Developing a marketing strategy is the foundation of business success, yet many UK business owners struggle to create effective strategies that drive real growth. With over 90% of businesses competing online, understanding how to develop a marketing strategy has become essential for survival and expansion.
A comprehensive marketing strategy development process involves more than scheduling social media posts or running occasional advertisements. It requires systematic planning, strategic thinking, and a deep understanding of your target market. Whether you’re a Belfast-based startup or an established Manchester enterprise, mastering these marketing strategy steps will determine your competitive advantage.
The marketing strategy development process we’ll explore targets the core challenges facing UK businesses: reaching the right customers, maximising return on investment, and building sustainable growth. This guide provides actionable insights for creating marketing strategies that deliver measurable results.
Table of Contents
What is Marketing Strategy? | Marketing | How important is Marketing? | Marketing Strategies
What Is a Marketing Strategy?
Marketing is what a business does to help the buying and selling of products or services. It’s the process of understanding what potential customers want and value, and then figuring out the most appropriate way to offer it to them.
It’s putting the right product in the right place, with the right price, at the right time.
You want people to buy your products or services. So how do you present what you offer in a way that appeals to your target audience? Why should they choose you over your competitors?
That’s what marketing is here for.
Marketing is a vast field composed of multiple components falling within a marketing strategy.
There are many elements to a successful marketing strategy. Image credit: Business2Community
To be a successful marketer, you need to thoroughly understand your customers. You need to listen to your audience and constantly improve upon your business to meet their needs. Crucially, communication is always key and must be maintained.
Creating a marketing strategy means bringing all of these elements into alignment.
Of course, how this looks in practice varies from business to business. Here are the two main strands of marketing strategy.
B2C Marketing
In B2C marketing, businesses sell products or services to consumers for their personal use. B2C marketing has the following distinct characteristics:
B2C takes a shorter time to process than B2B,
It’s easier to form a relationship with a consumer than with a business,
Decision-making is simple where a consumer usually makes it based on price and product,
Consumers are influenced by emotions, Buying decisions are mostly based on quality, price, security, and emotional connection.
B2B Marketing
Business-to-business marketing, or B2B marketing is when one business targets another What makes B2B marketing different?
B2B takes a lot longer to process than B2C, It’s a relationship-driven marketing communication that requires time and focus,
Buying decisions are mostly based on increasing profitability, the level of credibility, and improving productivity.
Most businesses target both consumers and businesses simultaneously but with different messages to reach such different audiences.
B2B and B2C brands use different marketing strategies. Image credit: PayBlog
The Marketing Strategy Development Process: Building Your Foundation
Marketing strategy development is a systematic approach to creating sustainable competitive advantages through strategic planning and execution. Unlike tactical marketing activities, strategy development focuses on long-term positioning and market leadership.
The development process begins with comprehensive market analysis. Understanding your industry landscape, competitor positioning, and market opportunities enables informed strategic decisions. Research from the Chartered Institute of Marketing shows that businesses with documented marketing strategies achieve 37% higher revenue growth compared to those without structured approaches.
Core Elements of Strategy Development:
Market Analysis and Research: Thorough examination of market conditions, customer behaviour patterns, and competitive landscape provides the foundation for strategic decisions. This includes demographic analysis, psychographic profiling, and behavioural segmentation.
Strategic Positioning: Determining where your business fits within the market and how you’ll differentiate from competitors. Effective positioning communicates unique value propositions that resonate with target audiences.
Resource Allocation: Strategic distribution of marketing budgets, personnel, and technology resources to maximise impact and return on investment.
Timeline Planning: Establishing realistic timelines for strategy implementation, campaign execution, and performance measurement.
“Marketing strategy development is about creating a roadmap that guides every marketing decision,” notes Ciaran Connolly, Director of ProfileTree. “Without this foundation, even the most creative campaigns can fail to deliver meaningful business results.”
The development process also encompasses risk assessment and contingency planning. Markets evolve rapidly, particularly in digital environments, requiring strategies that adapt to changing conditions while maintaining core strategic objectives.
What is the Process Behind Developing a Marketing Strategy?
A marketing campaign without a strategy is a direct route to lost opportunity. Any campaign needs a marketing strategy and any marketing strategy needs to follow marketing strategy steps to be implemented properly.
This process should outline a simplified map of the company’s objectives and how to achieve them.
Marketing strategies can have a range of different time spans. Generally though, this should be long enough to achieve long-term objectives but short enough to be flexible to change.
