Strategic Planning
As its name suggests, strategy planning is about developing and planning marketing and fundraising strategies that will enable you to achieve your objectives intentionally and thoughtfully.
As a working definition, we at Masterworks consider strategy to be “the informed development of a carefully designed plan (or set of plans) that, when fulfilled through appropriate tactics and processes, will result in the achievement of a measurable goal.”
Here are 6 things to remember in developing an effective strategy:
- Excellent strategy flows from superior situation analysis
A superior situation analysis brings forth insights from what we already know and need to consider. - List key considerations
These will play out as limitations, leverage points, competitive advantages, etc. Considerations help inform ministry leaders so that they can make good decisions and also help discipline the strategy development process itself. - Define your objectives (and don’t forget the metrics!)
Sounds easy, huh? Unfortunately, defining objectives clearly and measurably is one of the most difficult steps in the strategy planning process. - Make recommendations
Recommendations that flow from the strategy document help address the considerations and issues identified, lead to an execution that will fulfill the strategy’s purpose and scope and provide a next step or set of next steps to decision-makers. - Outline a process that will serve the recommended strategy
While not allowing itself to get bogged down in detail, the strategy plan still must provide enough of a process outline that implementation can begin and, ultimately, stay on course. Elements of a process that are appropriate to the strategy plan include (but are not limited to) things such as target audience(s), messaging, brand-consistency, offer, implementation schedules, responsibilities, budgets, etc. - Get a decision on next steps
Briefly yet powerfully summarize what needs to be decided and define next steps. Then ask for a decision to be made so that resources can be allocated, assignments made and implementation begun.
Strategy planning is a core service Masterworks provides to its clients, utilizing senior planners and marketing intelligence staff.
