Key Takeaways:
Understand the basics of marketing strategy, plan, and tactics.
Gain some practical ideas for strengthening your business’s marketing strategy, plan, and tactics.
When running a retail business, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by all the marketing advice out there. Should you post more on social media? Run ads? Redesign your website? The truth is, none of those actions will deliver the results you want unless they’re grounded in a clear framework.
That framework comes down to three layers: marketing strategy, marketing plan, and marketing tactics. Each one plays a distinct role, and when they’re aligned, you move from scattered efforts to smarter decisions that actually grow your business.
“The ‘why’ of your marketing strategy is the thinking part. A lot of people think that this step doesn’t have to do a lot with marketing—but it does. If you aren’t doing the thinking part here and being clear about what those business goals are, then you will not see success.”
– Jennifer Shaheen
President and Founder, Technology Therapy® Group
1. Marketing Strategy:
The “Why” and “What”
The ‘why’ of your marketing strategy is the thinking part. A lot of people think that this step doesn’t have to do a lot with marketing — but it does. If you aren’t doing the thinking part here and being clear about what those business goals are, then you will not see success.
Start by defining what success looks like for your business. That could mean achieving a certain revenue milestone in your first year, hitting a growth percentage in online sales, or simply building steady foot traffic in your store. From there, connect those goals to your brand positioning: your promise, your voice, and the emotional appeal you want customers to feel.
Digging into customer insights is just as important. Understanding why people buy things is extremely important, so you can better connect with them.
To really understand your customers, think about their motivations, frustrations, and buying triggers. Pair that with competitor and market research to spot opportunities, then refine your unique value proposition: the simple reason why someone should buy from you over anyone else.
With marketing strategy, it’s worth noting that this isn’t something you set once and forget. It’s a two- to-three-year roadmap that should evolve as your business grows and your customers’ needs change. As your business expands and evolves, you’ll want to redo your marketing strategy every couple of years.Some elements of your strategy may stay consistent, while others may shift as you refine who you’re really trying to reach.
“As your business grows and evolves, you’ll want to redo your marketing strategy every couple of years. Some elements of your strategy may stay consistent, while others may shift as you refine who you’re really trying to reach.”
– Jennifer Shaheen
President and Founder, Technology Therapy® Group
2. Marketing Plan:
The “How” and “When”
If your strategy is the big picture, your plan is the roadmap that gets you there. It’s the ‘how’ and ‘when’ of your business.
This is where you get specific. What campaigns will you run? Who exactly are they targeting? And on what channels? A strong plan also keeps the customer journey in mind. When setting up campaigns, for example, clarify which stage of the funnel that customer is in. Picture an awareness campaign built around video ads that introduce your brand. Or a conversion campaign that focuses on a promotional email with a limited-time offer.
Each piece of your plan should also include timelines (launch dates, milestones, review checkpoints), assigned roles (who’s responsible for execution, approvals, and reporting), and budgets that account for ad spend, content creation, and any contingency funds.
Measurement is another critical layer. Decide upfront which key performance indicators (KPIs) matter most: brand awareness, lead volume, conversion rates, or customer lifetime value. Then set a schedule for reviewing results. And make space for flexibility. A good plan includes checkpoints to adjust campaigns when performance dips or customer behavior shifts.
“When setting up campaigns, clarify which stage of the funnel that customer is in. Ask if that campaign is for customers in the awareness, consideration, conversion, or retention stage.”
– Jennifer Shaheen
President and Founder, Technology Therapy® Group
3. Marketing Tactics:
What It Looks Like in Action
Finally, we get to tactics. These are the day-to-day activities that make your strategy and plan real.
Let’s look at one example. Suppose your strategy identifies millennial couples shopping for engagement rings as a priority audience, and your plan calls for a winter ad campaign focused on the consideration stage. The tactics could be Instagram and TikTok ads using carousel formats and short-form videos that highlight the benefits of booking an in-store consultation.
Here’s the flow:
your strategy points you to the right audience and value proposition, your plan maps out the channels, timelines, and budgets, and your tactics are the creative pieces that hit people’s feeds and prompt them to act.
A Framework That Keeps You Focused
To sum it up: strategy comes first, because it aligns your marketing with your business goals. The plan comes next, turning strategy into clear campaigns with timing, roles, and budgets. And finally, tactics follow, giving you the concrete actions that bring it all to life.
When these three layers work in sync, you’re no longer tossing out ideas and hoping something lands. You’re running a marketing system built to adapt, scale, and drive real growth.
Build Smarter, Grow Faster
Explore TTG’s strategy services to align your marketing with business goals and create campaigns built for growth.
