Strategy and tactics go together like beer and barbecue, peanut butter and jelly, spandex and disco. Strategy and tactics are besties out of the gate.
You need both to achieve marketing and PR success.
The difference is small but crucial, so here\’s the definition of both:
Strategy: A long-term plan designed to achieve an overall aim.
Tactics: A key element of strategy, tactics are actions carefully planned to achieve a specific end.
In simple terms tactics, like tacking a ship or navigating high seas, gives you the means to change course quickly.
Strategy is more over-arching. You don\’t even want to think about getting on a boat before a race without a solid strategy.
You might not know which tactics will be best before you start but you must go in with a good, strong strategy.
Crucially, the right strategy will make any tactic you have work better. If what you\’re doing isn\’t working, chances are you\’ve got the wrong strategy in place. Strategy is your tentpole. It holds up everything else. So be prepared to throw it out and start again if it\’s not working – that alone will put you ahead of your competition.
At Black Ink PR we never start a marketing campaign without a solid strategy. Once we have that in place, we\’ll figure out the tactics along the way. Some we love, some we abandon, and sometimes new ones come along while it\’s a work in progress.
You\’ll probably have one or two strong strategies but 10, 12 or 20 different tactics. Tactics are what you try. You don\’t set them in stone, so they can be ever changing but your strategy remains the foundation.
So, for example, if your strategy is to be the most trusted real estate agent in the Hollywood Hills your tactics could be to show your quality of real estate on Instagram or invite people to post testimonials on your website or Facebook about your excellent customer service.
Get your strategy right, and the tactics will follow.
If you need help to get to a win then call us. We always aim to lead our clients to the winner\’s circle.
And if that\’s the only strategy you have so far, we can guarantee it\’s a good place to start!
