Different Wars Require Different Tactics: Why Your Business Needs a Strategy Diagnosis Before a Tactical Prescription
Patrick McFadden
In marketing, just as in war, different problems require different solutions. Understanding this fundamental principle is crucial for any small business aiming to succeed. This is why it's essential to conduct a diagnosis before diving into any prescriptions.
Let’s delve deeper into this concept and explore how a diagnosis-first approach can transform your business.
The Tactical Trap: Why Tactics Alone Aren't Enough
Many business owners fall into the trap of chasing the latest marketing trends. Whether it’s the newest social media platform, a trending SEO technique, or the latest advertising gimmick, these tactics can seem like quick fixes. However, without a solid strategy, these tactics often fall flat.
Let me ask you a few questions:
- Do you feel like you’re trying to sell to everyone?
- Do you feel like your business is a commodity?
- Is price always an issue with your clients?
- Do you seem to be attracting the wrong types of clients?
- Are you struggling to stand out from your competitors?
If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, you’re not alone. These are common challenges that many businesses face, and they indicate deeper strategic issues.
The answers to these questions are not found in tactical services like Advertising, LinkedIn, SEO, Facebook, or Web Content. These are strategy problems, and they need strategy answers.
Start with a Diagnosis, Not Prescription
For most small businesses, the real battle is a strategy war, not a tactical one. It’s crucial to steer clear of falling for the hot, new marketing tactic of the week. The key to effective marketing lies in a diagnosis-first approach.
Why is this so important?
Because tactics without strategy are like uncoordinated moves on a battlefield. They may show some action, but they lack direction, purpose, and ultimately, effectiveness.
Knowing Your Big Picture Goals
You need to know your big picture business goals. Once you have those defined, you can then put together the tactics needed to bring that strategy to life. This is where many businesses falter. They jump into tactics without a clear understanding of their strategic objectives, leading to scattered efforts and suboptimal results.
Here are some key big picture goals that can inform and shape an effective marketing strategy:
1. Increase Revenue and Profitability
- Goal: Boost the company’s overall revenue and profitability by a specific percentage over a defined period.
- Why It Matters: This goal drives the need for strategies that attract more customers, increase average transaction values, and improve profit margins. Tactics might include upselling, cross-selling, and optimizing pricing strategies.
2. Expand Market Share
- Goal: Increase your share of the market within your industry or target segment.
- Why It Matters: Gaining a larger market share often involves distinguishing your brand from competitors, appealing to new customer segments, and increasing brand loyalty among existing customers.
3. Enhance Brand Awareness and Recognition
- Goal: Make your brand more recognizable and trusted by your target audience.
- Why It Matters: Higher brand awareness can lead to increased customer trust and preference, making it easier to introduce new products and services. Tactics might include content marketing, social media campaigns, and PR initiatives.
4. Improve Customer Retention and Loyalty
- Goal: Increase the rate at which customers return to do business with you and recommend you to others.
- Why It Matters: Retaining existing customers is often more cost-effective than acquiring new ones. Loyal customers can also become brand advocates, bringing in referrals and positive reviews.
5. Enter New Markets or Geographies
- Goal: Expand your business into new geographical areas or target new customer segments.
- Why It Matters: Diversifying your market presence can reduce risk and provide new revenue streams. This often requires tailored marketing strategies that consider local preferences, regulations, and competitive landscapes.
6. Launch New Products or Services
- Goal: Successfully introduce new products or services to the market.
- Why It Matters: Innovation and expansion can drive growth and keep your business competitive. Effective marketing strategies for new launches typically involve market research, targeted promotions, and strategic partnerships.
7. Optimize Customer Experience
- Goal: Enhance every touchpoint of the customer journey to improve satisfaction and loyalty.
- Why It Matters: A seamless and positive customer experience can differentiate your brand and foster long-term relationships. Tactics might include improving website usability, offering superior customer support, and personalizing communications.
8. Build Strategic Partnerships
- Goal: Form alliances with other businesses or organizations that can help enhance your market position.
- Why It Matters: Partnerships can provide access to new markets, technologies, and customer bases. Strategic alliances can also enhance your brand’s credibility and reach.
9. Increase Online Presence and Engagement
- Goal: Strengthen your digital footprint and engage more effectively with your audience online.
- Why It Matters: A robust online presence is crucial in today’s digital-first world. Strategies here might include SEO, social media marketing, email campaigns, and online advertising.
10. Enhance Innovation and Thought Leadership
- Goal: Position your brand as an innovator and leader in your industry.
- Why It Matters: Being seen as a thought leader can attract media attention, build trust, and differentiate you from competitors. This goal often involves producing high-quality content, speaking at industry events, and conducting original research.
