[INFOGRAPHIC] Do you know the difference between a marketing strategy and a marketing plan?

When it comes to marketing, people know they need a plan. But then again, they also need a strategy.

But aren't those the same thing? Um, no.

It's a common and (as I've discovered in working with many companies over the years) very confusing topic. I wrote an article on this about 3 years ago, titled "Marketing Strategy vs. Marketing Plan" - and that article now ranks #1 on Google for that phrase. It also ranks as result "0", which is that little box that pops up to define something when you search for a question on Google.

So why all the hoopla?

It's because marketing is so vague, it can be difficult to get your arms around it. To make it easier to understand, we created this easy-to-use infographic that will help you grasp the difference between the two. Plus, you can quickly identify some of the main foundational items you need to nail down before jumping into the marketing "stuff".

Let me know if you have any feedback on this - and please share if you find it helpful!

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Ali Schwanke is the CEO and Founder of Simple Strat, the marketing agency for companies serious about growth. Learn more at simplestrat.com. 

If this article was helpful to you or you have any questions, feel free to send a note at [email protected] or find me on Twitter at @alischwanke.

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Credit note: This infographic was created by my super talented team member, Branden Bopp.