Develop and implement a marketing strategy

A marketing strategy is essential in order to position products and services in a targeted manner, secure market share and build customer relationships

Especially in the B2B sector, a marketing strategy helps to use resources efficiently, establish a strong brand image and stand out from the competition. This article provides a guide to developing and implementing a successful marketing strategy, with a focus on target definition, target group analysis, positioning and digital channels.

What is a marketing strategy?

A marketing strategy is a structured, long-term plan that aims to optimally position a company’s products or services in order to achieve the company’s goals. It includes analyzing the market, defining the target group and selecting suitable channels and measures to establish a sustainable connection between the company and its customers.

The importance of a B2B marketing strategy for companies and their long-term success

In the B2B sector, a clear marketing strategy is essential, as the decision-making processes are often more complex and the target groups more specific. A marketing strategy helps to build trust and credibility, which is crucial for long-term customer relationships. It also enables you to stand out in highly competitive markets and establish a strong brand image. Without a sound marketing strategy, companies risk operating inefficiently and losing market share to competitors.

Overview of the key components of a successful marketing strategy

A successful marketing strategy is based on a well-founded target group analysis, clear objectives, a unique positioning and a balanced marketing mix. These components must be continuously reviewed and adapted to market changes in order to remain successful in the long term.

Why goals are the basis of every marketing strategy

SMART goals (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound)

Goals are the backbone of any marketing strategy. SMART goals ensure that the objectives are clearly formulated, realistic and trackable. For example: “Increase the number of qualified leads by 20% within three months.” SMART goals not only provide orientation, but also enable success to be monitored.

Long-term vs. short-term goals

Long-term goals, such as increasing brand value or market share, are strategic in nature and often require a longer time horizon. Short-term goals, such as optimizing a campaign or generating leads, are operational in nature. Both types of goals must be linked to ensure a coherent strategy.

The role of KPIs (Key Performance Indicators)

KPIs are essential tools for measuring success. They help to monitor progress and identify weaknesses. Examples of KPIs are the conversion rate, customer lifetime value (CLV) or cost per acquisition. By regularly analyzing the KPIs, strategies can be optimized based on data.

Target group analysis: Who are the buying personas?

The importance of buying personas

Buying personas are fictional representations of ideal customers based on market research and real data. They help to understand the behavior, needs and challenges of the target group. This enables a targeted approach and increases the relevance of marketing messages.

Methods for defining buying personas

The creation of buying personas is based on qualitative and quantitative data. Methods such as customer interviews, surveys, analysis of CRM data and social media insights provide insights into the demographics, behaviors and pain points of the target group. In addition, patterns from previous purchases and interactions can be used.

The buying journey in marketing strategy

The buying journey describes the journey of a potential customer from the first perception of a problem or need to the final purchase decision and beyond. Understanding this journey is crucial in the context of a marketing strategy in order to support and convince customers at every stage.

Typically, the customer journey is divided into the following phases:

Awareness

The customer becomes aware of a problem or need. Here it is important to generate attention through targeted content and campaigns, for example, through SEO, social media or content marketing.

Consideration

The customer is actively looking for solutions and evaluating various options. During this phase, companies should provide informative content such as white papers, webinars or product comparisons to build trust.

Decision

The customer makes their purchase decision. Marketing measures such as personalized offers, customer testimonials or demo versions can help to make the last step easier.

Retention

After the purchase, it is important to retain customers and keep them satisfied in the long term. This is done through excellent service, email marketing and continuous communication.

Eine durchdachte Marketingstrategie analysiert die Buying Journey, um in jeder Phase relevante Berührungspunkte zu schaffen, das Kundenerlebnis zu optimieren und die Conversion Rate zu steigern. Der Schlüssel ist, die richtigen Inhalte, Kanäle und Botschaften für jede Phase bereitzustellen.

A successful marketing strategy is not a sprint, but a marathon – it combines creativity and expertise with data-driven precision to build long-term trust and relevance.

Jochen Maier, CEO, summ-it

Positioning: How you position your company in the market

Unique Selling Proposition (USP): What makes your offer unique?

The USP is the centerpiece of the positioning. It defines what makes your product or service unique and how customers benefit from it. A convincing USP can arise from innovation, quality, price or excellent service.

Differentiation from competitors

To stand out, a detailed analysis of the competition is necessary. Questions such as “What do competitors do well?” and “Where are there gaps in the market?” help to develop a differentiated market position that emphasizes your strengths and exploits the weaknesses of your competitors.

Market segments and how to address them

Not all customers have the same needs. Market segmentation based on criteria such as industry, company size or purchasing behavior enables a targeted approach. Each segment should be addressed with specific messages and offers to achieve maximum impact.

Marketing mix: development and use of owned and paid channels

Owned Channels: Your own platforms at the center

Owned channels include all platforms that a company owns and controls. These include the company website, blogs, newsletters and social media profiles. These channels are crucial because they are independent of third-party providers and allow a direct connection to the target group. Companies should make sure to provide consistent, high-quality content that strengthens the brand and builds trust.

Paid Channels: Increase reach in a targeted way

Paid channels include advertising measures that are subject to a fee, such as Google Ads, social media advertising or display campaigns. They are particularly effective for quickly achieving greater reach and addressing targeted audiences. The targeted use of paid channels should be based on data-driven analysis in order to use the budget efficiently and minimize wastage.

