Stages of Marketing Strategy Development: 7 Steps

September

2020

Stages of Marketing Strategy Development: 7 Steps

A marketing strategy is developed in seven stages: market and company analysis, choosing the target audience, positioning, goals and KPIs, the marketing mix, a channel plan with a budget, and execution with control. Each stage produces a document the next one builds on.

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In short

Without market and competitor analysis, a strategy turns into a wish list.
Set goals in business numbers: revenue, enquiries, customer acquisition cost.
A strategy usually covers a year; the channel plan is reviewed every quarter.
Execution without analytics leaves you guessing which stage worked.
We give the development timeline after the brief: it depends on the market and the research needed.

Marketing strategy stages at a glance

Stage	What you get	Tools
1. Situation analysis	A picture of the market, competitors and company	PESTEL, SWOT, sales and website audit
2. Target audience	Segments and customer profiles	STP, Jobs to Be Done, interviews
3. Positioning	Value proposition and differentiators	Positioning map, USP
4. Goals and KPIs	Measurable goals for the year and quarter	SMART, CAC, LTV, conversion rate
5. Marketing mix	Decisions on product, price, place and promotion	4P, or 7P for services
6. Plan and budget	Media plan and launch calendar	Budget by channel, content plan
7. Execution and control	Reports and adjustments	GA4, CRM, Data Studio (formerly Looker Studio)

Stage 1. Analysing the market, competitors and company

We start with the external environment: market size and trends, seasonality, regulation and buyer behaviour. Search demand comes from Google Keyword Planner and Google Trends. We review competitors' websites, ads, social media and reviews. Inside the company we look at sales by product, margins, customer sources and lead response times. The stage ends with a SWOT: strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.

Stage 2. Segmentation and choosing the target audience

We split the market into segments by customer needs, budget, geography and buying method. We choose segments where the company has an advantage and enough demand. For each one we describe a profile: the job the customer needs done, their concerns and where they look for a solution. The most accurate source is conversations with real customers and sales call recordings.

Stage 3. Positioning

Positioning answers why a customer should choose you. It must rest on facts: timelines, experience, specialisation, terms and geography. Generic claims such as "quality and reliability" do not help, because everyone makes them.

Stage 4. Goals and KPIs

We set goals in business numbers using the SMART method: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound. Examples: qualified enquiries per month, customer acquisition cost (CAC), customer lifetime value (LTV), and website and sales conversion rates.

Stage 5. The marketing mix

With the 4P model we decide which product and package we sell, which pricing policy we choose, which sales channels we use and how we promote. For services we add three more Ps: people, process and physical evidence (office, case studies, documents).

Stage 6. Channel plan and budget

We split the budget across channels: SEO, Google Ads, social media, email and partnerships. Each channel gets a task, a KPI, an owner and a launch date. Ads launch a few working days after access is granted; SEO shows its first noticeable results after about 3 months. The calendar reflects this.

Stage 7. Execution and control

A strategy works only with regular review. We set up GA4 and Google Tag Manager, lead tracking in a CRM (KeyCRM, HubSpot, Pipedrive) and a Data Studio dashboard. We check the numbers monthly and revise the channel plan quarterly. If the market changes sharply, we return to stages 1–3.

Common mistakes in strategy development

Goals without numbers: "raise awareness" cannot be checked after a quarter.
Channels chosen before audience research, because "competitors are on TikTok".
The budget split evenly across channels regardless of how long each takes to pay off.
The sales team left out, so leads from new channels are handled slowly.
Nobody owns the strategy, so the document sits in a folder and never gets updated.

An example from our work

For a motorcycle taxi service in Istanbul we went from market analysis and SWOT to positioning, a creative concept and an ad campaign, and built a plan for attracting both drivers and customers. If you already have a strategy, start with a marketing strategy audit.

Frequently asked questions

How many stages does a marketing strategy have?

Usually seven: situation analysis, target audience, positioning, goals and KPIs, marketing mix, plan and budget, and execution with control. Some models merge them into 4–5 larger steps.

What period does a marketing strategy cover?

Usually a year, with a quarterly review of the channel plan. Fast-changing markets need more frequent checks.

How is a promotion strategy different from a marketing strategy?

A marketing strategy covers the product, price, sales channels and promotion. A promotion strategy is part of it: which communication channels to use and with what budget.

Can you build a strategy without market research?

You can write a plan, but it will rest on guesses. The minimum is a competitor review, search demand analysis and interviews with 5–10 customers.

How much does a marketing strategy cost?

It depends on the number of products and markets, the depth of research and whether you need only the document or support during rollout as well. We quote after the brief and do not publish prices.

What data does the company need to provide?

Sales by product and channel, margins, a profile of current customers, access to analytics and ad accounts, and plans for the year.