Strategy First: Why Every Winning Marketing Plan Starts with Foundations, Not Funnels
“If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will get you there.”
That famous quote may be from Alice in Wonderland, but it perfectly sums up what I see many businesses and marketing directors do.
They launch a podcast.
Post on Instagram.
Run Facebook ads.
Write weekly blogs.
But... there’s no real direction behind any of it.
Before you jump into tactics, you need to ask:
What’s the strategy driving all of this?
What Strategy Really Means
The word strategy comes from the Greek strategos—literally “the art of the general.” It’s the high-level plan generals used to win wars, long before battle even began. The general gives the direction, for example: go take that hill. The troops determine the tactics, the how they will take the hill if you will.
In business and marketing, strategy is your intentional direction. It answers:
Where are we going?
Why does that matter?
How will we align all efforts to get there?
Without strategy, your marketing becomes a series of disconnected sprints with no finish line. Your marketing and your business get out of sync.
Strategy Before Tactics: The Smart Marketer’s Playbook
Let’s be real: Tactics are tempting. They feel productive.
But tactics without a strategy are like nails without a hammer. They don’t build anything.
And to be effective with marketing, you’ve got to build a foundation that includes:
A clear message your audience resonates with
A well-defined ideal client persona
A core value proposition that separates you from the noise
Measurable goals tied to business outcomes
A unified plan that tells you what to say, who to say it to, and why it matters
Once you’ve laid that foundation, then it makes sense to ask:
"Should we run Facebook ads?" or "Would a webinar drive results?"
Now, you have context for every tactic you consider.
Choose Your Strategic Directions
The base upon which every architect builds a house, style. Think of your strategy as the “style” of your business.
Colonial? Modern? Choosing a style for a house then directs how you build the foundation.
The same holds true for marketing.
What is your strategic direction? Are you low cost or luxury? High touch or High Automation? What is the direction at the highest level by which you make a decision? Once you know your direction, your strategy, you can build the foundation.
Choose Your Strategy then Build the Foundation
Let’s break down the core pillars of a sound marketing foundation:
Your Message — What do you want people to know, believe, or do after engaging with your brand?
This isn’t just a slogan—it’s your positioning and promise. It answers:
Why you, and why now?Your Persona — Who exactly are you trying to reach? And please understand it isn’t “everybody.”
Define your ideal customers:Pain points
Desires
Triggers
Objections
The more specific, the more powerful your messaging becomes.
Your Value Proposition — What makes your offer different and better for your audience? If your message is the headline, this is the core argument underneath.
Your Business Goal — What does success look like this year? 6 months from now? Your marketing must be aligned with your overall business goals. Otherwise, why bother?
“More leads” isn’t a strategy. “Increase inbound leads by 20% from our ideal client persona in Q3” is.Your Strategic Direction — Put it all on one page:
What are we trying to achieve?
What’s the best path to get there?
What do we say “no” to in the process?
Real-World Example: Airbnb’s Strategy Reset
When Airbnb shifted from “cheap places to stay” to belonging anywhere, it wasn’t a new ad campaign—it was a strategic overhaul.
They redefined:
Their core message ("Belong anywhere")
Their persona (not just travelers, but experience-seekers)
Their value (access to unique, local communities)
That shift changed everything from the product to the platform to the marketing and fueled massive growth.
Strategy isn’t Optional. It’s the oxygen of good marketing.
Before you launch a campaign, post a reel, or hire a copywriter, step back, choose your strategy and map your foundation.
Because once you know the direction, every tactic has power and purpose.
Ready to build your strategy? And then the foundations for how you will market your business?
Grab the free one-page marketing strategy template below.
- Clarify your goals
- Map your message
- Align your team
Or take our strategy assessment quiz, to see where you need to start or what pieces you need to build out your marketing.
Lisa Beck Schuck is a marketing strategist, messaging expert, and the founder of Sync’d Strategies—a consultancy that helps overwhelmed business owners and marketing directors cut through the noise and finally connect the dots. With a focus on foundation-first marketing, Lisa specializes in auditing, clarifying, and building actionable strategies that drive real growth. Her approach prioritizes client experience as a core part of the marketing strategy—ensuring every touchpoint reflects clarity, consistency, and care. Lisa works with both service-based businesses and financial institutions to bring structure, momentum, and measurable results to their brand and growth efforts. Through her blog, she shares practical, fluff-free advice on how to turn strategy into results so leaders can stop guessing and start scaling with confidence.