The Power of a Strategy-First Approach
Right now, the niche landscape is changing. As service providers flood niches, competition intensifies.
Look for a digital marketing firm that specializes in HVAC, lawyers, cleaning, landscaping, accounting, for example. There's not just one; there are many, and some have truly mastered the game.
Almost every industry has a template-driven website builder that can push your site live in 48 hours for $199/month.
Ah, but now the drawbacks and horror stories start to emerge. Repetitive content, identical campaigns, and, frustratingly, a lack of ownership over content and strategies.
Businesses are discovering that by going with niche providers, some using proprietary tools and software, they must pay dearly to get out of contracts when results are non-existent or even start from scratch because they didn’t own any of the content or campaigns. But, hey, it was cheap and easy!
But herein lies the opportunity: hire a strategy-first marketing consultant or firm.
Businesses are starting to slowly grasp that marketing is not just a bunch of tactics. They need someone who can weave together the strategic and tactical strengths of specialized providers into a coherent, winning plan.
This is why strategic marketing consultants and consulting firms are entering the conversation in a big way. This role isn't about pushing tactics but about owning the strategy.
My advice for the future of niche marketing? Hire a strategic thinking or strategy-first provider. Look for consultants and consulting firms that start with a strategic engagement, and then assemble a team of experts to execute.
By focusing on strategy first, you will:
- Attract ideal clients who are profitable and refer you to others.
- Become the obvious choice provider, making your competition irrelevant.
- Ensure clients expect to pay a premium to work with you.
- Identify the best ways to attract new business.
Adopting a strategy-first approach ensures that your efforts are not just efficient but also effective, allowing your business to thrive.
Wrap Up
In conclusion, different wars require different tactics, and the same holds true for marketing.
Before you dive into tactics, you need a solid strategy. By diagnosing your strategic needs and building a comprehensive marketing strategy, you can ensure that your efforts are aligned with your business goals.
This approach will help you attract ideal clients, stand out from your competition, and achieve sustainable growth.
Remember, the answers to your marketing challenges are not found in the latest tactics but in a well-defined strategy. Start with strategy, and watch your business thrive.
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For years, the focus of marketing and sales has been to appeal directly to human customers—to connect emotionally, build trust, and ultimately close the deal. But the rules are changing, and small businesses need to be aware of a massive shift on the horizon: the rise of AI agents as decision-makers. At first, this may sound like science fiction. After all, aren’t people the ones making purchases? But the reality is that artificial intelligence (AI) is quickly becoming the gatekeeper for consumer and business decisions. Understanding this shift is critical for small businesses, as it offers both challenges and opportunities. Let’s dive into what’s happening, why it’s happening, and how your small business can prepare. What Are AI Agents? AI agents are advanced technologies designed to handle complex tasks for consumers. They don’t just provide recommendations—they make decisions. Think of an AI agent as a virtual assistant that interprets your needs, evaluates options, and executes the best solution on your behalf. Here’s a simple example: You might tell your AI assistant, “Find me a hotel near Central Park for two nights within a $1,000 budget.” In response, your AI: Searches available hotels. Compares prices, reviews, and amenities. Books the best option without you needing to lift a finger. For the consumer, it’s all about convenience. For businesses, however, it changes the game: your target audience is no longer just the human buyer—it’s the AI agent. Why Is This Happening? Convenience for Consumers Consumers want faster, easier, and more reliable decision-making. With so much information available, the process of comparing options can be overwhelming. AI agents streamline this process by narrowing down choices and delivering results that align with the consumer's preferences. AI’s Superior Decision-Making AI can process far more data than a human ever could. It evaluates everything from price and reviews to proximity and availability, all in seconds. This allows it to make decisions that are more informed and objective. Consumer Trust in AI As AI becomes more sophisticated, people are increasingly comfortable delegating decisions to their virtual assistants. Trust is shifting from brands directly to the AI agents that curate and recommend those brands. Simple Examples of AI in Action Small businesses are already seeing AI at work in various industries. Here are a few scenarios to illustrate what’s happening: Travel and Hospitality A traveler asks their AI assistant to book a flight and hotel for a weekend getaway. The AI evaluates options, finds the best deals, and books everything. The business that optimizes its data for AI discovery wins the booking. Retail A customer needs a pair of running shoes. Their AI searches for shoes with great reviews, the right size, and quick delivery. It bypasses generic search results and goes straight to businesses with clear, accessible product data. Healthcare A health app uses AI to evaluate symptoms and recommend over-the-counter solutions. Pharmacies with optimized digital listings and relevant information are prioritized by the AI. Home Services A homeowner asks their AI, “Find me a plumber near me with 5-star reviews who can come today.” The AI scans local listings and books the business with the most reliable and visible online presence. What This Means for Small Businesses The shift to AI-driven decision-making has huge implications for small businesses. Here’s what you need to know: 1. Your Audience is Changing You’re no longer marketing solely to human buyers—you’re marketing to the AI agents making decisions on their behalf. These agents prioritize structured data, transparent pricing, and measurable value over emotional branding. 