Naturally, any company’s main objective should be securing their customers’ satisfaction with their products and services and to be leaders in their category.
Any marketing strategy can essentially be broken down into three phases. These are as follows:
1. Planning Phase
Planning is the most important phase of any marketing campaign. The goal is analysing everything, giving an overall picture of the state of the organisation. There are a number of different ways to go about planning your marketing strategy.
SWOT analysis means analysing the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of your business to find out your company’s position in the market. Ask as many people to contribute to this as possible to get different perspectives and points of view.
Knowing what you’re good at and what you lack will help you in forming an effective marketing strategy. Specifically, you want to use SWOT analysis to uncover new opportunities to promote your brand online.
You should also look out for threats and weaknesses, including competitors who have more sophisticated marketing strategies, or bigger PR budgets than your own.
After completing the analysis, use the results for developing a marketing plan that’s measurable and attainable.
Any issues with your plan should be quickly corrected before it results in trouble for your company. Any positive deviation should be utilised and taken advantage of.
Keep evaluating the effectiveness of your marketing campaign and improve upon it as needed.
To effectively evaluate your marketing strategy, pay attention to:
Strategy versus tactics: The strategy are the goals put in place while tactics are the actions taken to achieve them,
Measurable: Objectives should be measurable to know when you’ve achieved them. Regularly check in on your progress, to see what’s working and what isn’t.
Marketing strategy: Support your marketing strategy with a business plan that has tactical moves.
The Marketing Mix: Process | The Marketing Mix | Marketing Strategy | Business Strategy
7 Steps to Develop a Marketing Strategy: Your Complete Implementation Guide
Creating an effective marketing strategy requires systematic execution of seven essential steps. This proven framework has helped thousands of UK businesses achieve sustainable growth and competitive positioning.
Step One: Conduct Comprehensive Market Research and Analysis
Market research forms the foundation of successful marketing strategy development. This step involves gathering quantitative and qualitative data about your industry, competitors, and target market.
Primary Research Activities:
Customer surveys and interviews to understand needs, preferences, and pain points
Focus groups for in-depth insight into customer motivations and decision-making processes
Direct observation of customer behaviour in natural environments
Secondary Research Components:
Industry reports and market analysis from reputable sources
Competitor analysis including pricing, positioning, and promotional strategies
Economic and demographic trend analysis
Tools for Market Research:
Google Analytics for website behaviour analysis
Social media listening tools for brand sentiment monitoring
Industry databases and government statistics for market sizing
Effective market research reveals opportunities, threats, and gaps in the market that inform strategic positioning decisions.
SMART goals are important to make sure your marketing strategy is effective.
Strategic objectives provide direction and enable performance measurement. Objectives should align with broader business goals while addressing specific marketing challenges.
SMART Objectives Framework:
Specific: Clearly defined outcomes with precise targets
Measurable: Quantifiable metrics for progress tracking
Achievable: Realistic given available resources and market conditions
Relevant: Aligned with business objectives and market opportunities
Time-bound: Specific deadlines for achievement
Example Objectives:
Increase website traffic by 40% within six months through SEO and content marketing
Generate 200 qualified leads monthly through digital advertising campaigns
Achieve 15% market share in the Northern Ireland professional services sector within 12 months
Step Three: Identify and Segment Your Target Audience
Precise audience identification enables tailored messaging and efficient resource allocation. Segmentation divides broader markets into specific groups with shared characteristics and needs.
Demographic Segmentation:
Age, gender, income level, education, occupation
Geographic location and regional preferences
Household composition and lifecycle stage
Psychographic Segmentation:
Values, interests, and lifestyle preferences
Personality traits and attitudes
Purchasing motivations and decision-making criteria
Behavioural Segmentation:
Purchase history and frequency
Brand loyalty levels
Website and social media engagement patterns
Creating detailed buyer personas for each segment enables personalised marketing approaches that resonate with specific audience needs.
Step Four: Develop Your Unique Value Proposition and Positioning
Your value proposition communicates why customers should choose your business over competitors. Effective positioning establishes your brand’s place in customers’ minds relative to alternatives.
Value Proposition Elements:
Core benefits that address customer needs
Unique differentiators that competitors cannot easily replicate
Emotional connections that build brand loyalty
Positioning Strategy Development:
Price positioning relative to market alternatives
Competitive mapping to identify market gaps
Brand personality definition and messaging framework
Step Five: Select Optimal Marketing Channels and Tactics
Channel selection determines how you’ll reach target audiences and deliver your marketing messages. The optimal mix depends on audience preferences, budget constraints, and business objectives.
