Developing a marketing strategy for your business can be tough, especially if you don’t know where to start or what to focus on. I’ve found that if I get stuck while putting together my own strategy, or a marketing strategy for clients, I just need to refer back to the four questions below to help guide the way. I hope they help you get started down the right path as well.

1. Why Do You Do What You Do?

I know I’m not the first person in business to discuss the value of identifying why it is you do what you do, but here are my thoughts nonetheless.

When I talk about the “why,” I mean your personal “why.” How are you trying to change the world? What wrong are you trying to make right? What gaps are you filling?

It is so important to have an answer to this question because you’ll inevitably have your ups and downs in business. Your “why” will get you through the tough times, and motivate you through the good times. To get to your “why,” I believe you have to decide what you want to optimize your business for and then stick with that decision in everything you do.

I believe there are five points of optimization within your business that include:

1. Profit
2. Lifestyle
3. Legacy
4. Growth
5. Authority

By optimizing these areas, you’ll find your “why.”

2. Who Specifically Are You Best Suited to Serve?

We all know you can’t be everything to everyone, so stop trying. Don’t say yes to a business opportunity just because somebody will pay you. You have to get very clear and very narrow about who you can help.

Much has been said in the marketing world about ways to define who and what makes an ideal customer. I don’t necessarily agree with the standard approach of trying to discover who you can attract. Instead, I ask myself with whom do I deserve to work with? What qualities do my ideal customers have?

It’s an interesting shift, no? Start asking about ideal customer behavior, traits and qualities that define success for your business.

When identifying who this persona might be, start by identifying who you don’t want your persona to be. This will really help to start to narrow down who your ideal customer is.

Work towards defining, understanding and nurturing who you truly deserve to be working with. If you do that, success will follow.

3. What Differentiates You in a Remarkable and Unique Way?

For those of you who have been following this blog, or anything Duct Tape Marketing related for that matter, you know that differentiation is at the center of my core message. Anybody can list their products and services, but to really separate yourself from your competition, you need to tell your unique story. In my opinion, becoming a storyteller is one of the most important things you can do for marketing your business. Nobody will have the exact same story as you, so it’s key to making you stand out from the crowd.

To develop your brand story, you need to:

• Have a clear understanding of your brand and its personality
• Know your audience
• Create your hero
• Craft the story’s journey

Keep in mind, the story is about your personas, not you. The more you can make them feel like they’re a part of your story, the more you’ll be able to separate yourself from the competition and establish yourself as the company of choice.

4. How Do You Get Clients Their Promised Results?

In my experience, the best way for me to give clients promised results is by packaging up my offers so that the deliverables and expectations are clearly laid out for my clients. This leaves very little room for misinterpretation and holds you accountable for a list of deliverables you need to complete.

I’ve found that by removing the ambiguity, it not only gives the clients what they’re looking for and you higher profits, it also creates an enjoyable working relationship between the two parties.

To package up your offers, you need to have a strong point of view of what you’re offering, as well as a methodology to bring your point of view to life.

The icing on the cake? By creating a point of view and methodology, you’ll be able to separate yourself from the competition and make your competitors irrelevant.

What other questions help you formulate your thoughts around your marketing strategy?