Developing A Marketing Strategy: Step-by-Step + Templates

Busy doesn’t equal effective. If you’re juggling ads, social posts and email blasts without a joined‑up plan, you’re likely leaking budget, chasing vanity metrics and struggling to prove impact. What you need is a strategy that ties commercial goals to the right audiences, messages, channels and numbers.

This guide gives you a process to build a marketing strategy that fits your business. You’ll set goals, choose where to play and how to win, then translate that into tactics, budgets and KPIs you can track. It stays practical and evidence‑based, with templates, examples and sensible use of AI to speed the work.

We’ll move step‑by‑step through audit, segmentation and personas, journeys and jobs‑to‑be‑done, positioning and value proposition, 7Ps alignment, channel and content planning, SEO foundations, measurement and attribution, experimentation, governance and UK GDPR. By the end, you’ll have a one‑page strategy, a roadmap and a checklist you can execute with confidence.

Step 1. Define your business goals and SMART marketing objectives

Every strong strategy starts with clarity on outcomes. Anchor your marketing to 2–3 commercial goals from your business plan (revenue, margin, market share, customer retention), then translate them into a small set of SMART marketing objectives that you can own. Avoid vague ambitions like “get more leads” — be precise about the target, timeline, and how you’ll measure success.

• Specific: State exactly what will change and for whom.
• Measurable: Tie to a metric you can track reliably.
• Achievable: Ambitious but realistic with current resources.
• Relevant: Directly supports a business goal.
• Time‑bound: Fixed deadline to create urgency and focus.

Choose 3–5 KPIs that map to your funnel and channel mix. Common choices include: organic traffic, conversion rate, marketing qualified leads (MQLs), customer acquisition cost (CAC) and customer lifetime value (CLV). Establish baselines first, then set targets, owners and checkpoints. This keeps objectives evidence‑based and makes progress visible.

Objective: Grow profitable new customer acquisition in the UK SMB segment.

Key Results:
- MQLs: 400 -> 560 per quarter by Q4 (Owner: Marketing)
- CAC: ≤ £180 per new customer by Q4 (Owner: Marketing/Finance)
- Website conversion rate: 2.0% -> 2.6% by Q4 (Owner: Web/CRO)

Assumptions/Notes: Paid budget £X/month; sales capacity +1 FTE; priority channels SEO + Paid Search.

Lock objectives before picking tactics, and review them quarterly to course‑correct. With goals and SMART measures in place, you’re ready to audit where you are now — the essential foundation for developing a marketing strategy that actually delivers.

Step 2. Audit your current position: market, customers, and performance

Before developing a marketing strategy, get a clear picture of where you stand. Your audit should combine outside-in market insight with inside-out performance data so you can set realistic targets, spot gaps, and prioritise the levers that will move the numbers.

• Market & category: Size, growth, seasonal patterns, and key trends. Use desktop research first, then validate with light primary research.
• Customers & demand: Who buys, why, and what blocks them. Mix methods: desktop research, quantitative surveys, and qualitative interviews/focus groups to get depth.
• Competitors: Who your buyers compare you with, their positioning, pricing, and channel focus. Capture proof points (messaging, offers, content).
• Performance & funnel: Baselines for traffic by channel, lead volume/quality, conversion rates, sales cycle length, CAC and CLV. Track only metrics you can measure consistently.
• Channel & content assets: Owned (site, blog, email, social), paid (search, social, display), and earned (PR, reviews, UGC). Identify what drives results and what underperforms.
• Website & data hygiene: Analytics configured, events/goals firing, CRM fields usable, UTM discipline in place. If you can’t trust the data, fix that first.

Run a quick SWOT to synthesise findings: build on strengths, minimise weaknesses, seize opportunities, and counter threats. This sharpens the story of where you can win and why now.

Audit Pack (Outputs)
- Baselines: Traffic, CVR, MQLs, CAC, CLV (last 12 months)
- Market/competitor snapshot (1–2 slides)
- Customer insights: top jobs-to-be-done + pain points
- SWOT + 3–5 priority issues/opportunities
- Data risks: tracking gaps, attribution caveats

Keep it concise, evidence-led, and visual. Your audit is the bridge between objectives and the segmentation work in the next step.

Step 3. Segment your market and build buyer personas (STP)

If you try to speak to everyone, you resonate with no one. Segmentation, targeting and positioning (STP) turns a vague “market” into specific customer groups you can serve better than rivals. This is the pivot point in developing a marketing strategy: pick the right battles, and the rest of your plan becomes simpler, cheaper, and more effective.

Start with the data from your audit, then move methodically through STP. Keep it practical: quantify segments, choose a small number to prioritise, and capture what truly drives choice.

1. Segment the market: Choose the most useful lenses for your context — demographic/firmographic, geographic, psychographic, behavioural, and value-based. Use CRM and analytics to group by needs, pain points and jobs-to-be-done, not just surface attributes. Size each segment and note decision-makers vs end users.
2. Target the right few: Score segments against clear criteria — size/growth, accessibility, profitability (CLV–CAC), and strategic fit. Select 1–2 primary segments and a secondary “emerging” segment. Define explicit “do-not-target” groups to protect focus.
3. Draft initial positioning hypotheses: For each target, note the primary outcome they want and the proof you can supply. You’ll validate and sharpen this in Step 5.

