What Actually Is a Marketing Strategy? (Because Most People Get This Wrong)

David and his clients at Hello Social Avenues Marketing Mixer Event

Let’s clear something up.

Most people think a marketing strategy is:

•  A few social media posts 

• A logo and brand colours 

• Some ads that “might work” 

• A vague hope it’ll bring in leads

That’s not strategy — that’s spray and pray.

Here’s what a real marketing strategy is:

➡️ A focused plan to attract the right people, earn their trust, and move them to take action — in a way that aligns with your business goals. 

Ultimately going from cold to sold.

It’s not about being everywhere.

It’s about being in the right place, with the right message, for the right person.

So here’s how I define strategy:

Strategy = Clear Goal + Clear Audience + Clear Action Plan

You should know:

• What you’re trying to achieve

• Who you’re trying to reach

• What steps you’re taking to get there

• And how you’ll measure if it’s working

Simple? Yes.

Easy? No. Most people skip this step.

Here’s where most businesses go wrong:

❌ No clear goal

❌ No defined audience

❌ No system — just random activity

❌ No follow-up process

❌ No way to track success

And then they wonder why the leads don’t come.

Want to get it right? Do this today:

1. Write down your 1 marketing goal for the next 90 days

2. Define your ideal customer

3. Choose 3 consistent actions you’ll take weekly

From this point on, your marketing is about the activity and execution you take over a 90-day period. 

That’s your strategy starter kit.

Let me give you a real example.

I did a strategy session workshop with a team of Directors at a Web Design and App Development Agency. 

The problem? 

• No personal brand

• No marketing plan

• No idea where to start or what to post

We built out a clear individual strategy for each director (there were 3 of them) to align with their goals, their strengths and personalities. 

We also identified a clear target audience for each of them (this matched the key business objectives for the year). 

Finally, we decided on the consistent action to take every single day. 

The results? 

Within the first week, they generated 5 solid leads from their existing network and converted 1. 

"David did a morning workshop with me and my team on LinkedIn and it was unreal. The results we have had in 3 weeks on LinkedIn (organic) has been the best we have ever had in 6+ years of using it. 5 solid leads and 1 converted… mental." - Andrew Claypole - MD, Reach Studios

In the 2 weeks, I’ll walk you through how to create content that actually converts — not just content that looks nice.

Until then, keep it simple. Build with intention.

And remember: you don’t need more content — you need more clarity.