Digital Marketing Channels:
Search engine optimisation for long-term organic visibility
Pay-per-click advertising for immediate traffic generation
Social media marketing for engagement and community building
Email marketing for nurturing leads and customer retention
Traditional Marketing Channels:
Print advertising in industry publications
Radio and television for broad market reach
Direct mail for targeted local campaigns
Networking events and trade shows for relationship building
Channel effectiveness varies by industry and target audience, requiring testing and optimisation to determine the best combination.
Step Six: Create Implementation Timeline and Budget Allocation
Strategic implementation requires detailed planning and resource allocation. Timelines ensure accountability while budgets enable realistic resource distribution.
Timeline Development:
Campaign launch dates and duration
Content creation and approval schedules
Performance review checkpoints
Seasonal considerations and market timing
Budget Allocation Framework:
Personnel costs for strategy execution
Technology and software requirements
Advertising and promotional expenses
Content creation and production costs
Effective budgeting balances investment across channels while maintaining flexibility for opportunities and adjustments.
Step Seven: Establish Measurement Framework and Optimisation Process
Measurement enables performance tracking and continuous improvement. Establishing clear metrics and review processes ensures strategies remain effective and aligned with objectives.
Key Performance Indicators:
Revenue and profitability metrics
Lead generation and conversion rates
Website traffic and engagement statistics
Brand awareness and sentiment measurements
Optimisation Process:
Regular performance reviews and analysis
A/B testing for campaign improvements
Strategic adjustments based on market feedback
Competitive monitoring and response strategies
“The most successful marketing strategies are those that adapt and evolve based on performance data and market changes,” explains Ciaran Connolly of ProfileTree. “Continuous optimisation separates good strategies from exceptional ones.”
Marketing Strategy vs. Marketing Tactics | What is a Marketing Strategy? | Marketing Tactics
The Marketing Mix: Strategic Framework for Success
The marketing mix provides a structured approach to strategic planning and tactical execution. Understanding and optimising these elements creates cohesive strategies that deliver consistent results across all customer touchpoints.
The Traditional 4 Ps Framework
Product Strategy Development: Product strategy encompasses everything customers receive when purchasing from your business. This includes physical products, services, digital offerings, warranties, customer support, and brand experience.
Effective product strategy considers customer needs, competitive alternatives, and market positioning. Innovation and continuous improvement ensure products remain relevant and competitive over time.
Key considerations include product features, quality levels, packaging, branding, and lifecycle management. Service businesses focus on service delivery standards, customer experience design, and outcome guarantees.
Pricing Strategy and Positioning: Pricing directly impacts profitability, market positioning, and customer perception. Strategic pricing considers costs, competitor pricing, perceived value, and market positioning objectives.
Pricing strategies include penetration pricing for market entry, premium pricing for luxury positioning, and competitive pricing for established markets. Dynamic pricing enables adjustments based on demand, seasonality, and competitive changes.
Psychological pricing techniques influence customer perception and purchase decisions. Price bundling, discounting strategies, and payment terms affect customer acquisition and retention.
Place Strategy and Distribution: Place strategy determines how and where customers can access your products or services. This includes physical locations, online platforms, distribution partnerships, and delivery methods.
Digital transformation has expanded distribution options, enabling global reach through e-commerce platforms. Omnichannel strategies integrate online and offline touchpoints for seamless customer experiences.
Distribution partnerships extend market reach while maintaining brand consistency. Channel management ensures all distribution points deliver consistent quality and brand experience.
Promotion Strategy and Communication: Promotion encompasses all communication activities that inform, persuade, and remind customers about your offerings. Integrated promotion strategies coordinate advertising, public relations, sales promotion, and personal selling.
Digital promotion includes search engine marketing, social media advertising, content marketing, and email campaigns. Traditional promotion involves print advertising, broadcast media, direct mail, and outdoor advertising.
Message consistency across all promotional channels reinforces brand positioning and value propositions. Promotional timing and frequency optimisation maximise impact while managing costs.
The Extended 7 Ps for Service Businesses
People Strategy: People represent your brand in every customer interaction. Staff training, customer service standards, and cultural development directly impact customer satisfaction and brand perception.
Recruitment strategies attract individuals who align with brand values and customer service expectations. Ongoing training ensures consistent service delivery and professional development.