Now turn targets into human stories with buyer personas. In B2B, model the buying committee (economic buyer, end user, technical adviser) as separate personas. Keep them evidence-led and actionable, not wish lists.

Persona: “Operations Olivia” (Primary)
Role: Ops Manager, 50–150 staff | Industry: Light manufacturing | Location: South West
Goals: Hit OTIF > 95%, reduce downtime
Pains: Fragmented tools, slow onboarding, limited reporting
Triggers: New site launch, missed SLAs, cost overrun
Buying criteria: Fast implementation, proven ROI in < 6 months, integrations with X/Y
Objections: Disruption risk, vendor lock-in
Channels: Google search, industry forums, LinkedIn groups
Key messages: Reduce downtime by X%, live dashboards for execs

STP Pack (Outputs)
- Segment definitions + sizing
- Scoring matrix and chosen targets (primary/secondary/exclusions)
- ICP summary per target
- 2–4 buyer personas (incl. buying roles) with jobs, pains, criteria, objections

Keep personas tight, test them with sales and customers, and revisit quarterly as you learn.

Step 4. Map the buyer journey and jobs to be done

Great campaigns fail when they meet buyers at the wrong moment. Mapping the buyer journey and clarifying jobs to be done (JTBD) aligns your content, offers and channels to real decision moments. It also exposes friction you must remove. This is the glue between your STP choices and day‑to‑day execution when developing a marketing strategy.

Core journey stages to map

Start with stages and the critical questions, proof and metrics that move a prospect forward.

• Awareness: What triggers action? What questions start the search? Proof needed: credibility, relevance. Useful: SEO articles, short video, social. Metrics: organic sessions, scroll depth, engaged visits.
• Consideration: How do they compare options and reduce risk? Proof: demos, calculators, comparison pages, webinars, email nurture, retargeting. Metrics: content completion, demo registrations, newsletter sign‑ups.
• Decision: Who signs off? What objections stall deals? Proof: case studies, ROI one‑pagers, live demos, trials. Channels: sales enablement, remarketing. Metrics: opp→win rate, time‑to‑close, CAC.
• Onboarding/Retention/Expansion: How do they realise value fast? Proof: tutorials, onboarding emails, QBRs. Metrics: time‑to‑value, activation rate, NPS, repeat/expansion revenue.

Jobs to be done (JTBD)

Capture the progress the buyer seeks, not just features.

When [trigger], I want to [job], so I can [desired outcome].

Example (Operations Olivia): “When on‑time delivery drops, I want to see live bottlenecks, so I can cut downtime this quarter without hiring.”

How to build it quickly

• Interview 5–10 customers across wins/losses to surface triggers, steps, emotions, blockers and proof points.
• Map the linear path and loops, noting owners, tools and friction per step; attach content/CTA ideas.
• Quantify drop‑offs with analytics/CRM and prioritise fixes with the biggest impact.

Journey Map Pack (Outputs)
- Stage-by-stage map with triggers, questions, blockers, proof
- JTBD statements per persona
- Content/CTA ideas per stage + success metrics

Step 5. Analyse competitors and define your positioning and value proposition

Positioning is a choice, not a slogan. A sharp competitor analysis shows where you can credibly win, then your positioning and value proposition make that choice obvious and compelling to the buyer. Keep this evidence-led and anchored in the jobs and journeys you mapped in the previous step.

Run a concise competitor analysis

Focus on the options your buyers genuinely shortlist (including “do nothing” as a competitor). For each priority rival, capture what matters to customers, not every detail.

• Who and what: Core products/services, pricing model, target segments.
• Where they play: Primary channels (SEO, paid search, social, partners), content strengths.
• What they claim: Headline promises, proof (case studies, reviews, certifications).
• How they perform: UX cues, trial/demo experience, sales motions, service levels.
• Why they win/lose: Validate with 5–10 win/loss interviews.

Plot a quick perceptual map on two buyer-relevant axes (e.g. “time-to-value” vs “total cost”) to reveal open space for differentiation.

Build your positioning

Tie positioning to a specific segment and frame of reference, then lead with the primary outcome they value and the proof you can demonstrate.

Positioning statement:
For [target segment/persona] who [primary need], [brand] is the [frame of reference]
that [core benefit] because [reasons to believe/proof]. Unlike [main alternatives], we [distinctive difference].

Articulate your value proposition

Express the value in outcomes, not features. Quantify where you have evidence and address key objections upfront.

Value proposition one‑liner:
We help [who] achieve [desired outcome/metric] in [timeframe], without [common pain],
through [capability] proven by [proof point].

• Reasons to believe: Customer results, benchmarks, integrations, awards, independent reviews.

Competitive & Positioning Pack (Outputs)
- One-page profile per key competitor + perceptual map
- Positioning statement (final) + 3 reasons to believe
- Value proposition one-liner (per primary segment)
- “Do/Don’t say” guardrails to keep messaging consistent

Step 6. Shape your marketing mix (7Ps) to fit your strategy

With segments chosen and a clear position, tune the full 7Ps so your offer, price, routes to market and delivery all reinforce that choice. This is where developing a marketing strategy becomes operational: you align what you sell, how you sell it, and how customers experience it, so every lever supports the outcome your buyer values most.

