Helen Cox Marketing Consultant Fractional Marketing Planning Strategy ChatGPT Marketing

Tactics alone won’t cut it: how to build a real marketing campaign

The term ‘marketing campaign’ gets thrown around a lot in the B2B and professional services space, often as a catch-all for anything that involves some kind of promotion. But if you’ve ever felt confused about what a campaign actually is—or why your marketing efforts aren’t delivering the results you hoped for—it’s likely because the difference between campaigns and tactics hasn’t been clearly defined.

In my work with professional services firms, I see this all the time: a marketing team sets up an email blast, posts on LinkedIn, or runs a webinar, and calls it a campaign. But these are tactics—parts of a campaign, not the campaign itself.

So, let’s break down what a marketing campaign really is and why understanding the difference between a campaign and tactics is crucial for getting real results.

What is a marketing campaign?

A marketing campaign is a strategic effort designed to achieve a specific business goal. It’s not just a collection of random promotional activities—it’s a cohesive plan that brings together multiple tactics to achieve a broader objective. Think of a campaign as the strategy that pulls everything together, while tactics are the individual tools you use to execute that strategy.

For example, let’s say you want to generate more leads for your professional services firm. A marketing campaign could be a lead generation campaign targeting a specific audience with a tailored message on a particular theme. The tactics within that campaign could include a series of LinkedIn posts, an email nurture sequence, a whitepaper download, and a webinar. Each of these activities is a tactic, but the overarching lead generation effort is the campaign.

Why tactics aren’t enough

Tactics without a strategy are like putting the cart before the horse. Sure, sending out an email or posting on social media might get you some results, but without a clear purpose, you’re essentially hoping for the best. When firms focus solely on tactics without considering how they fit into a broader strategy, they often see scattered, inconsistent results.

A well-designed campaign starts with strategic thinking: What are your goals? Who are you trying to reach? What message do you want to convey? Once you’ve done this foundational work, you can select the right tactics to bring that strategy to life. The magic happens when your tactics work together cohesively as part of a campaign to create a bigger impact.

Examples of campaigns vs. tactics

To make it clearer, let’s look at a couple of examples:

Campaign: Launching a new service offering to an untapped market segment.
- Tactics: Writing thought leadership content for your website, hosting a targeted webinar, running a paid LinkedIn campaign, creating an email sequence to nurture leads.
Campaign: Increasing brand awareness in a specific geographic area.
- Tactics: Partnering with local business associations, sponsoring industry events, posting location-targeted content on social media, creating a press release.

In both of these examples, the campaign is the overarching goal—something that ties all the activities together. The tactics are the individual activities that help you achieve that goal.

How to tie tactics into a strategic campaign framework

If you want to drive real results, it’s essential to tie your tactics into a cohesive campaign framework. Here are the steps to get started:

Set clear goals: What do you want to achieve? Be specific. It could be increasing brand awareness, generating leads, or launching a new service.
Define your audience: Who are you trying to reach? What are their pain points, and where do they spend their time?
Craft your message: What do you want to say, and why should your audience care? Your message should be relevant and compelling.
Select your tactics: Once you’ve set your goals, defined your audience, and crafted your message, then—and only then—should you decide on the tactics that will bring your campaign to life.
Measure success: Finally, make sure you have a way to track and measure the success of your campaign. What metrics will you use to gauge effectiveness, and how will you adjust if needed?

Understanding the difference between a marketing campaign and individual tactics is crucial for any B2B or professional services firm looking to achieve real results. Tactics on their own can often feel like you’re throwing spaghetti at the wall and hoping it sticks. But when tactics are part of a larger, well-thought-out campaign, they work together to create a powerful impact.

If you’re looking to develop campaigns that drive meaningful results, take the time to do the strategic thinking first. Once you’ve got that in place, the tactics will fall into line—and that’s when you’ll start to see the real magic happen.

Need help?
If you would like help with your marketing, then bringing on a marketing consultant with a fresh pair of eyes can make all the difference. I work with B2B businesses and professional service firms in London, Kent, UK, and Europe, as well as specialising as a Legal Marketing Consultant. Please get in touch or book a free 30-minute consultation.

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