Customer-facing staff require specific skills in communication, problem-solving, and brand representation. Internal culture affects external customer experience and brand authenticity.
Process Optimisation: Processes determine how customers experience your business from initial contact through post-purchase support. Streamlined processes improve efficiency while enhancing customer satisfaction.
Customer journey mapping identifies touchpoints and potential friction areas. Process standardisation ensures consistent experiences across all customer interactions.
Technology integration automates routine processes while enabling personalised customer experiences. Continuous process improvement responds to customer feedback and operational insights.
Physical Evidence and Environment: Physical evidence includes all tangible elements that support brand positioning and customer experience. This encompasses facilities, equipment, marketing materials, and digital interfaces.
Environmental design influences customer perception and behaviour. Professional, well-designed spaces communicate quality and attention to detail.
Digital environments including websites, applications, and social media profiles serve as virtual physical evidence. Consistent visual identity across all touchpoints reinforces brand recognition and professionalism.
How Do You Write a Marketing Strategy?
Now that you know how to go through your marketing strategy steps, how do you write a marketing strategy?
Your marketing strategy is a powerful part of your business plan. You need to make it as effective and as relevant as possible to your target audience.
Determine Your Unique Selling Proposition (USP)
Any marketing strategy should be based on a unique selling proposition.
A unique selling proposition is what makes your business stand out, it’s what differentiates you among your competitors.
A strong USP is essential for your marketing strategy. Image credit: Shopify
Know Your Audience
Make sure your marketing strategy is applicable to your target audience. Find out what your customers need, what they want, and what they expect.
Don’t just stick to traditional thinking. You can tweak your four Ps to adjust them to your target audience. If something isn’t working the way you expected, it’s best to change course sooner rather than later.
For example, you might have overestimated how much people are willing to pay for your products.
Stick to a Budget
Keep a budget in mind when you’re writing up your marketing strategy. Your marketing strategy can look good on paper but unless you stick to a budget, it’ll be difficult to achieve it.
Measuring Marketing Strategy Success: Analytics and Optimisation
Effective measurement transforms marketing from expense to investment by providing clear visibility into performance, return on investment, and improvement opportunities. Strategic measurement frameworks enable data-driven decision making and continuous optimisation.
Key Performance Indicators for Marketing Strategy
Revenue and Profitability Metrics:
Marketing-attributed revenue and growth rates
Customer acquisition cost and lifetime value ratios
Return on marketing investment across channels
Revenue per marketing pound invested
Lead Generation and Conversion Metrics:
Lead generation volume and quality scores
Conversion rates at each funnel stage
Sales cycle length and velocity
Cost per lead across marketing channels
Brand Awareness and Engagement Metrics:
Brand recognition and recall measurements
Website traffic and engagement statistics
Social media reach and engagement rates
Share of voice in industry conversations
Analytics Tools and Implementation
Google Analytics Setup:
Goal configuration for conversion tracking
E-commerce tracking for revenue attribution
Custom dashboards for key metric monitoring
Regular reporting and analysis schedules
Customer Relationship Management Integration:
Lead source tracking and attribution
Sales pipeline visibility and management
Customer segmentation and behaviour analysis
Automated reporting and alerts
Social Media Analytics:
Platform-specific performance metrics
Audience growth and engagement trends
Content performance and optimisation insights
Competitive benchmarking and analysis
Continuous Improvement Framework
Monthly Performance Reviews:
Metric analysis and trend identification
Campaign performance evaluation
Budget allocation review and adjustment
Competitive monitoring and response
Quarterly Strategy Assessment:
Strategic objective progress evaluation
Market condition and opportunity analysis
Resource allocation optimisation
Strategic direction confirmation or adjustment
Annual Strategic Planning:
Comprehensive performance review
Market research and competitive analysis update
Strategic objective setting for following year
Budget planning and resource allocation
Regular measurement and optimisation ensure marketing strategies remain effective and aligned with business objectives while adapting to changing market conditions and opportunities.
How to Develop a Marketing Strategy
Make sure the marketing strategy steps you use are suitable for your specific business and always keep yourself up-to-date on the newest technology and trends.
A marketing strategy can vary from very simple to extremely complex, but it’s hard to go wrong with these time-honoured marketing strategy steps.
Reach the right people, at the right time, with the right price, in the right place, with the right messages, through the right channels, and you’ll be marketing your business in the best possible way.
