Understanding the importance of marketing strategy for small businesses

Marketing Strategy vs Tactics: What’s the Difference?

Here’s a simple breakdown:

Strategy	Tactics
Your plan	Your actions
Sets direction	Delivers the plan
Long-term thinking	Day-to-day activity
Defines goals, audiences, messaging	Covers tools like emails, ads, events, socials
Helps you prioritise	Keeps you moving

Why Small Businesses Get Stuck in ‘Doing’ Mode

It’s completely understandable and happens to us all! You’re under pressure to:

• Stay visible

• Keep up with competitors

• Show up online

• Get quick results.

  
  

And there’s often no one dedicated to marketing. It gets squeezed in between meetings, customer calls, or charity events.

So the first thing to go is planning. But without a marketing strategy, it’s hard to know if your tactics align with your goals — or just add noise.

How do you know where you are now?

5 Signs You Might Need a Strategy First

Here are some indicators that you might benefit from a clearer strategy:

• You're posting regularly but not getting much engagement.

• You’re not sure who you’re really targeting.

• Your message changes every few weeks.

• You’re trying too many things at once (and doing none of them well).

• You’re struggling to measure what’s working.

  
  

What a Simple Marketing Strategy Looks Like

You don’t need a 20-page PowerPoint. A basic one-pager can guide your efforts. It should include:

✅ Your target audience(s)

✅ Your key message or value proposition

✅ Your business or campaign goals

✅ Your main channels (social media, email, website, traditional media)

✅ A rough timeline or priorities

✅ How you’ll measure success.

Download: One-Page Marketing Strategy Template

This simple editable template (in Word format) will help you:

• Define your audience

• Clarify your goals

• Identify your core message

• Choose the right channels

• Focus your efforts and save time.

  
  

Download your template

One-Page-Marketing-Strategy-Template-Blue-Lizard-Marketing.docx

Download DOCX • 65KB

The Benefits of Getting Strategy Right First

✔️ Saves time

✔️ Makes it easier to prioritise

✔️ Helps others (staff or freelancers) support you effectively

✔️ Brings clarity and consistency to your marketing

✔️ Makes it easier to measure what’s working — and what’s not.

Need Help? That’s Where I Come In

At Blue Lizard Marketing, I help small businesses and charities:

• Build clear, realistic marketing strategies

• Get unstuck from the “doing trap”

• Put in place simple plans and consistent activity

• Deliver those plans with flexible, part-time support (1–2 days/week).

  
  

You don’t need to hire a full-time marketing manager or sign up with a big agency. Just someone to help make things clearer — and keep them moving.

For an informal chat, contact me at info@bluelizardmarketing.com.

Conclusion: Taking Control of Your Marketing Strategy

In conclusion, having a clear marketing strategy is essential for small businesses. It allows you to focus your efforts, measure your success, and ultimately achieve your goals. By prioritising strategy over tactics, you can save time and energy, ensuring that your marketing efforts are effective and aligned with your business objectives.

If you find yourself stuck in the "doing" trap, remember that help is available. I’m here to support you in developing a marketing strategy that works for you. Let’s take the first step together towards achieving your business goals!