2. Local SEO Becomes More Critical AI agents rely heavily on local search data. If your business isn’t optimized for local SEO —clear location details, accurate business hours, and positive reviews—you’ll be invisible to AI. Need help with your local SEO? Get in Touch. 3. Quality Data Wins AI thrives on structured, high-quality data. If your service descriptions, product descriptions, pricing, and availability aren’t clear and accessible, AI will skip over your business in favor of competitors who have optimized their data. Check out this article so AI doesn't skip over your business. "5 Must Have Elements of Service Area Pages" 4. Proximity Matters For many services, AI prioritizes businesses that are physically closer to the consumer. This is especially true for industries like home services, healthcare, and retail. Small businesses can capitalize on this by focusing on hyper-local SEO strategies. 4a. For Service Area Businesses, Precision is Key For service area businesses (SABs)—those that don't operate from a fixed location but serve customers within specific geographic regions—AI's prioritization mechanisms work differently compared to location-based businesses like retail stores or offices. Instead of prioritizing physical proximity alone, AI evaluates the clarity and accuracy of your defined service area. This is especially critical for industries like commercial cleaning, plumbing, pest control, HVAC, or mobile health services. Learn more about - 5 Steps: Local SEO for Service Area Businesses AI agents rely on several key factors, including: Accurate and detailed information about your service area. Keywords that highlight your services and locations. Social proof, such as reviews, ratings, and testimonials. Content that directly connects to your service area, like localized blog posts or FAQs. The accuracy and consistency of your listings on platforms like Google Business Profile. Quick response times to inquiries. A well-optimized website with clear navigation and mobile responsiveness. Integration of AI-friendly tools like chatbots to provide instant information to users and demonstrate efficiency. An active presence on local social media channels to further enhance visibility and engagement within your service area. By optimizing these elements, service area businesses can enhance their visibility and ensure AI agents prioritize them for local searches. 5. The Playing Field is Leveling While it may seem daunting, this shift levels the playing field for small businesses. Unlike traditional advertising, where big budgets dominated, AI prioritizes data quality and relevance—areas where small businesses can shine. How to Prepare Your Service Based Business for an AI-Driven World Here’s how you can start positioning your business to succeed in an AI-driven world: 1. Optimize for Local Search This step is even more critical for service-based businesses, especially those operating in specific geographic areas (like commercial cleaning, plumbers, HVAC companies, and remodel services). Focus on hyper-local SEO by including business districts, neighborhoods, zip codes, and cities you serve in your website content and Google Business Profile. Add a "service areas" page to your website to clarify where you operate. Encourage reviews that mention specific services and locations to boost credibility in local searches. Use geo-targeted keywords like “emergency cleaning services in Dallas” or “24-hour plumbing in Brooklyn.” 2. Provide High-Quality Data For service-based businesses, this means being very clear about what you offer and where : Use structured data to outline services , pricing estimates, and FAQs. Include service-specific keywords in descriptions, such as "drain cleaning" or "roof repair." Add before-and-after photos , case studies, or examples of completed projects to help AI and potential customers understand your expertise. Create mobile-friendly booking forms for easy service requests. 3. Focus on Trust and Transparency Service-based businesses rely heavily on customer trust because most services are provided on-site or involve direct customer interaction. Highlight safety measures , certifications, and background-checked employees to build confidence. Share detailed testimonials or video case studies that walk through successful projects. Be transparent about response times , pricing structures, and warranties for services. Add "Meet the Team" pages to introduce key staff or technicians, humanizing your business and building rapport. 