Strategy Outside of a Plan

I recently attended a webinar led by Lowell Applebaum, Vista Cova, on the title of this blog post. Lowell is also a faculty member of Institute for Organization Management.

He started out by making the following statements.

  • Strategy – a plan of action or policy.
  • Strategy Benefits – shared vision, mission. 
  • Strategy Deficits – moment in time, these are times of change.
  • Strategic Plans – frequency should be a set of direction and goals – very different then the 5-year goals, retreats in the past.
 
Components of a Strategic Plan
 
  • History – where you came from.
  • Vision – your ideal future, ask your board what they would add, he used the term “additive listening” to create a group vision.
  • Organization Vision and Mission – why, leadership litmus test, resonance in affiliation, definition to the external world.  Always put this in front of your board at every meeting.  Use the back of your name tents to remind why your organization exists.  Vision – statement of the future, Mission – how you’re going to do it.
  • Identity – who we are and how we act.
  • Audiences – know your who.
  • Core Values – what makes you, you!
  • Core Pillars – your area of focus.
  • Unifying Vision – direction and strategy for your volunteers.
  • Operational Plan – action items to implement your strategy.
 
Strategy Outside the Plan
 
What are you doing on an ongoing basis to help the strategic plan through everyday results?  He went on to talk about implementing a “Plan Ahead Team” – a group to keep their eye on the future and trends.  Think Foresight!  I did a blog on that topic which can be found HERE.  It’s another way of saying scenario planning.
 
Listening as a Board Competency – he listed a number of ways you can touch base with your membership to get a pulse of what is happening in their industry, which included but not limited to, surveys, monthly calls, member visits, advisory groups, competition awareness, focus groups.
 
Strategic Refresh – what is your vision in the post pandemic disruption that we all have been dealing with over the past 12-18 months.  Get the right people in the room to have this discussion.  Have a plan for a quarterly update/milestones.  In 12 months, what do we want our members to say about us?
 
Core Audiences – who are your audiences?  Create a list.  Most will be your member’s, but you should also have a list of non-members who are your core audiences (i.e., educators, legislators, groups in your community that can’t be members, etc).
 
Program Impact Matrix – do you measure your programs for relevancy?  What a great way to get rid of those sacred cows.  For a blog post on that subject go HERE.  Others call this program-based budgeting, go HERE for that blog post.
 
Creating Space for Innovation – he talked about how we were forced to do this over the past 12 – 18 months.  But are you solidifying this for future growth?  Think risk/failure options on new programming.
 
Building Board Relationships – between the chief executive officer and the board is critical.  Communication is key.
 
Give yourself space and grace!

Marketing Basics: What You Need to Know to Set Your Marketing Plan

I recently attended a webinar by one of my favorite marketers, Melissa Harrison, Founder of Allee Creative, on the title of this blog.  She is great!

The following are my top line notes from her session.


Melissa started by asking people to think about their marketing plan in 12-month chunks.


Define your competition and value proposition.  Find out what your competition is doing and tracking it on a spreadsheet can be very helpful as you create your plan.


I’ve said it before chambers, look to your left, look to your right, the next town chamber is your competition.


Your value proposition is the answer to what makes you unique and why your members join you instead of your competition.  For a previous blog post on your value proposition go HERE.


She went on to discuss how business goals and marketing goals are two different things!  Your marketing goals help achieve your business goals.  Business goals are more revenue driven or number of new members secured.


She also talked about how you need to understand your members journey.  This is the sales funnel that everyone talks about - awareness, interest, decision, sales.


She identified 10 elements to establish your marketing plan:


  1. Overview – what are your goals and objectives for the year.
  2. Key messaging – this is your elevator speech, the short answer to who you are and what you do.
  3. Goals – revenue, new members, completing something in your strategic plan.  The goals should be clear and have metrics tied to it (numbers, timing).
  4. Target audiences and persons – understanding a potential members path to join.  They are not all the same.  Also, everyone is not a potential member.  Someone could find you through your website or through some form of social media (this is their discovery, awareness, decision process of joining).  And be mindful that these can change over time.
  5. Competitive analysis – what makes you different.  I’ve talked about the Hedgehog Theory in the past (what do you do best, what do you have passion for and where do you make money).  Where they intersect is the business you should be in.  Go HERE for that blog post.
  6. Distribution channels – think direct mail, email, social media, advertising, video, events, etc.  She suggests your website should be your “home” of your brand as well as it’s a valuable touchpoint!
  7. Budget – you need to be proactive and set an actual budget.  She shared a chart that showed most small businesses budget 7% - 8% of their overall revenue on marketing.  In addition, you need to decide how you will spend that money in the different marketing channels (i.e. advertising, video, website, print and design) you choose to reach your targeted audience.
  8. KPIs/ROI – you must track your success.  What metrics are you going to use to track that measurement?  Stay focused on the numbers.  If you don’t measure your actions, you’ll have no idea if your efforts are successful. Create a dashboard!
  9. Timeline – don’t just plan.  Do.  Give assignments and keep your team focused on the results.
  10. Supporting documents – have a list of resources you can refer to when working through your plan throughout the year.


Melissa ended with a list of tools, templates and resources you can use to execute your plan.


  • Tracking timelines – Asana, Trello, Basecamp
  • Online listening tools – Hootsuite, SproutSocial
  • Content calendars – (templates from Melissa)
  • Email marketing, CRMs, inbound software – Constant Contact, Pipedrive, HubSpot, ConvertKit
  • Graphics and copywriting – Canva, Fiverr
  • Website and analytics – WordPress, SquareSpace, Google Analytics/AdWords
  • Video Platforms – Vimeo, YouTube, Flipgrid 


She finished with a tip for success – “listen harder, focus on digital.”


Good luck in creating your marketing plan of the future.  For a copy of her slide deck go HERE.