Embracing Strategy Over Tacticifation: A Cautionary Tale for Prime Estate Agents - Edition 7
The shift from overarching strategies to a more tactic-centric approach has marked a significant trend in the rapidly evolving marketing world.
This phenomenon, tactification or tacticization, has been a focal point within marketing circles, driven mainly by the advent of digital marketing tools and platforms. Yet, as we dig deeper into the details of marketing dynamics, a consensus is emerging on the importance of revisiting strategic fundamentals.
Understanding the Strategy-Tactics Difference
At the heart of marketing lies the distinction between tactics and strategy. Marketing tactics are the direct actions taken to execute a marketing strategy - usually to drive instructions - embodying the "how" in the quest to achieve marketing goals.
These actions, which range from advertising to search engine optimisation (SEO) and affiliate partnerships, are crafted to resonate with the target audience, ensuring measurable outcomes - - usually instructions.
A marketing strategy is the overarching plan for achieving long-term goals. It requires a profound understanding of the market, customer segmentation and targeting, and product or service positioning.
The strategy is the "why" behind every marketing endeavour, guiding the selection and execution of various tactics.
The Dangers of Over-Tactification
The lean towards over-tactification, prioritising tactics at the expense of strategy, has drawn criticism for potentially oversimplifying the marketing discipline.
Serious marketers know that an excessive focus on tactics, particularly in social media and digital marketing, results in a strategic void, undermining the significance of consumer understanding and alignment with organisational objectives.
My marketing professor, Mark Ritson, underscores the peril of using tactics without a strategic backbone. He wisely argues for a resurgence in strategic focus, that a profound market understanding and a clearly described strategy are prerequisites for effective tactical deployment.
If the person telling you to focus on digital marketing runs a digital marketing agency, they are mere tacticians, not serious strategists. The same goes for direct mail, email, public relations, etc. Strategists are channel agnostic.
The most significant businesses and brands are strategic rather than tactical.
Getting Beyond Tactification
To sidestep the pitfalls of tactification, you can embrace a series of strategic measures:
1. Prioritise Strategic Planning: Initiate the marketing journey with a robust strategy detailing the target market, competitive landscape, and strategic goals.
2. Dive Deep into Market Research: Conduct comprehensive market research to gain insights into consumer preferences, behaviours, and the competitive world.
3. Harmonise Tactics with Strategy: Align selected marketing tactics with the broader strategy (not the other way round), ensuring they effectively engage the target audience.
4. Embrace Flexibility: Continuously evaluate the impact of marketing tactics and be ready to adapt based on performance insights and market dynamics.
While tactics are indispensable for executing marketing plans and creating instructions, they should not block out the foundational importance of strategic planning.
Balancing strategy and tactics is critical for marketing success for prime estate agents. This enables them to navigate the challenges of tactification with strategic wisdom.
By prioritising strategic depth over tactical catnip, prime estate agents can craft marketing endeavours that resonate with their audience and align with their long-term business objectives, setting a model for success in an increasingly competitive landscape.
Simon Leadbetter, founder of Unchained.Marketing