Without a clear business strategy that’s integrated and coordinated, your efforts can often feel like short-term tactics rather than long-term solutions.

This is particularly true for many SMEs and early-stage Startups when it comes to marketing.

It’s common for SME business leaders to concentrate on the “HOW”:

How do I run marketing campaigns to generate leads and convert them to sales?
How do I position my offer to be stronger than my competitors?

However, it’s also crucial to consider the “WHAT” and “WHY”:

Example questions you could ask yourself and your marketing team:

What could be missing from our marketing plan?
Why is this marketing campaign not producing the desired outcomes we want?

The infographic below outlines 7 essential steps in marketing that I encourage my SME clients to refer to as closely as they could, based on the “Where to Play” decisions from the Scaling-Up! Playing to Win™ Strategy framework.

These steps have consistently helped clients, from pre-revenue tech start-ups to regional SMEs with up to $50m in annual revenue, to align their marketing execution to their business strategy, generate better fit leads, and high-buying intent prospects.

Marketing is complex and challenging due to the many variables involved. That’s why it’s important to trust the process, start with Step 1, and follow each step carefully.