Key Highlights
- Why you need to develop a project strategy map to ensure all marketing efforts support clear, measurable outcomes.
- Start mapping marketing tactics to the sales funnel to target audiences effectively at each stage.
- Use time blocking, capacity management, and workflow tools to stay organized and productive.
- Regularly review and adjust your marketing strategy to stay aligned with performance and business objectives.
If you’re tackling your own marketing as a small business owner or a solo marketer who’s been doing it all for too long, it’s easy to lose sight of what can make your job easier when there’s a seemingly infinite amount of things to keep track of: social media, content marketing, web traffic, lead generation, campaign management, data analysis, and so much more. And if budget increases aren't in the immediate future, you may feel stuck where you’re at.
Sound familiar?
Often, you may not need larger budgets for your digital marketing plans, but rather a smarter structure. Without a solid strategy in place, your best-laid marketing plans may not actually accomplish what you’re tasked to do.
“For a team of one in particular, implementing a framework that considers optimization, both on and off the page, is vital,” says Joseph Skibbie, director of JRS Mar/Com, a team of digital marketing experts that specializes in consulting small and mid-size enterprises. “Copy that’s written with search in mind, hosted on an SEO-structured website, with traffic driven through email/social/PR, is possible as a team of one. Considering the impact of every piece across multiple channels, and not creating in a vacuum, is vital to success.”
While digital marketing has changed drastically over the years and continues to evolve, the reality is that the fundamentals haven’t changed much at all; it’s marketing’s place in the buyer’s journey that has evolved.
The project strategy map
In a recent webinar focused on marketing teams of one, Skibbie highlights using tools like the project strategy map, a documented process that ensures each tactic launched by marketers supports a defined outcome. Without one, solo marketers may quickly find themselves throwing anything at the wall to see what sticks. The map, according to Skibbie, should include items like the following:
- Keywords and search strategy
- Geographic focus
- Your business’s description and positioning
- Competitor analysis
- Goals and KPIs
- Content calendar and schedule
- Social media roadmap
“Keywords are passé, but you have to think about how someone comes to find your business and who is ultimately searching,” says Skibbie. “How are you connecting with your customers via content? Being intentional with who you’re communicating with and what you’re saying is vital, considering the specific nature of search.”
Ultimately, he advises that digital marketing is personal, and for solo marketers who may feel overwhelmed by all of the above, it’s important to remember that the end goal is to connect with the people seeking your products through information.
Mapping efforts to the funnel
While digital marketing has changed drastically over the years and continues to evolve, making it seemingly tough to keep up, the reality is that the fundamentals haven’t changed much at all; it’s marketing’s place in the buyer’s journey that has evolved. While traditional marketing may have largely centered on awareness and demand generation, today’s marketers are expected to deliver audiences that are nearer to the bottom of the funnel directly to sales teams.
Mapping your marketing tactics to the sales funnel will help ensure your campaigns are supporting your overall strategy, especially if you don’t have others to tap into for accountability. Consider reviewing the existing content plans on your calendar and seeing where they fall on the funnel. This can look something like the below:
- Top-of-funnel: Storytelling posts, short videos, PR mentions
- Middle-of-funnel: Search-optimized content, how-to guides, customer testimonials
- Bottom-of-funnel: Lead magnets, landing pages, sales offers
Campaign like a larger team would
Small or solo marketing teams, more than ever, also need structured timelines to reduce burnout and increase the quality of execution. This doesn’t mean necessarily following a marketing plan and schedule that rivals that of large corporations and high-powered agencies; it’s a matter of being consistent with the content that you do put forth. Consider best practices for productivity, such as:
- Time blocking: Dividing days or weeks into smaller segments for specific tasks to avoid unproductive multitasking
- Capacity management: Ensuring resources are sufficient to satisfy current and future project demands
- Task management: Overseeing a campaign through its lifecycle through Kanban boards, Gantt charts and other workflow tools
Utilizing templating and automation where possible is also key, although it’s easy to also fall into the trap of thinking all your software tools will do the work for you. “Tools like GA4, Semrush and automation platforms have to work in concert with each other, measuring the data points from each to present actionable data that can be optimized,” says Skibbie. “Marketers are looking for a silver bullet, and there isn’t one.”
If it’s been a while since you’ve reviewed your marketing strategy, it’s not too late to check on what you have planned, what’s been performing well (or not well), and to see where you can reinvest efforts. At the end of the day, real business growth still comes from starting with a clear strategy, aligning tactics to your funnel, and executing consistently.
About the Author
Raissa Rocha
Contributor
Raissa Rocha is Director of Custom Content, Content Studio at EndeavorB2B and has extensive B2B experience in editorial, custom media, sponsored content and marketing solutions. At EB2B she manages content development across all of Endeavor’s markets, working with brand teams and the SME network to produce high-quality, engaging content for clients. Previously Raissa served as Director of Nimble Thinkers, the in-house marketing agency at Scranton Gillette Communications, which was acquired by Endeavor in 2024. At Nimble, Raissa managed the agency’s operations and top clients, ideating and pitching campaign proposals as well as project managing all aspects of client programs from storyboarding and planning to execution and reporting.
A former editor, Raissa was part of the 2014 Neal Award-winning team at Building Design+Construction prior to moving over into marketing. She has worked on several association publications, including stints as managing editor for Chicago Architect, the official publication of AIA Chicago, and Environmental Connection, the magazine of the International Erosion Control Association. In addition to over a decade of B2B editorial and marketing experience in the residential and commercial construction industry, Raissa has worked in a variety of markets including horticulture, water and wastewater, infrastructure, health information technology, lighting and more.
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