Marketing strategy sounds complicated, but it’s really just your game plan. Here’s what it means, why digital isn’t separate anymore, and how it all ties together.

What Is a Marketing Strategy?

“Strategy” might sound fancy, but it’s really just your game plan. It’s knowing where you’re headed, what you want to achieve, and the smartest way to get there.

Think of it like this: in the military, strategy was about using your strengths and reading the battlefield. In business, it’s the same idea. Know your goals, understand your competition, and use what you’ve got to win.

Without a strategy, your marketing is basically throwing spaghetti at the wall and hoping something sticks.

Why Strategy Matters in Marketing

A good marketing strategy answers two simple questions:

1. What do we actually want? (Sales, followers, brand awareness, customer loyalty, etc.)
2. What’s the playing field like? (Who your customers are, who your competitors are, and what’s happening in your industry)

Once you’ve got those nailed down, your strategy is just about finding the smartest way to stand out and connect with people.

A Quick History Lesson

Back when TV was brand new, companies even hired “TV strategists” to figure out how to advertise on the platform. Eventually, TV became just another piece of the overall marketing puzzle.

The same thing happened with digital marketing. At first, people treated it like a whole separate world. But really? Digital isn’t separate at all. It’s just part of marketing now.

What is Marketing, Really?

At its core, marketing is about creating and satisfying demand. If you do it right, people buy your product or service, trust your brand, and keep coming back.

Philip Kotler, one of the OGs of marketing, put it like this:

“Marketing is the science and art of exploring, creating and delivering value to satisfy the needs of a target market at a profit.”

Or, in plain English: marketing is about figuring out what people need, showing them how you can help, and proving you’re worth it.

Where Digital Fits In

Here’s the big secret: digital marketing is just marketing on digital platforms. The principles don’t change. You’re still trying to attract, connect, and keep customers.

The cool part? Digital comes with two superpowers:

1. Targeting – You can get ridiculously specific. Age, location, interests, even what someone Googled last night.
2. Measuring – Every click, view, and conversion is trackable. If something’s flopping, you’ll know fast and can fix it.

So no… digital marketing didn’t replace marketing. It just made it way more powerful. If you take away one thing from this post, let it be this:

Digital marketing isn’t separate, it’s just marketing with sharper tools.

Next week, I’ll explain the true power and potential of digital marketing. Be on the lookout for my post on Instagram and TikTok today where I make this post super easy to digest. See ya!