Marketing Strategy for Different Business Types: Tailored Approaches
Business marketing strategy requirements vary significantly based on company size, industry, target market, and growth stage. Understanding these differences enables more effective strategy development and implementation.
Small Business Marketing Strategy
Small businesses face unique challenges including limited budgets, resource constraints, and local market focus. However, agility and personal relationships provide competitive advantages over larger competitors.
Resource Optimisation Strategies:
Focus on high-impact, low-cost marketing activities
Utilise free and low-cost digital marketing tools
Build partnerships with complementary businesses
Maximise word-of-mouth and referral marketing
Local Market Domination:
Implement local SEO strategies for geographic targeting
Engage with community events and sponsorship opportunities
Build relationships with local media and influencers
Optimise Google My Business and local directory listings
Small businesses benefit from personal branding and storytelling that creates emotional connections with customers. Authenticity and genuine customer relationships often overcome budget limitations.
B2B Marketing Strategy Development
Business-to-business marketing requires longer sales cycles, relationship-focused approaches, and value-based positioning. Decision-making involves multiple stakeholders and detailed evaluation processes.
Relationship Marketing:
Account-based marketing for high-value prospects
Thought leadership content and industry expertise
Networking and industry event participation
Long-term relationship nurturing strategies
Value Demonstration:
ROI calculators and business case development
Case studies and customer success stories
Free trials and demonstration opportunities
Technical specifications and compliance information
B2B strategies emphasise credibility, expertise, and proven results over emotional appeals used in consumer marketing.
E-commerce Marketing Strategy
Online retail requires strategies optimised for digital customer journeys, search visibility, and conversion optimisation. Customer acquisition costs and lifetime value calculations drive strategic decisions.
Digital-First Approach:
Search engine optimisation for product visibility
Pay-per-click advertising for immediate traffic
Email marketing for customer retention
Social media for brand awareness and engagement
Conversion Optimisation:
Website design and user experience optimisation
Product photography and description optimisation
Shopping cart abandonment recovery strategies
Personalisation and recommendation engines
E-commerce success depends on data analysis, testing, and continuous optimisation of digital customer experiences.
Service Business Marketing Strategy
Service businesses emphasise trust, expertise, and relationship building. Intangible offerings require different positioning and communication strategies compared to physical products.
Trust Building:
Professional credentials and certifications
Client testimonials and case studies
Industry awards and recognition
Transparent pricing and service descriptions
Expertise Demonstration:
Educational content and thought leadership
Free consultations and assessments
Industry speaking and publication opportunities
Professional association membership and participation
Service businesses benefit from personal branding and reputation management strategies that establish credibility and expertise.
“Different business types require fundamentally different marketing approaches,” notes Ciaran Connolly of ProfileTree. “Understanding these differences is crucial for developing strategies that resonate with your specific market and customer base.”
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
Q: I’m new to marketing. Do I need a formal strategy?
A: Absolutely! A marketing strategy serves as your roadmap, even if you’re just starting. It helps you focus your efforts, allocate resources effectively, and track your progress towards achieving your business goals.
Q: How often should I update my marketing strategy?
A: Your strategy should be a living document. Regularly review it and adjust based on market changes, campaign performance, and evolving customer needs. Aim for annual revisions with quarterly check-ins to ensure your approach remains current and effective.
Q: What are the biggest challenges to implementing a marketing strategy?
A: Common challenges include defining your target audience, setting realistic goals, allocating sufficient resources, and adapting to a changing digital landscape. However, with careful planning, ongoing analysis, and a willingness to learn, you can overcome these obstacles.
Q: What tools and resources can help me develop my marketing strategy?
A: Numerous online resources, templates, and software tools can assist you in crafting and implementing your strategy. Consider utilizing analytics platforms, project management software, content creation tools, and social media scheduling solutions to streamline your efforts.
A: ProfileTree offers a wealth of informative articles, guides, and tutorials on various marketing topics. Additionally, industry publications, online courses, and webinars provide valuable insights and best practices from leading experts.
Conclusion:
Building a winning marketing strategy requires understanding your audience, crafting a compelling value proposition, and choosing the right channels to reach them. By implementing the actionable tips in this article, analyzing your data, and adapting your approach, you can create a dynamic plan that fuels your business growth and helps you achieve your marketing goals.
Remember, success involves continuous learning and staying ahead of the curve in the ever-evolving digital landscape. Embrace the power of a well-defined marketing strategy as your compass to navigate the journey to lasting success.
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