.
Altcraft CDP — Omnichannel Marketing Platform
Altcraft is a Russian marketing platform and omnichannel solution for communications.
Templates may include names, interests, promo codes. The Best Send Time module selects the best time to send a campaign based on customer behavior. A/B/n testing helps choose the most effective version of a message. All this increases responsiveness and reduces noise in communications.
The system has a built-in repository for analytical data, allowing tracking of dynamics on key metrics over an extended period. For example, you can immediately see how a new strategy has impacted average order value or customer return.
Such transparency speeds up decision-making. If a campaign underperforms, the platform shows that immediately so you can promptly adjust your marketing efforts. For collecting feedback, there is a survey and forms module: it conveniently collects applications, comments, loyalty ratings (NPS), and insights not shown in numbers.
Examples of Marketing Strategies in Different Niches
Customers order drinks online and pick them up in-store without waiting in line. All data (purchases, points, participation in promotions) is synchronized across channels. Starbucks collects customer information (order history, geolocation, surveys) and uses it for personalized recommendations and coupons.
The loyalty program is multi-tiered: purchases are rewarded with stars that can be exchanged for free drinks, encouraging repeat visits.
This approach enhances loyalty: people feel that the service understands them. A striking example is the Spotify Wrapped campaign, where users receive their music statistics for the year and may share those on social media, increasing brand engagement and recognition.
Conclusion
A good marketing strategy is a clear plan that helps businesses focus on effective actions: understanding the audience, building communication, and choosing the right channels.
To ensure that the strategy yields results, it is essential to regularly review the stages of the marketing strategy, analyze data, and adjust the approach. Platforms like Altcraft that combine everything from data storage to automation can assist you with that.
A clear plan, combined with the right tools, leads to business growth.
