Tools vs. Strategies

by Don Kyle

Since the early 1990s, tremendous technological advances have been made in promoting businesses.  The primary goal of these tools is to help improve your market reach, thereby increasing sales and profitability.

Prior to the advent of these tools (such as email marketing, text message marketing, online coupons, websites, and of course social media), we conducted business the old fashion way — print advertising, networking, building the brand, word of mouth, community involvement, etc.

I have noticed, however, that many are confusing these tools with strategies.  Strategy is defined as “a plan, method, or series of maneuvers or stratagems for obtaining a specific goal or result,” while Tool is defined as“anything used as a means of accomplishing a task or purpose.”

While these technological advances can be of great use in more efficiently reaching your market, they alone are not a strategy; rather they are simply tools to help you implement your marketing plan.  You must be able to achieve all the objectives you have in the past, but much more efficiently and effectively through the use of these tools, particularly in today’s competitive economy.

So how can you utilize these tools to grow your business?  Here are a few suggestions for you to consider.

1.  Review the objectives and goals for your marketing plan.

2.  For each objective, identify the available tools that can help you reach the stated goal.

3.  After identifying the tools to use (within your budget), review how these will interface and complement each other.  In other words, the selected tools must mesh and not conflict.  An example of a conflict may be your email marketing targeting one market while your social media targets a completely different demographic or market.

4.  Leverage your tools, by cross-promoting, e.g., push tools such as email marketing driving traffic to your Facebook page.

5.  Take a 20,000 ft. look at your strategy.  Make sure it makes sense.  Make sure you are taking the steps necessary that can generate results, in an efficient, cost effective way.  Then, implement your strategy and monitor your results.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions about growing your business.

Don Kyle is the CEO and Founder of Small Bizz MBA, a company which assists businesses with their marketing, branding and advertising needs.  (404) 580-6331, dkyle@smallbizzmba.com