How to Build a Marketing Strategy From Scratch

I don’t want you starting with a content calendar. I want you answering 4 questions first. 

If you don’t want to read this and would rather watch a video, then here you go 🙂

Answer these properly and you’re going to be okay. Skip them and everything you do afterward is going to be useless.

1. What pain point are you actually solving?

Forget your product for a second. Forget your service too. I just want you thinking about the pain point your target audience has, the one you’re solving for. 

Not the feature.

The pain.

2. Who is buying from you right now?

Not who you think your target audience is. 

Not who you designed the product for in your head. 

I want you pulling this from data you already have, who is actually spending money with you today. These are the people who took money out of their own wallet and gave it to you. That is your target audience. Know them. 

Don’t hallucinate an audience that only exists in your imagination.

3. Where are these people hanging out?

Everybody has a phone. Everybody is on social media. You need to know exactly where your audience is spending their time, Instagram, WhatsApp, Substack, wherever it actually is.

Instagram has become a no-brainer. You need a real presence there because people run a trust check on Instagram before they buy from you. They look at your followers, your views, your engagement. It has become part of how people decide if you’re legitimate but in order to gain these metrics, never compromise on the quality of content you’re putting out.

But Instagram is only the first channel. The second, and just as important, is wherever your specific audience actually hangs out. Find it. Build there too.

3. Why should a customer choose you over your competitor?

If your answer is “better quality for a more affordable price,” that is unacceptable. That’s you agreeing to compete on price forever, and price is a race with no finish line. 

People don’t buy on quality claims alone. They buy when they know exactly why you’re different. Your USP needs to be spelled out clearly, not implied.

This is where your strategy starts

Write these four things down properly. Once you know them cold, you’re at the start of your marketing strategy.

Now you build the content.

Once you have your four answers, you can start thinking about your social media calendar. Every plan needs a mix, not just reels, not just static posts, not just carousels. A good ratio of all three is what actually gets you visibility on Instagram.

Decide your ratio. Then build your content on top of the strategy you already have.

And here’s the part I want you to hold onto. Every single piece of content you post needs to answer back to those four questions. If a post isn’t talking to the right audience, isn’t clear about what you’re offering, isn’t doing any of that, cut it or rewrite it. 

Your audience needs to know 3 things from your content: that you exist, why you exist, and why it’s worth their money to buy from you.

If you need help building your strategy, or you want someone to sit down and build the whole thing with you, you’re free to book a call with me.