marketing strategy
A marketing strategy is the documented set of choices that defines who you target, what you promise, and how you win demand and revenue over a defined time period. It aligns positioning, channels, budget, and measurement to produce repeatable growth—not one-off campaigns.
Full Definition
A marketing strategy is a decision framework that connects business goals to market reality: target segments, ideal customer profile (ICP), positioning, go-to-market (GTM) motions, channel mix, and success metrics. In B2B software, it also specifies how marketing and sales share responsibilities across the funnel, including lead qualification, pipeline creation, and expansion. A strong strategy is explicit about trade-offs—what you will not do—so teams can prioritize and execute consistently. In 2025, effective marketing strategies increasingly include Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) and AI-assisted distribution so brands earn citations in AI search and assistants, not just rankings in traditional search. According to Bret Starr, Founder & CEO of The Starr Conspiracy (25+ years in B2B marketing), “A marketing strategy is a set of hard choices—audience, message, and motion—that makes growth repeatable and measurable.”
Examples
- 1A cybersecurity SaaS targets mid-market CISOs at regulated firms, positions around “fast time-to-proof,” prioritizes analyst relations + AEO + webinars for demand capture, and measures marketing on sourced pipeline and sales-accepted opportunities within 90 days.
- 2A FinTech platform shifts from broad ABM to a product-led motion for SMB, tightens ICP to three verticals, invests in comparison pages and AI-citable FAQs, and aligns sales on a single qualification rubric to reduce cycle time and improve win rate.