• Product (or Service): Package capabilities around the primary job-to-be-done. Create tiered bundles, add-ons and guarantees that reduce perceived risk. Retire features no segment values.
• Price: Match your position. If you promise fast time-to-value, consider outcome-based, tiered, or transparent pricing. Define discounts, contract terms, and renewal rules to protect margin and CLV.
• Place (Distribution): Choose the paths your targets trust: website/self-serve, marketplaces, partners, or direct sales. Remove friction (live chat, instant demo, trials) where your journey map shows stall points.
• Promotion: Set the role of each channel at each journey stage (awareness vs demand vs enablement). You’ll detail tactics in Steps 8–9; here, define the mix and its strategic job.
• People: Equip everyone touching the buyer—marketing, sales, onboarding, support—with playbooks, SLAs and incentives aligned to your positioning. Train for consistent discovery, objection handling and value proof.
• Process: Design reliable, fast paths from first touch to value: lead handoff, demo/trial, onboarding, support and renewal. Measure cycle time and failure points; automate where it improves speed and quality.
• Physical Evidence: Make proof easy to see: case studies, reviews, certifications, benchmarks, sample reports, and unboxed UX. Standardise formats so evidence is consistent and scannable.

7Ps design questions (use this to make crisp decisions)

• What to add/remove so the offer cleanly serves your primary segment?
• Which pricing model best signals your position and improves CAC→CLV?
• Which routes to market give reach and credibility without diluting control?
• What behaviours must customer-facing teams change this quarter?
• Which two processes will we streamline to cut time-to-value?
• What proof assets are missing for late-stage confidence?

7Ps Alignment Pack (Outputs)
- One-page 7Ps blueprint per target segment
- Pricing & packaging matrix with guardrails
- Service blueprint: from lead to value (owners + SLAs)
- Proof library plan (case studies, reviews, certifications)

Lock these choices before creative and channel planning. A coherent 7Ps mix multiplies the effectiveness of your messaging, content and media that follow.

Step 7. Craft your core messaging and creative platform

This is where your positioning becomes words and pictures people remember. Your core messaging must speak to the jobs your buyers need to get done, prove the outcomes you promise, and stay consistent across channels as you’re developing a marketing strategy. Build a clear hierarchy, set tone-of-voice guardrails, and define a creative platform that can flex from awareness to decision without losing its spine.

Build a message hierarchy (your message house)

Start with a single value promise, support it with three outcome‑led pillars, and anchor each pillar in proof. Features sit beneath as enablers, not headlines.

Topline/value promise:
"Cut time‑to‑value from months to weeks — without adding headcount."

Pillar 1 (Outcome): Faster implementation
Proof (RTB): 14‑day onboarding playbook, 92% go‑live on schedule

Pillar 2 (Outcome): Measurable ROI
Proof: Median 26% cost reduction in 6 months (case study library)

Pillar 3 (Outcome): Zero disruption
Proof: Pre‑built integrations with X/Y; roll‑back guarantee

Set tone and language guardrails

Define how you sound, so every asset feels like you.

• Plain English: Short sentences, active verbs, reading age ≈ Year 9–10.
• Outcome first: Lead with results, follow with how.
• Credible, not hyped: Quantify where possible; avoid superlatives.
• Do/Don’t say: Do “reduce downtime by 22%”; don’t “industry‑leading revolution”.

Define the creative platform

Codify the big idea and how it shows up, so campaigns are distinct yet coherent.

• Big idea/theme: The narrative thread that dramatises your value (e.g., “From bottleneck to breakthrough”).
• Visual system: Colour, type, data visuals, iconography, and proof badges.
• Modular assets: Case study cards, ROI stat tiles, comparison blocks, CTA patterns.
• Stage cues: Lighter, curiosity‑led visuals at awareness; product/context shots at decision.

Build an evidence library

Make proof easy to deploy everywhere.

• Case studies: 1‑page and long‑form, with baseline→outcome metrics.
• Reviews/quotes: Verified logos, star ratings, verbatim excerpts.
• Benchmarks/calculators: Simple tools to quantify value pre‑sale.
• Compliance notes: Approved claims and required disclaimers.

Test and iterate fast

Use quick experiments to find what resonates before scaling.

• Ads for headlines: A/B test promise lines; success = CTR and qualified clicks.
• Landing pages: Split test pillars/CTAs; success = primary CVR and lead quality.
• Email subjects: Multivariate on tone/benefit; success = opens to clicks ratio.
• Discovery calls/interviews: 5–7 buyers; success = playback accuracy of your value.

Messaging Pack (Outputs)
- Message house (promise, 3 pillars, proofs, feature mapping)
- Tone-of-voice + Do/Don’t list
- Creative platform guide (big idea, visual system, modules)
- Evidence library index (cases, quotes, benchmarks, calculators)
- Testing plan with success metrics and owners

Step 8. Choose the right channels and tactics (paid, owned, earned)

Your segments, journeys and messages tell you where attention already is. Now pick the few channels that match your buyers’ intent, proof needs and habits. Use the paid/owned/earned model to stay disciplined, and give each channel a clear role by journey stage. Multi‑channel usually outperforms single‑channel for SMBs, but focus beats sprawl — do a few things well.

Frame your options with paid/owned/earned

Use this as a planning lens, not a silo. Most programmes will blend all three.

How to choose channels (evidence first)

Start from your journey map and personas; then score each channel.

