Plan To Succeed
Developing a great marketing strategy isn’t rocket science. But if you want to blast your business into the stratosphere of success in 2026, it’s crucial to your mission.
We’ve all heard the famous advice (usually incorrectly attributed to Benjamin Franklin) that when we fail to prepare, we are preparing to fail. Happily, the reverse is also true — planning breeds success.
5 Ways A Great Marketing Strategy Boosts Your Business
1. It helps you reach your business goals
A great marketing strategy is one that aligns activity with key business objectives. If success in 2026 relies on increasing the value of existing customers, you’ll use different tactics than you would if new customer acquisition or building a more capable workforce is the goal. At tgm we start with SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Timely) goals. The marketing plan and activity that flows from these can then be used as a roadmap. Knowing what success looks like allows us to measure and track progress — we can identify and celebrate success and, more crucially, adjust our approach if needed.
2. It improves cohesion and cut through
At tgm we share our annual marketing plan with the entire team at the beginning of the year, so everyone knows what we’re doing (and why!). Having everyone on the same page ensures all your marketing and communication efforts align. The result? Clearer, stronger messaging with greater cut through. Your target audience is more likely to hear what you’re saying and be more motivated to act.
3. It optimises opportunities
Time flies. One day it feels like you’ve got all the time in the world before that expo, awards deadline or commemorative day. The next you’re scrambling to pull something together last minute (or kicking yourself for missing out). An annual marketing calendar flags upcoming opportunities, giving you plenty of time to maximise them. It makes it easy to identify gaps, clashes and unnecessary repetition of content and means you can pace activity to avoid peaks and troughs, overwhelming audiences one month and being invisible the next.
4. It boosts autonomy and collaboration
Putting the effort in upfront, makes day-to-day life easier throughout the year. There’s no need for long meetings to set the agenda each month. There’s no last-minute scramble to come up with a new topic to talk about. Instead, individuals just look at the plan and get on with it. Because the team knows what’s coming up, everyone can keep their feelers out for relevant content and opportunities and do their bit for our collective success. Planning ahead frees up time during the year and means you have the capacity to take up unforeseen opportunities that might otherwise go begging.
5. It breeds success
In almost every aspect of life the adage that, ‘proper planning prevents poor performance’ is true. When it comes to marketing, creating (and following!) a great plan will increase your chances of success. A great marketing plan keeps you focused on what’s important and sets out a strategic roadmap to get you where you want to be. It empowers your people to be more proactive and enables you to make the most of opportunities — both seen and unforeseen.
If it’s time to reap the rewards of a great marketing strategy but you don’t know where to start, contact Nathalie at marketing@tgmcreative.co.nz and plan to succeed in 2026.
