Marketing strategy the whole business can get behind.
Get clear on who to spend your money chasing and what to say to make them listen. With The Marketing Steer, it’s all focus, no faff. And no unnecessary costs or complications.
Have you been driving without a destination?
It’s rare to get behind the wheel of a car and drive off without knowing where you’re going. Yet so many businesses are doing exactly that with their marketing. In fact, only 33% of businesses have a strategy in place,* even though strategy is crucial for cost-efficient marketing.
You might have an important goal in mind – “Grow the business by 5%”, for example. But it’s equal to saying, “I want to get to Sheffield”, without first planning your route and checking how much fuel you need for the journey.
Luckily for you, I’m here to hand you the map and show you the most efficient way to succeed in marketing. With my help, you won't lose precious time wondering which turn to take. And you'll no longer worry if you're wasting money, by driving in the wrong direction.
The key to effective marketing? Focus
Having a solid strategy in place can bring a ton of benefits to your business. But the biggest benefit is focus.
When you know who your perfect prospects are, you won’t waste time chasing people who’ll never buy from you. When you know how to make them stop and listen, you won’t miss opportunities to turn leads into loyal customers. When you know how to position yourself, you'll worry less about the competition.
And when you know all that, you’ll know how to increase revenue without increasing marketing costs at the same rate. Because focused marketing is cost-efficient marketing.
Far too many businesses stretch themselves too thin by trying to appeal to everyone, on every channel.
When you develop a marketing strategy with me, you’ll end up with more than just a strategy. You’ll free up more time for your team. Discover cost savings to invest back into the business. And you'll have the information you need to prioritise what will most impact your bottom line. You’ll have found your focus.
What’s my process for creating a marketing strategy?
1. Take stock
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We’ll set up the project, establish timings and how we’ll work together, and I’ll ask you a ton of questions. We’ll discuss your current challenges, your business objectives and any known audiences. I’ll then do a deep dive into your marketing. Not quite a marketing audit, this review gives me a high-level view of what you’re doing now.
2. Find our people
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My favourite part. This is where I’ll really poke around and get to know the people most likely to find value in your products or services. I’ll review any information you already have and conduct research to better understand motivations, challenges and possible barriers to choosing your business.
3. Plant our flag
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After that, we’ll consider your competitors and heir strengths or weaknesses in relation to the needs of the prospects we’ve discovered. I’ll also look at alternatives those people might choose beyond your competitors. Armed with all that understanding, I’ll recommend positioning for your business. It will be authentic and speak to customer needs.
4. Look ahead
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We now know who we’re talking to and what we need to say to make them listen. So it’s time to get our skates on. I’ll recommend marketing objectives that future activity should aim to fulfil and help you define the marketing budget needed to meet those objectives.
Why choose The Marketing Steer?
By now, you already know that you need a marketing strategy. But what’s so special about my marketing strategies?
✅ 100% strategy. Unlike a marketing agency, you’re not paying for or dealing with lots of middle-men.
✅ Constant communication. Upfront project plan, weekly updates and scheduled check-ins mean you always know where you stand.
✅ Onboarding workshop. Be confident that I understand your business fully before we go further.
✅ Full team input. Interviews with company stakeholders ensure their perspectives are considered.
✅ Final presentation. Make sure your team knows how to use the new strategy.
✅ Complete from as little as 8 weeks. Get straight down to the business and find focus fast.
✅ 3 weeks email support. Extra time to ask questions or soundboard your ideas, as you implement the new strategy.
✅ Flexible payment plans. Spread the cost of your investment to better manage cashflow.
✅ Ready to use, straightforward strategy. Leave with a strategy that everyone can work with, and that doesn’t take hours to decipher.
Marketing strategy tailored to your business
Same slick process throughout, but priced to give you only what you need. Get in touch today and we can decide which strategy best meets your needs.
The single solution strategy
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It might be called the single solution strategy but it still packs a punch. It’s designed for businesses that sell one type of product/service. You might sell add-ons or variations too, but the people buying them remain the same.
For example, you’re an accountant dealing with companies of all sizes, but you only provide accountancy services.
£5,950 exc. VAT
The multi market strategy
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This strategy is for those selling more than one type of service or product. For example, you run a hotel and spa. The two areas of the business will attract different people for different reasons, even if there's some overlap.
When you have more than one key service, we need to spend extra time considering the needs of the different people attracted to each.
£8,450 exc. VAT
The niche strategy
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Do you provide a very specific product/service to a small or emerging market? If so, information about your audience might not be readily available. If that’s the case, we’ll need to invest in new research to develop a strategy for you.
Sound like you? Get in touch to get a bespoke quote.
£ Price on enquiry
The DIY strategy
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Smaller business working on a tight budget? Need help but can’t afford to invest in my services right now? This option will be perfect for you.
Through a series of videos, I’ll guide you through the process of developing a marketing strategy. You’ll do the work in your own time, at your own pace, and we’ll meet at crucial points to check you’re heading in the right direction.
Do you really need a marketing strategy?
It’s a great question and the theoretical answer is yes. But I’m also a realist.
Budget already stretched? You could probably spend your money better elsewhere short-term. I typically work with businesses with an annual turnover of £800k+ for this reason. After you’ve got a strategy, you'll still need money to run your marketing each month.
If you aren’t currently generating that amount, I’m developing a DIY strategy course for those with smaller budgets, so be sure to sign up for the waitlist for that. You could also book a marketing consultation with me if you need help sooner.
However, if you have the budget and you’re serious about growing your business, my marketing strategies can give you the tools to do that. They aren’t cheap. I know that. But they do provide significant value.
Strategy is an investment and can make your marketing much more effective in the short and long term.
You'll especially benefit from a marketing strategy if you’re:
Launching a new product or service in a new market
Facing increased competition within your market
Trying to reduce the cost of your marketing, without impacting revenue
Concerned that your current spend has a low return on investment (ROI)
Starting to spend more on your marketing and want to ensure it’s effective
Looking to focus your resources, because your teams are overstretched
Not clear on who your most valuable prospects are and/or what to say to them
How can I make my marketing strategy more impactful?
These optional add-on services will see me take your marketing from strategy to action. Bonus points if you book upfront because I offer cost savings to those that do.
Messaging
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A messaging framework enables you, and anyone else working with you, to talk consistently. About your business, brand and products or services across all channels. No matter who’s creating the content.
I’ll highlight the most important features and benefits to communicate, based on the audiences we’ve identified in the strategy. So that you’re never in doubt about what you should say to best attract customers.
Marketing planning
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This is where we take our new strategy and choose the tools we’ll use to make it real.
A marketing plan will tell you which channels to prioritise, how much budget to allocate to each, whether to run campaigns and what to say in them. Confused? Read about the difference between marketing strategy and marketing planning now. But in short, planning is where we delve into the nitty gritty detail of marketing.
Are you up for the challenge?
Not all businesses can create a robust marketing strategy.
It’s far too easy to become buried under the weight of everything you want to say, chase everyone for fear of missing potential sales and only evaluate your competitors subjectively, rather than considering how your audience might view them. Sometimes, it’s impossible to even find the time to think about all that, let alone do it.
Good strategy requires honesty. You have to be honest about your business’s strengths and weaknesses and make tough decisions if you want to create a marketing strategy that brings focus.
It’s a challenge, and an investment into the future success of your business. Not all businesses understand that. And those businesses are the ones that spread themselves too thin, lack clear direction and lose customers to competitors.