• Audience fit: Do your targets actually use it for this decision?
• Intent match: Can you meet/harvest demand here (e.g., search) or must you create it?
• Unit economics: Likely CAC, media/production costs, and expected ROMI.
• Time‑to‑value: How quickly can this channel start contributing?
• Measurability: Can you attribute impact reliably (UTMs, pixels, CRM fields)?
• Creative demand: Can your team sustain the asset cadence and quality?

Simple scoring (1–5):
Priority score = (Audience fit × Intent match × Measurability) ÷ (Cost × Time‑to‑value)
Pick top 3–5 as primary; park the rest for later phases.

Give channels a job by journey stage

Assign one primary and one supporting channel per stage to avoid overlap.

• Awareness: SEO thought leadership, short‑form video, targeted social ads. Goal: qualified reach and engaged sessions.
• Consideration: Comparison pages, webinars, email nurtures, retargeting. Goal: content completions and demo/assessment requests.
• Decision: Paid search on high‑intent terms, case‑study remarketing, sales enablement email. Goal: opp→win rate and CAC control.
• Retention/Expansion: Onboarding email, in‑app comms, customer webinars, advocacy programmes. Goal: activation, NPS, expansion revenue.

Proven, low‑waste tactics for SMBs

Pick the ones aligned to your positioning and JTBD.

• Paid:
  • High‑intent search ads: Exact/phrase match for problem/solution terms; protect brand.
  • Retargeting: Warm visitors with case‑study and ROI proof.
  • LinkedIn (B2B): Tight firmographic targeting for webinar/demo offers.
• Owned:
  • SEO “money pages”: Product, pricing, comparison and “best alternatives” pages.
  • Email automations: Welcome, nurture by persona, post‑demo follow‑ups.
  • Conversion assets: ROI calculator, templates, checklists.
• Earned:
  • Reviews/ratings: Systematic capture and syndication on site.
  • Customer stories: Co‑marketing with proof metrics.
  • Partners/affiliates: Non‑competing brands serving your segment.

Make it measurable from day one

Before launch, standardise tracking so you can compare channels fairly.

• UTM conventions: utm_source, utm_medium, utm_campaign, utm_content documented.
• Pixels & events: Ads platforms, analytics, and conversion events aligned to CRM stages.
• Offer mapping: Each campaign ties to a distinct landing page, CTA and KPI.

Channel Plan Pack (Outputs)
- Primary/secondary channels with scores and roles by journey stage
- Tactic backlog per channel (quarterly)
- Budgets, guardrails (CPL/CAC caps), and tracking specs (UTMs/events)
- 30/60/90‑day ramp plan with test → scale criteria

Step 9. Plan your content strategy and editorial calendar

Content is how your positioning earns attention, answers buyer questions, and drives action. Treat it like a product: define what it’s for, who it serves, and how you’ll ship it reliably. A tight content strategy translates your journey map into pillars, formats, cadence and workflows you can sustain while developing a marketing strategy that compounds results over time.

Define content pillars and formats

Turn your buyers’ jobs-to-be-done into 3–4 content pillars (e.g., Diagnose, Quantify ROI, Compare Options, Implement). Choose formats that match the stage and proof required. HubSpot’s data shows short‑form video is widely used and often top‑ROI, while podcast/audio is growing fast and demonstrably influences purchases.

• Pillars → outcomes: Each pillar solves a specific buyer job and objection.
• Formats by stage: Guides/comparisons (consideration), case studies/calculators (decision), short video/snackable posts (awareness).
• Proof first: Every asset carries a stat, quote, or demo moment.

Build an editorial calendar you can keep

Plan monthly, schedule weekly, leave room for timely opportunities. Keep one source of truth so production, publishing and promotion stay in sync.

Mini content brief
Pillar/Stage:
Persona:
Problem we solve (JTBD):
Angle/Promise (headline):
Primary asset + format:
Key proof:
Primary keyword/intent:
CTA & next step:
Owner & deadline:

Workflow, repurposing, and distribution

Ship fewer, better pieces and squeeze more value from each.

• Brief → draft → edit → approve: Clear owners and deadlines.
• Repurpose: One “hero” becomes clips, posts, email, slides, checklist.
• Distribute: Map channels per Step 8; pre‑write social and email.
• Refresh: Schedule updates for winners (data, screenshots, claims).

Measure what matters and iterate

Tie metrics to stage goals, not vanity numbers. Set stop/scale rules before launch.

• Awareness: Qualified sessions, engagement (scroll/time).
• Consideration: Content completion, demo/webinar registrations.
• Decision: Assisted conversions, opp→win influenced, CAC impact.
• SEO/email: Rankings/CTR for “money pages”, open→click→CVR.

Keep a lightweight “post‑mortem” per asset: what worked, what to change, and what to double down on next sprint.

Step 10. Get your website and SEO foundations right

Your website is your most important owned asset and the hub that turns attention into pipeline. Strong SEO foundations compound over time, lowering CAC while increasing qualified demand. Build for people first and let search engines follow: Google’s guidance prioritises helpful, reliable, people‑first content and a great page experience, with clear authorship and trustworthy evidence.

• Make conversion the spine: Ship high‑intent “money pages” first — product/service, pricing, comparison/alternatives, case studies and FAQs. Add clear primary CTAs, secondary “learn more” paths, live chat/contact, trust badges, testimonials and social proof.
• Page experience & accessibility: Fast loads, mobile‑first layouts, readable typography, descriptive headings, alt text and keyboard‑friendly navigation. Remove layout shifts and intrusive pop‑ups. Simple, honest cookie/privacy notices build trust.
• On‑page SEO that maps to intent: One topic per URL; use precise titles, metas and H1s; structure with H2/H3s; write answers that fully satisfy the query; add internal links to next‑step pages. Follow people‑first content guidelines and avoid thin or duplicated pages.
• Technical SEO essentials: Ensure crawlability (clean robots.txt, XML sitemap), correct canonicals, logical URL structure, proper 301s for any migration, robust 404s, and tidy faceted parameters. Add structured data (e.g., Organization, Product/Service, FAQ, Review) to qualify for rich results.
• Local SEO (if you sell locally): Complete and maintain your Google Business Profile, keep NAP details consistent, create location pages with unique content, and encourage/respond to reviews.
• Measurement ready on day one: Define events and goals that mirror your funnel, implement UTMs consistently, connect forms to your CRM, and sanity‑check data accuracy before scaling traffic.

SEO page template (use per high‑intent topic)
Title: {Primary intent term} | {Outcome} | {Brand}
H1: {Plain‑English promise that matches intent}
URL: /{service|industry}/{primary‑term}/
Intro: State the buyer job and outcome; who it’s for
Sections: Benefits (with proof) → How it works → Pricing/Plans → FAQs
CTA: {Book demo | Get quote} + secondary {Download checklist}

Website & SEO Pack (Outputs)
- Money page backlog (prioritised by intent & value)
- IA & internal linking map (from money pages outward)
- Tracking spec (events/goals, UTMs, CRM fields)
- Tech SEO checklist results (robots, sitemap, canonicals, redirects, schema)
- Content quality checklist aligned to people‑first guidelines (Who/How/Why, proof)

Step 11. Set your budget, resources, and phasing

A strategy only works if it’s fundable and staffed. Anchor your budget to outcomes and unit economics, not wishful thinking. Work top‑down from targets and bottom‑up from realistic costs, then phase spend so you can prove what works before you scale. Start small on 1–2 efforts and expand after you generate ROI.

Top‑down (acquisition):
Required spend ≈ Target new customers × target CAC

Bottom‑up (lead gen):
Required customers = Target revenue ÷ CLV
Leads needed = Required customers ÷ lead‑to‑customer rate
Media budget ≈ Leads needed × CPL

• Allocate by intent and stage: Put the lion’s share into high‑intent capture (SEO “money pages”, paid search), fund mid‑funnel education (email/webinars) to lift conversion, and maintain a steady drumbeat for awareness you can sustain.
• Set guardrails: Define channel‑level caps for CPL, CAC, and minimum quality thresholds (e.g., MQL fit). Pause or pivot when caps are breached; shift budget to proven tactics.
• Resource plan: List the skills and capacity you need (strategy, copy/design, media, SEO, web/CRO, analytics). Decide what’s in‑house vs partner‑led. Provide playbooks, SLAs, and a single production calendar.
• Phasing (90 days):
  • Pilot (Days 1–30): Ship tracking, 2–3 “money pages”, core ads, email basics.
  • Prove (Days 31–60): Optimise creatives/keywords, tighten audiences, fix funnel friction.
  • Scale (Days 61–90): Increase budgets on winners, add one new channel, expand proof assets.
• Contingency & cadence: Hold a small reserve for opportunities and issues. Run a weekly performance stand‑up, monthly budget reallocation, and quarterly re‑plan.

Budget & Resourcing Pack (Outputs)
- Top‑down/bottom‑up budget model with assumptions
- Channel allocations + guardrails (CPL/CAC), test→scale criteria
- Team RACI (in‑house vs partner) and production calendar
- 30/60/90‑day phasing plan with milestones and owners

Step 12. Define KPIs, measurement, and attribution

If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it. Lock a small, meaningful set of KPIs that map to your funnel, define exactly how each is calculated, and agree the data source and owner. Build measurement before media: instrument your site, standardise UTMs, and connect analytics to your CRM so you can see the full journey from first touch to revenue.

Choose KPIs that matter

Use a mix of leading indicators (to steer weekly) and lagging outcomes (to prove impact). Keep definitions simple, consistent, and evidence‑led.

• Awareness: Qualified sessions, organic traffic, engaged visit rate (scroll/time), share of voice.
• Consideration: Content completion, webinar/demo registrations, email opt‑ins, Marketing Qualified Leads (MQLs).
• Conversion: Opportunity rate, win rate, sales cycle length, conversion rate (visit→lead, lead→customer).
• Efficiency & economics: Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC), Return on Marketing Investment (ROMI), pipeline generated per £.
• Retention & value: Activation rate, churn, expansion revenue, Customer Lifetime Value (CLV).

CAC = (Acquisition marketing + sales cost) ÷ New customers
ROMI = (Incremental revenue − Marketing cost) ÷ Marketing cost
Lead→Customer CVR = Customers ÷ Leads

Document each KPI with: purpose, precise formula, data source (analytics/CRM/finance), reporting cadence, owner, and target.

Make attribution practical

Perfect attribution doesn’t exist; pick a primary model you trust for decisions, and apply it consistently. Use others as lenses, not excuses.

• Last‑click/search‑ads: Useful for harvesting intent and controlling bids.
• Position‑based (40‑20‑40): Fairly credits first/last touch; good for blended programmes.
• Time‑decay: Helpful when cycles are long and touches stack over time.
• Data‑driven (if volume allows): Let the platform/analytics weight touches based on contribution.

Standardise UTMs (utm_source, utm_medium, utm_campaign, utm_content) and enforce tagging SLAs. Capture offline touches (calls/events) in CRM, and reconcile ad platform conversions with server‑side events where possible. Note caveats (cookie consent, walled gardens) in your dashboard so stakeholders read numbers in context.

Reporting cadence and outputs

Report little and often to steer, then step back to learn. Weekly = course‑correction; monthly = reallocate; quarterly = strategy.

• Weekly ops: Channel KPIs vs guardrails (CPL/CAC), top movers, fixes for tracking gaps.
• Monthly performance: Pipeline/revenue influenced, winners/losers, budget shifts, next tests.
• Quarterly review: KPI trendlines, attribution learnings, ROMI, hypotheses for the next quarter.

Measurement & Attribution Pack (Outputs)
- KPI dictionary (formulas, sources, owners, targets)
- Tracking spec (events/goals, UTMs, pixels, CRM fields)
- Primary attribution model + when to use alternates
- Dashboard set: Exec (outcomes), Ops (channels/funnel), Finance (CAC/CLV/ROMI)
- Reporting cadence & QA checklist (tagging, data completeness)

Step 13. Design experiments and optimise continuously (CRO, A/B testing)

Strategy sets direction; experiments compound returns. Treat conversion rate optimisation (CRO) as an always‑on programme that turns your buyer‑journey insights into measurable lifts. Tie every test to a KPI from Step 12, start where intent is highest (your “money pages”), and use disciplined A/B testing to learn fast without burning budget.

Build a lightweight experimentation framework

Keep one shared backlog, write hypotheses, and prioritise by impact, confidence, and effort (ICE). For each test, define one primary metric (e.g., visit→lead CVR), guardrails (bounce, lead quality/CAC), the minimum detectable effect you’re chasing, and an estimated runtime based on traffic.

• Experiment spec: Problem, hypothesis, variant description, primary/secondary metrics, target audience, sample size/run length, risks, owner, start/end dates.
• Hygiene: Fixed variants, consistent UTMs, no peeking or mid‑test edits, and run through at least one full buying cycle.

High‑leverage CRO ideas (evidence first)

Use your journey map to remove friction and amplify proof where it matters most. Start with decision pages and forms, then expand.

• Headline promise vs feature lead on service/product pages.
• Proof density: Move case‑study tiles/ratings above the fold.
• CTA clarity: “Get a quote in 24 hours” vs “Submit”.
• Form friction: Reduce fields; progressive profiling post‑conversion.
• Pricing page layout: Side‑by‑side tiers, default selection, FAQs for objections.
• Comparison pages: Add “Who it’s for/Not for” blocks.
• Email nurture timing/subject aligned to JTBD.
• Page speed: Optimise images/critical CSS; test impact on CVR.

Run, learn, and scale

Decide success upfront, then respect it. Prefer practical significance over tiny “wins.” When you have a clear result, roll out, monitor guardrails, and log learnings you can reuse across channels.

Hypothesis:
If we front‑load proof (case stats) on the pricing page,
then visit→demo CVR will increase by +15%,
because late‑stage buyers need risk reduction.

Success:
Primary = demo CVR; Guardrails = bounce, MQL fit, CAC.

Next action:
Scale to all pricing variants + add to message house.

Experimentation Pack (Outputs)
- Prioritised test backlog (ICE scores) tied to KPIs
- Standard spec template + runtime/sample guidance
- Results log with decisions (ship/iterate/kill) and reusable insights
- Quarterly summary: lifts achieved, ROMI, next hypotheses

Step 14. Integrate AI into your marketing workflow (safely and effectively)

AI is an accelerant, not a strategy. Used well, it removes grunt work and sharpens decisions; used badly, it creates risk and low‑quality noise. The data backs its utility: around half of marketing leaders have invested in AI tools, most marketers use AI to cut manual work, and a large majority report time savings of over an hour a day. Build AI into your existing process to speed research, creation and optimisation — without losing rigour.

Where AI adds real value

• Research acceleration: Summarise interviews, cluster themes, draft survey questions.
• Content first drafts: Outlines, headlines, variants for ads/emails; human edit for voice and proof.
• SEO support: Keyword clustering, FAQ ideas, schema suggestions (you validate).
• Creative optimisation: Rapid A/B variants for copy and visual concepts; keep winners, kill losers.
• Journey personalisation: Segment‑level message variants and dynamic email blocks.
• Ops automation: Tagging leads, cleaning UTM strings, drafting campaign briefs from inputs.
• Analytics assists: Spot anomalies, draft narrative summaries of dashboards.

Safety and quality guardrails

• People‑first standard: Never publish without human review, fact‑check, and cited proof.
• No sensitive data in public models: Strip PII; use approved tools; log prompts.
• Bias & hallucination checks: Require sources for claims; ban unverifiable stats.
• Author accountability: Clear bylines and ownership for every output.
• Model choice matters: Use the right tool for the job; document versions and settings.
• Measure impact: Track time saved, quality scores, and performance vs baselines.

Implement fast (30 days)

• Pick 3 use cases (e.g., ad copy, keyword clustering, interview summaries).
• Create a shared prompt library and “do/don’t” language rules; train the team.
• Pilot, compare to human‑only baselines, and scale only what improves results.

Prompt template
You are {role}. Audience: {persona}. Goal: {outcome}. Tone: {voice}.
Use proof: {stats/case}. Constraints: UK English, plain style, no hype.
Task: Draft {asset} of {length} with CTA {action}. Provide 3 variants.

AI Workflow Pack (Outputs)
- Approved tools & data policy
- Prompt library + tone/guardrails
- Pilot report (time saved, quality, performance)
- Scale plan with owners and KPIs

Step 15. Create your roadmap, timeline, and governance

A good strategy dies without a clear plan of who does what by when. Translate your priorities into a single, visible roadmap, then set governance so decisions are fast, ownership is clear, and progress doesn’t drift. Keep it lean: a 12‑month view for direction, executed in 90‑day sprints for focus.

Build a simple, sequenced roadmap

Start with milestones that unlock value earliest (tracking, “money pages”, high‑intent ads), then layer dependencies. Keep scope tight, show owners, and commit to dates you can actually hit.

• 12‑month view: Quarter-by-quarter themes and milestones.
• 90‑day sprint plan: Committed deliverables, owners, start/end dates.
• Dependencies: Call out items that block others; resolve early.
• Capacity fit: Match workload to real team bandwidth before you promise.

Roadmap (Q1–Q2 snippet)
Q1: Tracking live → 3 money pages → Search ads pilot → Email nurture v1
Q2: Case study library v1 → Pricing page CRO → SEO cluster 1 → Retargeting scale
Owners: Web(AM), SEO(JK), Media(LM), Content(SR), Analytics(TP)

Set governance: roles, cadences, decision rights

Define who decides, who delivers, and when you review. Document it once; use it every week.

• RACI: Sponsor (tie to business goals), Marketing Lead (P&L of plan), Channel Owners (delivery), Sales Lead (funnel alignment), Data/Privacy Owner (compliance).
• Cadence: Weekly stand‑up (ops), monthly performance and budget reallocation, quarterly strategy review and re‑plan.
• Decision rights: Pre‑approved thresholds for budget shifts, pause rules (CPL/CAC guardrails), creative/brand approval SLAs, tracking change control.

Manage risk and change control

Surface risks early and log decisions so you can course‑correct without chaos.

• Risk register: Data quality, single‑channel reliance, production bottlenecks, legal/privacy. Add owners and mitigations.
• Change log: What changed, why, decision owner, impact on scope/budget.
• Issue escalation: Clear path from channel owner → Marketing Lead → Sponsor.

Roadmap & Governance Pack (Outputs)
- 12‑month roadmap + 90‑day sprint plan (owners, dates, dependencies)
- RACI + approval SLAs and decision thresholds
- Meeting cadence & agendas (weekly/monthly/quarterly)
- Risk register, decision log, and change control process
- Single source of truth board (Kanban/Gantt) shared with stakeholders

Step 16. Summarise your strategy on one page and get stakeholder buy-in

Busy leaders won’t read a deck of 40 slides. A crisp one‑pager turns your work into a decision: it frames the problem, shows the plan, and makes the trade‑offs explicit. Use it to secure resources, align sales and marketing, and lock the measures you’ll be judged on.

• Build the one‑pager: Include business goals, SMART objectives, target segments/personas, positioning/value proposition, 7Ps highlights, channel mix by journey stage, KPIs with baselines/targets, budget and 90‑day milestones, key risks and “won’t do” items.
• Tell the story: Lead with the buyer problem, then the outcome, then the plan. Show a before/after metric snapshot. Keep language plain and outcome‑led.
• Run the buy‑in meeting: Send a pre‑read 24–48 hours ahead, time‑box to decisions, demo “money pages”/dashboards, and document objections (budget, capacity, risk, proof) with agreed responses and owners.
• Convert approval to commitment: Record decision rights, sign‑off, and the first 90‑day deliverables with named owners and dates.

One‑Page Strategy (Template)
Goals: {Revenue/Margin/Retention}
SMART Objectives: {Metric + Baseline → Target + Date + Owner}
Targets: {Segments/Personas}
Positioning/Value: {For… who…, Brand is…, because…}
7Ps Highlights: {Product, Price, Place, Promotion, People, Process, Evidence}
Channels by Stage: {Awareness/Consideration/Decision/Retention}
KPIs: {CAC, CVR, MQLs, ROMI, CLV}
Budget & Phasing: {£ by channel | 30/60/90 days}
Risks & Mitigations: {Top 3 + owner}
Won’t Do: {Out‑of‑scope items}

One‑Pager & Buy‑In Pack (Outputs)
- One‑page PDF + slide version
- Pre‑read note (context, asks, decisions)
- Decision log with objections/resolutions
- Signed 90‑day commitment sheet (owners, dates)

Step 17. Cover legal, privacy, and accessibility requirements (UK GDPR)

Trust is a growth lever. Bake legal, privacy and accessibility into your plan so campaigns don’t stall, data stays clean, and more people can use your site. Treat compliance as part of developing a marketing strategy — it protects revenue and speeds execution because you won’t be re‑working assets later.

• Privacy & data (UK GDPR): Define your lawful basis for each activity, document processing in a central record, and practise data minimisation with clear retention rules. Publish a plain‑English privacy notice and set a process to handle access/erasure requests. Put data processing agreements in place with all vendors handling personal data.
• Cookies & communications: Use a consent manager for non‑essential cookies and honour preferences. For email/SMS, capture and store permission (source, timestamp, method) and include a visible unsubscribe/preference link in every message.
• Accessibility (ship to WCAG 2.1 AA): Semantic headings, meaningful link text, alt text for images, proper form labels and error messages, sufficient colour contrast, keyboard navigation and visible focus states. Provide captions/transcripts for video and audio.
• Security & governance: Enforce least‑privilege access and MFA, encrypt data in transit/at rest where applicable, maintain tested backups, and keep a breach/incident playbook. Assess vendor risk before launch and on renewal.

Compliance & Accessibility Pack (Outputs)
- Privacy notice + records of processing + DPAs
- Consent & preference framework (fields, storage, workflows)
- Accessibility checklist (WCAG 2.1 AA) with fixes and owners
- Security baseline (MFA, access, backups) + incident playbook

Step 18. Use these templates to speed up your work

Save hours and keep everyone aligned with ready-to-use templates. Each one maps to a step in this guide, so you can move from thinking to shipping without reinventing the wheel. Use them as-is, or adapt to your stack and workflow when developing a marketing strategy.

• One‑Page Strategy: Goals, SMART objectives, segments, positioning, 7Ps, channels, KPIs, budget.
• KPI Dictionary & Dashboard Spec: Formulas, sources, owners, targets, reporting cadence.
• STP & Persona Sheet: Segment sizing, selection scores, ICP, buyer roles, pains, criteria.
• Journey & JTBD Map: Triggers, questions, blockers, proof, content/CTA per stage.
• Message House & Creative Platform: Value promise, pillars, proofs, tone, visual system.
• Channel Plan & UTM Scheme: Roles by stage, budgets, guardrails, tracking conventions.
• Content Brief & Editorial Calendar: Pillar, angle, proof, keyword/intent, CTA, owners, dates.
• SEO “Money Page” Template: Title/H1, structure, proof blocks, FAQs, CTAs, schema hints.
• Experiment Spec & Results Log: Hypothesis, metric, sample/runtime, guardrails, decision, reuse notes.
• Plus pack set: Budget & Phasing calculator, AI Prompt library, Roadmap & RACI.

Experiment Spec (mini)
Problem:
Hypothesis: If we {change}, then {metric} will improve by {X%} because {reason}
Primary metric:            Guardrails:
Audience/traffic source:   Variant details:
Sample size & runtime:     Risks/mitigations:
Owner & dates:             Decision rule (ship/iterate/kill):

Step 19. Implementation checklist: are you ready to execute?

Before you spend a pound on media, run a pre‑flight check. This is the final gate that turns planning into controlled execution: clear owners, clean data, compliant flows, and assets that load fast and convert. Use this list to confirm you’re genuinely ready and to avoid mid‑campaign fire drills when developing a marketing strategy.

• Objectives locked: SMART goals, KPI definitions, baselines and targets signed off.
• Tracking & attribution: UTMs standardised, pixels/events verified, CRM sync tested, caveats noted.
• Privacy & consent: UK GDPR lawful basis documented, privacy notice live, cookie manager configured, email preferences stored.
• Website “money pages”: Live and indexed; primary/secondary CTAs working; mobile speed and accessibility checks passed.
• Message & creative: Message house approved; proof assets (case studies, reviews, benchmarks) ready; brand guardrails applied.
• Channel plan: Budgets allocated with CPL/CAC guardrails; test→scale criteria defined per channel.
• Campaign assets: Landing pages per offer, ad sets, email sequences; links and forms QA’d end‑to‑end.
• Editorial calendar: Next 6 weeks scheduled with owners, briefs, and deadlines.
• Sales alignment: Lead definitions, routing and SLAs agreed; feedback loop to marketing in CRM.
• Enablement: Playbooks, email templates, call scripts, ROI one‑pagers in reps’ hands.
• Ops & data hygiene: Lead scoring rules, alerts/notifications, dedupe and field mapping tested.
• Risk controls: Top risks logged with mitigations; rollback plan for major site/ad changes.
• Reporting cadence: Dashboards live (Exec/Ops/Finance); weekly/monthly/quarterly reviews diarised.
• Resourcing: Coverage for holidays; approval SLAs; partner access set with MFA and least privilege.
• Commercials & compliance: Vendor contracts/DPAs signed; invoices and PO flow ready.
• Experimentation: Prioritised ICE backlog; sample/runtime estimates; owners assigned.

Go‑Live Checklist (Outputs)
- Signed one‑pager + 90‑day sprint plan
- Tracking QA log (tests, pass/fail, fixes)
- Campaign run sheet (channels, dates, budgets, URLs)
- Dashboard links (Exec/Ops/Finance) + data caveats
- Owner directory (on‑call, escalation path)

Next steps

You’ve now got a complete, evidence‑led way to build and run marketing that pays its way. Don’t wait for perfection. Pick one commercial goal, complete a quick audit, choose your primary segment, and run a focused 90‑day pilot to prove lift before you scale.

• Lock your one‑page strategy, KPIs and guardrails.
• Ship tracking, two “money pages”, and a high‑intent ads pilot.
• Stand up weekly ops reviews; log learnings; double down on winners.

Keep it tight, keep it measurable, and keep moving. If you’d like an experienced partner to pressure‑test your plan or accelerate execution, start a conversation with MR‑Marketing — tailored strategy, pragmatic execution, and the numbers to back it up.