The Difference Between a Marketing Strategy & Tactical Plan (And Why You Need Both)

When I sent out a recent marketing proposal, the back-and-forth with the potential client revealed something I see all the time—confusion between strategy and tactics. They’re closely related, sure. But they’re not the same thing.

If you’re a small business owner, a marketer wearing way too many hats, or just trying to figure out how to grow your presence online, you’ve probably bumped into this too. So let’s clear things up.

You need both a marketing strategy and a tactical plan to move your brand forward. They’re two different things—but they work best together. 

In this blog I break down what each one is, and give you some practical guidance you can use the next time you need some marketing assistance. 

Strategy Is the Why and What (The Big Picture Thinking)

Think of your marketing strategy as the brain behind your marketing efforts. It’s your clear direction—the big-picture blueprint that defines your target audience, what you’re trying to achieve, and how your brand stands out in a crowded, ever-changing market. The strategy should spell out what you're focused on for the next couple of weeks, months or even a year. 

Your strategy includes things like:

• Your business goals and strategic goals

• The long-term goals for your brand

• Who your target market and potential customers are

• How your brand is positioned against the competitive landscape

• Your overall marketing strategy, including brand voice, mission, and value proposition

It’s about alignment. Your marketing strategy should connect directly to your company goals and help guide every decision you make—whether you're creating blog posts, testing a new content marketing funnel, or expanding into new markets. The strategy makes sure everyone is on the same page and working toward the same end result. 

Without a solid strategy, you’re just guessing. You might be checking off tasks, but you’re not moving in a clear direction that's getting your company results. This is what we hate to see at Savvy Sloth, because the more energy you expend on the wrong things, the less energy you have for the right things and what matters most to you. This is often why clients reach out to me for support, because they don't have a clear direction or even know what they're creating all the content for. 

The strategy helps you stay focused and be discerning when the inevitable distractions or endless trends pop up. Because if those trends don't actually support the goals you're aiming for, you can easily skip those trends or say no to any ideas that don't align. 

I've worked at so many places that didn't have a clear direction, and it was challenging to get so many voices on the same page because folks didn't understand the difference between the strategy and the tactical plan. 

Tactics Are the How (Your Plan of Action)

Once you know where you're going and why, the next step is figuring out how to get there. That’s where your tactical marketing plan comes in.

Tactics are your specific actions—the short-term goals, deliverables, and tools you use to execute the strategy.

Examples of tactical marketing efforts:

• Publishing SEO-optimized blog posts to drive website traffic

• Launching social media campaigns across relevant platforms

• Running email marketing sequences tied to lead magnets

• Partnering with influencers or testing public relations outreach

• Creating marketing materials like PDFs, templates, or promotional graphics

A tactical plan lays out your content calendar, your distribution channels, your sales promotions, your resource allocation, and how you’ll measure success with key performance indicators (KPIs). Your KPIs are the metrics you'll track to know if your strategy/ plan is working ( think clicks, follows, sign-ups, downloads, etc)

It’s less about theory and more about doing. This is where your marketing team (or just you with a strong cup of coffee) gets stuff done. This is typically what everyone confuses as a strategy. The reason for that confusion is that we all consume so much marketing every day, so we start to conflate how we consume marketing with the ideal strategy and what works. But that's a dangerous approach because unless you are your company's target audience, those tactics that you enjoy consuming may not work as well as you think they will. The tactics you select are born from your strategy. 

So, for example, if your goal is to reach runners who work out at a specific park, you have to think like those runners. How do they get to the park? What do they wear to the park? Where do they shop for their gear? Once you know the answers to those questions, you can start to show up in those spaces to grab their attention, and you can use those details in your messaging to ensure they feel seen and understood. 

You Can’t Have One Without the Other

Here’s the deal: a strategy without tactics is just a dream. And tactics without strategy? A whole lot of busy work. 

Let’s say your ultimate goal is to become a go-to thought leader in your space. Your strategic marketing plan might focus on building brand awareness, establishing trust with a specific audience, and expanding your customer base.

To actually do that, your tactical plan would outline:

• Publishing two blog posts a month

• Reaching out to relevant podcasts

• Running social media posts tied to industry trends

• Using search engine optimization to improve visibility on search engines

Each piece feeds the other. Your strategy gives meaning to your actions. Your tactics turn your ideas into momentum. Together? That’s where marketing starts to feel manageable and magnetic.

So the next time you need to seek support in your marketing, take a good look at what your current strengths are. Are you better at coming up with big ideas ( the strategy) or getting hyper-focused on the details ( the tactics)? Depending on your answer, you may only need one of these things to turn your marketing around, and you can hire an expert who can fill in the gaps. 

How Savvy Sloth Strategies Can Help

We specialize in helping small business owners, marketing managers, and tactical marketers get unstuck.

Whether you need a clear marketing strategy to guide your team or a detailed plan of action to execute with confidence, we’ve got you. We’ll help you zoom out to see the big picture, then zoom in to identify the best way to move forward with actionable steps.

From strategic planning and market research to content development, we’re here to build a strong foundation so you can grow with ease—and keep showing up for the people you serve.

If you're ready to stop guessing and start seeing results, let’s talk. We’ll help you get clear, get organized, and get moving toward what’s next.