At times I’ve found myself saying, “these are tactics in search of a strategy” in response to requests from colleagues. Those requests included “we need videos,” “let’s add more pages to the website,” and “we should send more emails.”

First let’s define what I’m talking about:

• Marketing Strategy – the overall plan or approach to deliver against the goal. This is inclusive of the value proposition, competitive analysis, key messaging, and target audience details. You need to understand...