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.

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.

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,
• The decision-making process is complicated as the sale goes through numerous people before it gets an approval,
• Not influenced by emotions like consumers are,
• 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.

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.

Three Phases of Strategic Marketing Process

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

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.

Identify the Right Marketing Mix

After determining the customers’ needs and deciding on the product, you should develop a marketing mix. This will focus on the four P’s and the budget needed for each of them.

• Set goals: Setting goals meets customer needs to increase a product’s success rate.
• Points of difference: Find your product’s unique selling point that makes it superior to competition.
• Positioning: Position your brand as the “go-to” product in people’s minds. Associate your brand with the solution your customers need.
• Target market: Select the appropriate target market based on research and commonalities to meet both needs and goals.

2. Implementation Phase

Once you’ve conducted through planning, you can use the next four steps to put the program into effect:

• Secure resources: Cash should be secured to develop and market products,
• Design marketing organisation: Rank the marketing to properly implement plans,
• Develop schedule: Give time for each task to be accomplished,
• Execute marketing plan: Implement the strategy and tactics in your marketing plan and pay great attention to detail.

3. Evaluation Phase

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.

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.

Step Two: Define Clear, Measurable Marketing Objectives

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.”

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.

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.

You also need to thoroughly research your audiences preferred channels, and which marketing messages they respond to.

Be Open to Change

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.

If you need to develop an effective marketing strategy, the best option is often to bring in the professionals. Contact ProfileTree today to find out how we can help.

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.

Q: Where can I learn more about effective marketing strategies?

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.