Synergy between owned and paid channels

A successful marketing strategy combines owned and paid channels. Paid channels can be used to drive traffic to owned channels, while content on owned channels serves as the basis for paid campaigns. For example, a blog article can be promoted via a Google Ads campaign to generate leads that are later nurtured via email marketing.

Measurability and optimization

Both owned and paid channels offer extensive analytics to evaluate performance. Companies should regularly evaluate data to determine which channels and measures are achieving the highest ROI and adjust their strategy accordingly.

Digital marketing strategy: online marketing in the modern world

Content Marketing

Useful and relevant content positions your company as an expert and attracts customers. Examples include blog posts, e-books and webinars.

Digital Marketing / Online Marketing

Companies can effectively increase their digital reach by using online channels such as websites, social media and search engines in a targeted manner.

Inbound Marketing

Strategies such as SEO, content marketing and lead nurturing ensure that customers become aware of your company on their own initiative.

Social Media Marketing

Platforms such as LinkedIn offer a cost-effective way to get in touch with the target group.

Marketing Automation

Tools like HubSpot automate processes and make campaigns more efficient.

Email marketing

Targeted e-mails promote customer loyalty and provide information about products or services.

Set the marketing budget

Recommendations on budget levels

One guide to budgeting is the company’s turnover. The following percentages can be used as a guideline:

3 – 5% of turnover for established companies with well-known and established products. These companies already benefit from a strong market presence and require less budget for new acquisitions.

5-7% of revenue for growth-oriented companies. Expansion is the priority here, and additional funds are needed to gain market share and develop new target groups.

7-10% of revenue for companies looking to launch new products and services. A larger budget is needed to support market entry and raise awareness of the new offering.

ROI (Return on Investment) and performance review

Marketing budgets should always be used with a clear focus on profitability. ROI is a crucial indicator for evaluating which measures are effective and how resources can be optimally allocated.

Resource planning and prioritization of measures

Prioritizing measures ensures that important strategic initiatives are given precedence. Companies should set aside a portion of the budget for experimental or innovative approaches so that they can respond flexibly to changes in the market.

Implementing the marketing strategy

Steps for implementing the strategy in the company

A detailed action plan describes the individual measures, responsibilities and deadlines.

Assignment of tasks and responsibilities

Every team member should know what their tasks are. Clear communication is essential.

The benefits of external specialists, such as summ-it

External consultants bring expertise and fresh perspectives that are often lacking internally.

Timetable and milestones

A realistic schedule helps to monitor progress and avoid delays.

Controlling and adjustment: how to measure the success of the marketing strategy

KPIs and performance reviews

Regular reports with the most important KPIs provide information about the success of the measures.

Data analysis and reporting

Data is used to make optimizations and informed decisions.

Flexibility: When and how to adjust the strategy

Changes in the market or customer feedback require an adjustment of the strategy to remain relevant.

Why choose summ-it as your partner for developing and implementing a marketing strategy?

More than 1,000 successful customer projects: Expertise that matters

summ-it has an impressive track record of over 1,000 successful customer projects. These projects span a wide range of industries, from technology to manufacturing to services. Each marketing strategy is individually tailored to the needs of the customer, based on the challenges and goals of the respective company.

The experience gained from these projects guarantees that summ-it not only pursues proven approaches but also offers innovative solutions that are precisely tailored to the dynamics of modern markets. Whether the goal is to position new products, increase market share or raise brand awareness, summ-it understands the specific requirements of B2B companies and delivers customized results.

Jochen Maier’s expertise: first-hand experience

Jochen Maier, CEO and founder of summ-it, brings an exceptional wealth of experience to the table. Before founding his own B2B marketing agency, he served as Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) of a successful international software company for many years. In this role, he had global responsibility for marketing strategies that played a key role in shaping the company’s growth and market leadership.

His experience as CMO gives Jochen Maier a deep understanding of the challenges that companies face in the B2B sector. He is familiar with the high demands placed on marketing and sales departments and knows how to develop marketing strategies that are not only creative, but also measurable and results-oriented.

Expert knowledge that matters: the B2B focus of summ-it

summ-it is not a “full-service advertising agency”, but a specialized partner for B2B companies. This focus enables us to clearly communicate complex value propositions and develop target group-specific strategies. With expertise in technology, software and industry, summ-it helps companies effectively position their brand and build customer relationships.

A partnership approach

summ-it sees itself not only as a service provider, but also as a long-term partner to its customers. The team works closely with the marketing and sales teams of the companies to ensure that the strategies are not only implemented, but also sustainably integrated into existing processes. Workshops, training and ongoing advice are integral parts of the collaboration.

From strategy to implementation: everything from a single source

summ-it supports companies every step of the way: from analysis and strategy development to the implementation of measures and success monitoring. Whether content marketing, lead generation, SEO strategies or marketing automation – summ-it offers a comprehensive range of services that cover all aspects of modern marketing strategies.

Future-oriented with summ-it: innovation and agility

With a clear view on future developments such as artificial intelligence, marketing automation and personalized customer experiences, summ-it ensures that companies remain competitive in a rapidly changing market environment. The combination of many years of experience, state-of-the-art technologies and a deep understanding of B2B markets makes summ-it a unique partner for companies that want to grow and strengthen their market position.

With summ-it, you not only get a marketing strategy, but a partner who understands your vision and works with you to turn it into reality – based on experience, expertise and a clear focus on success.

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