When I started as a marketing consultant, I would be asked, quite reasonably, ‘What type of marketing do you do?’ and this was often followed by ‘Is it websites, SEO, copywriting?’
No-one ever mentioned marketing strategy. That’s because for non-marketers, marketing is about the outputs, what they can see. It’s websites, a LinkedIn post, networking or an exhibition.
Yet, strategy is the superpower of marketing, quietly sitting in the background building the foundations for tactical success. But it can be complex, confusing and time-consuming, especially when you have a business to run.
This got me thinking about how I could help sole traders and very small businesses to develop a simple marketing strategy. Thus, Shona’s Scrappy Strategy was born!
What is a scrappy strategy?
It’s a three-step process that makes strategy achievable. It doesn’t need to be perfect or honed over weeks or months, but an opportunity to ‘download’ what is already in your head.
You only need four things for your scrappy strategy:
- Paper: A3, a notebook or the back of an envelope, whatever works for you.
- Pen: I encourage colours, but a plain old biro or pencil will do.
- 60 to 90 minutes: Remember, it’s scrappy, not perfect
- Space away from your computer: Nothing inhibits thinking more than staring at a blank Word document. It could be: when you’re waiting to collect someone; cooking; even gardening! Doing something else often gets the creative juices flowing in a way that staring at a screen simply doesn’t.
Step 1 of your scrappy strategy: Objectives
If you don’t know where you’re going, how do you know when you’ve got there? This is non-negotiable. If you haven’t got a business objective (usually financial), then it’s incredibly difficult to set a marketing objective.
I’ll use myself as an example. I set myself the business objective of invoicing my first client by April 2026. I set myself the marketing objectiveof generating 5 enquiries between January and March that year (guesstimate if you don’t have data to refer to). This gave me the impetus to put my steel pants on and do the tactical activity of networking (something I was nervous about).
I invoiced my first client in May. I didn’t exactly hit my objective, but it didn’t matter. Setting that objective gave me the motivation to get out of my comfort zone and go and find business.
Step 2 of your scrappy strategy: Your ideal customer and their pain points
This is often a big challenge for business owners who worry that they are narrowing down if they have an ideal customer. The reality is that if you target everyone, you appeal to no one.
Think of it like this: Is every estate agent or solicitor the same? No! One could operate out of their house; the other has 5 branches.
This is where your objectives are important. If you want to make as much money as quickly as possible, then your ideal customer is more likely to be the business with multiple branches. You may not turn away the smaller business, but you can prioritise them if faced with multiple enquiries.
Something else to remember is that you can still narrow down without being industry- or sector-specific. However, there will be certain characteristics that you can apply to your ideal customer that give you that focus.
Finally, don’t forget to assign specific pain points they will likely experience and how you can solve them. This is fundamental to how you position yourself in the market…speaking of which!
Step 3 of your scrappy strategy: Positioning (giving your ideal customers a reason to buy from you)
A positioning statement, used internally, will give you the focus for your marketing and clarify how you stand out from competitors.
I like to use the example of cafés, which all sit in the same category but can be positioned very differently according to their goals and objectives.
Each of the above examples are serving different ideal customers - from busy commuters to families socialising and homeworkers looking for space away from home. They all happen to provide coffee and cakes, but where café 1 is all about fast service, café 2 wants you to take your time and feel part of the family. Café 3 has realised that with their space and amazing WiFi, they are a great option for those wanting a change from WFH.
They have taken their objectives, looked at the competition and positioned themselves to attract their ideal customers.
Your scrappy strategy in summary
Hopefully you can see that these three steps work together, each informing the other. Without objectives, it’s difficult to gain clarity on your ideal customer. Understanding who you offer most value to, and them to you, means you can position yourself to attract them.
From this, you can start to plan your tactical marketing, knowing that you are selecting the most suitable channels, messages and content. Believe me, things get a lot clearer when you have these three strategic foundations in place.
Final tips
Keep it simple and scrappy. You’re not aiming for perfection, simply a step forward in achieving clarity for you and your business. Please document your strategy (make a digital copy of the paper version) and don’t forget to review it. Put half-year or annual reminders in your calendar so you can see all you’ve achieved.
About Shona Farmer from Pink Purple Marketing
I created Pink Purple Marketing at the end of 2025 with the purpose of making good marketing accessible and affordable for sole traders and small businesses. I bridge the gap between marketing strategy and hands-on delivery because no small business can afford a team of marketers. With 25+ years’ corporate marketing experience, working in a wide variety of companies, I’m perfectly placed to help you grow with sensible and sustainable marketing support.
You can find me at:
