SOSTAC® The guide to your perfect digital marketing plan

SOSTAC® is an acronym for six fundamental facets of marketing: situation, objectives, strategy, tactics, action, and control.

SOSTAC® contains a general marketing strategy that can be applied in various commercial situations. It includes an in-depth SWOT analysis, which helps businesses get ready for marketing campaigns; the main difference is that SOSTAC® also focuses on the implementation stages of the process, on marketing communications and now, digital marketing.

The structure of SOSTAC® is a simple logic that builds on an in-depth Situation Analysis that informs subsequent decisions made about strategy and tactics. It is crystal clear logic enables better decision making and therefore better plans.

We have adapted SOSTAC® to a number of clients’ specific marketing and commercial situations with great success.

1. Where we are now?

Situation Analysis
I take the time to learn about your business and where you want to take it, asking the three big customer questions:
Who?
Why?
How?

2. Where do we want to Go?

Objectives
We all want more customers, more profit and lie on a beach drinking cocktails. Our approach is developing a mission and vision, followed by agreeing on Key Performance Indicators (KPi’s) to measure performance.

3. How do we get there?

Strategy
The smallest, yet arguably the most difficult part of a plan. The key is having a strategy that keeps your actions focused, along with a process that enables you to execute without taking too much attention away from running your business.

4. Which tactical tools & how much will it cost?

Tactics
Once you know which direction you’re going, decide a detailed plan of which tactical tools and how much budget will need to be used to achieve the objectives.

5. Execute to the highest possible standard

Action
Good creative and technical execution is a prerequisite. However, it’s just as important to have a tested system, processes, guidelines, checklists, and internal communication.

6. Who Measures what, when, and how?

Control
Decide who is responsible for matching results to your KPI’s on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis, progress can be monitored, a decision can be taken to tweak activity.

The above is a thought process, a way of thinking about creating your perfect marketing plan, the method can be very formal, informal, solo, or as a team. I have seen it done on one side of paper, to a 100 plus page report. The best quote to sum this up is “No one plans to fail, only fail to plan”.