Marketing Strategy vs Tactics: Why Many Small Businesses Get Stuck!

Claire Elbrow
Aug 7
2 min read

When time is tight, it’s easy to jump into “doing” mode — send a few emails, post on Instagram, sponsor a local event. You feel like you're being productive, but after a while, you might wonder… is any of this actually working?

If that sounds familiar, you're not alone. Many small businesses and charities fall into the same trap — focusing on tactics before they’ve nailed their strategy.

The result? Scattered marketing, wasted time, and slow progress. Let’s demystify the difference — and help you take back control.

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 no one dedicated to marketing — it’s often 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 are aligned with your goals — or just adding noise.

How do you know where you are now?

Here's 5 Signs You Might Need a Strategy First

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

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 want to 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