4. Target AI-Specific Needs AI-driven search is increasingly intent-based , meaning it focuses on what customers are looking to achieve (e.g., “find a reliable roofer near me”). Service-based businesses can target this effectively by: Optimizing for voice search (e.g., "Who fixes water heaters in Austin?"). Using conversational language and FAQs that match natural language queries. Structuring content to answer specific questions like "How much does roof repair cost?" or "How long does an AC repair take?" 5. Embrace AI Tools Service-based businesses can benefit greatly from AI to improve operational efficiency: Use AI-powered scheduling tools to let customers book appointments automatically. Implement chatbots to handle inquiries about availability, pricing, and service areas. Leverage AI analytics to predict seasonal demand spike s (e.g., higher calls for HVAC repairs in summer). Adopt AI-enabled CRMs to track customer preferences and improve follow-up communication. The Opportunity Ahead While the rise of AI agents might seem like a challenge, it’s also a massive opportunity for small businesses. By optimizing your digital presence, focusing on transparency, and understanding how AI evaluates options, you can position your business to thrive in this new era. Remember: AI agents aren’t just replacing human decision-making—they’re enhancing it. By meeting AI on its terms, you’re not just staying relevant—you’re setting yourself up to win in the future of business. So, take a look at your business today. Is your data accessible? Is your local SEO in place? Are you ready to meet the needs of AI agents? The future is coming fast, and the time to prepare is now. Need Help? My marketing firm, Indispensable Marketing, provides a step-by-step strategy and implementation process tailored for service-based businesses with revenues between $750,000 and $7 million. We help optimize local SEO, craft trust-building content, and create scalable marketing processes that deliver measurable results . From foundational setup to growth-focused tactics and amplification strategies, our approach ensures clarity, confidence, and long-term success in your marketing efforts. Get in Touch
As we approach 2025, the changes in the business landscape are going to be significant, and many companies are already feeling the pinch. If you’re one of those business owners who’s noticing a decline in leads or a drop in website traffic, you’re not alone. Something is happening in the market, and businesses are beginning to see the winners and losers emerge. But here's the critical thing : the reason many businesses fall behind is not because they lack tactics—it’s because they lack marketing leadership. Why Marketing Leadership Matters I’ve worked with many small businesses over the years, and one thing is crystal clear: most marketing failures stem from a lack of leadership. It’s easy to get caught up in the latest marketing tactics or rush into hiring a marketing agency, but without a clear leadership strategy guiding your efforts, you’re just throwing darts at the wall. Your marketing activities might be disconnected, ineffective, and lack the cohesion that makes them truly impactful. Marketing leadership is the key to taking a business from spinning its wheels to driving real, measurable growth. Whether you have internal marketing hires, work with an agency, or manage things yourself, someone needs to own the strategy and ensure marketing activities aligns with the company’s overall growth goals. This is what I call the missing ingredient in many businesses—marketing leadership. The Three Pillars of Marketing Leadership Strategy Thinking First: It’s not just about tactics; it’s about understanding where you’re going and how you’re going to get there. This means developing a clear marketing strategy that aligns with your brand’s core identity, including who you are promising to help (ideal customers) , what problems you are promising solve for them, and how your images, metaphors, colors, words, look and feel, dress, attitude, networks, consistency represents its promises. Once the strategy is defined, you’ll know exactly where to invest your resources and which marketing channels will move the needle. Fixing the Foundations: Before you get fancy with campaigns, you need to fix the fundamentals. This means ensuring your website is a trust-building workhorse , your messaging is aligned with your ideal customer’s needs , and your content is educational and building credibility . When you have a strong foundation, every marketing effort you put forth will be more effective. Building a Repeatable Process: A solid marketing process isn’t just about running ads or posting on social media; it’s about creating a machine that works long term. This process needs to generate consistent leads, build your brand, and retain customers. A marketing leader will help you build this process, ensuring it’s repeatable, scalable, and aligned with your business’s growth objectives. Marketing Leadership as a Service: The Future of Small Business Marketing What I’m seeing—and what I believe is the future—is that agencies need to step up and offer something beyond just execution. Instead of acting as subcontractors who only perform tasks, they need to take on the role of general contractors overseeing and managing the entire marketing process. Marketing leadership as a service is about providing that strategic oversight and ensuring everything aligns with the business’s long-term goals. Think of it this way: AI may be taking over certain tactical tasks, but it’s not going to provide leadership. That human touch—the ability to analyze, strategize, and lead—is what will differentiate the winners from the losers in the coming years. Businesses will need marketing support who can step in, assess the situation, create a roadmap, and then help execute that vision. The First Step: Are You Ready? In 2025, marketing leadership will be the key to success for small businesses. It’s not about doing more; it’s about doing the right things in the right order. If you haven’t embraced marketing leadership yet, now’s the time to make that shift and set your business up for long-term success. Final Thoughts It’s easy to get distracted by the shiny new marketing tactic of the week, but without a clear strategy and leadership in place, it’s hard to see real, lasting results. This year, make it a priority to focus on marketing leadership as the core of your growth strategy. The businesses that do this will be the ones that rise above the competition in 2025 and beyond.
Indispensable Marketing takes a process approach to developing and installing your small business marketing.