Strategic marketing and PR planning for growth.

Any marketing strategy should start with a solid foundation and so we’ve created this. We think this is what you need to get started and thrive.

No matter what anyone tells you, we’re speaking from success.

It’s important to align activities with your business objectives and then track their progress. This is to ensure sustainable growth and create lasting connections with your audience, in the very competitive 2025 landscape.

So, how would you go about this? It’s Simple… 👇🏽

1. Budgets

Competition for attention is fiercer than ever. We can’t stress this enough, no matter your size, industry or how long you’ve been around - you need a Marketing budget!

Marketing is the driver of sales!

Social media algorithms, search engines and even traditional media prioritise businesses that are willing to invest money. Paid marketing and PR campaigns ensure your message gets in front of the right audience at the right time, whether you're launching a product, building awareness, or driving sales.

Organic (free) strategies, like posting on social media or getting featured in the news, still matter—they help build trust, credibility and long-term engagement. But they’re slower, less predictable and harder to scale.

Paid efforts, on the other hand, allow you to amplify those organic wins and target your ideal customers precisely, speeding up growth and delivering measurable results.

Ultimately, relying only on free strategies means you’re leaving growth to chance. Spending on marketing and PR is an investment in your business’s visibility, reputation, and revenue.

2. Set clear goals and KPIs for both business and marketing

• Define what your "growth" looks like for your business:

  • Is it a 30% increase in revenue? A 20% growth in customer base?

• Establish KPIs for each stage:

  • Awareness (website traffic, impressions)

  • Engagement (social interactions, newsletter signups)

  • and ROI (conversion rates, repeat purchases).

• Look at previous annual goals and use that as a bench mark and then either build on them or smash them. Then simply break them into quarterly milestones to track progress and adapt.

3. Conduct a 360-degree audit

• Internal audit: Look at and assess existing PR and marketing efforts—what worked in 2024, what didn’t?

• Competitive analysis: Study your competitors’ tactics to identify opportunities to differentiate.

• Customer insights: Use the data you have alongside reviews and analytics to pinpoint what your target audience values.

4. Craft a multi-channel strategy

This is the best approach and something all brands should be doing. Let’s get over the single focus of social media, don’s focus on a channel that you don’t own - yes, we saw the drama’s the TikTok ban brought!

You need to make sure that you cover awareness, acquisition, retention and ROI, and have a balance the following:

a) Build awareness

• Leverage earned media with consistent PR efforts—pitch stories to industry publications, secure interviews or partner/ collaborate with influencers.

• Tap into social proof like customer testimonials, case studies, and reviews.

• Run targeted brand campaigns on platforms where your audience is most active (e.g., LinkedIn for B2B, Instagram for lifestyle brands) - yes, this is a cost!

b) Increase customer/client base

• Content marketing: Provide value through blogs or videos that address your audience's pain points.

• SEO & paid media: Make sure your website ranks for relevant searches and experiment with PPC campaigns to drive leads - again this is a cost

• Partnerships & events: Collaborate with complementary brands or host local or virtual events to expand reach.

c) Boost loyalty and repeat business

• Launch a customer loyalty program (if relevant and suitable) offering discounts, perks or exclusive access.

• Use email marketing to nurture relationships with personalised campaigns, including birthday offers or milestone rewards - don’t sleep on this! This is a untapped money source if not utlised.

• Introduce feedback loops: Actively seek customer input to improve products/services and show you’re listening.

d) Maximise ROI

• Focus on scalable strategies—automate repetitive tasks like email follow-ups or social scheduling - but, don’t forget actual engagement and speaking to people. Don’t just schedule and leave.

• Use attribution models* to understand which marketing efforts yield the highest returns.

  If you don’t know what an attribution model is, here is a breakdown:

  It’s a framework used to determine how credit for a conversion (e.g., a purchase, sign-up, or lead) is distributed across the various marketing touchpoints that a customer interacted with during their journey. It helps businesses understand which marketing channels and tactics contribute the most to their goals, enabling them to optimise their campaigns and allocate budgets more effectively.

5. Build a flexible PR calendar

• Map out a year-long calendar tied to seasonal opportunities, industry events or product/ service launches. If you know your business, you will have an idea on what is going on to be able to plan. You could also consider linking to awareness days, but make sure they are on brand, relevant and newsworthy.

• Align PR with newsworthy themes (e.g., AI adoption in your industry, sustainability trends) and tap into awareness days relevant to your business.

6. Track, learn and adapt

• Measure results monthly against KPIs.

• A/B test campaigns to refine what works.

• Stay agile—adapt your strategy based on trends or market changes.

These are what we consider the basic of getting started. If you really want to grow and scale and shift in mindset and efforts. If you want your business to grow and thrive, put money behind it, time and planning.

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