Strategy is a Tactic … Wait … What?!?!
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Strategy is a Tactic … Wait … What?!?!

July 5, 2021

What’s your Strategy to reach your business goals and vision … is it solid and well thought out?

 

When most people think about marketing, they, in almost all cases, think Tactics. And rightly so because good tactics will get you results. But, and it’s a big but, without good, solid Strategy behind those Tactics, those results will be fragmented, lack focus and fall short of your goals.

 

So what is Strategy?

 

Strategy in business, is the process of creating a set of well-aligned activities or tactics, with the aim of occupying a valuable position in a competitive landscape.

 

About 2,500 years ago, Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu wrote “The Art of War.” In it, he said, “Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.” 

 

Strategic Thinking And Tactical Planning Belong Together

 

Strategy and Tactics are not at odds with one another.  Strategy and tactics belong together in the planning process … but they’re very different in the value they provide. It’s important to understand how the two work together, while providing unique value during the planning process.

 

Strategy Defines What … Based on You Why

Strategy is the intent … it determines what needs to be done and why, by questioning its effectiveness. The direction you take is defined by intentional, focused, high-level thinking aligned with the goals, objectives and vision you want to achieve.

Tactics Define How and When

Tactics are putting intent to action … they determine how it is done by focusing on efficiency, things like cost, effort, and resources. Tactics involve taking concrete actions  and the necessary steps to implementation aligned with your strategic goals, objectives and vision.

 

Strategy is a Tactic … wait … what?!?! 

If you think of Strategy as a Tactic, then it becomes much easier to include it in a client’s Marketing Plan and for clients to accept its value.

Does that explain why so many marketers jump right into Tactics when their clients ask them for a Marketing Plan? Yes … because most Marketing Plans lay out tactical deployment to get results. 

What most marketers fail to do is realize that Strategy is the first, and perhaps most important Tactic. Without that Strategic foundation of discovering Why a business does What it does, all the well thought out Tactics in the world will simply be a lot of noise.

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