What Does A Strategist Do? And How Can I Be One?

Great question. Let’s unpack what this marketing roll is all about!

Being a strategist is something that we all kind of know what it means, but it can be hard to articulate. Like branding. Everyone knows what it means, but it can be challenging to define, succinctly. Truthfully, the job function of Strategist sits somewhere in between glorified project manager and marketing visionary.

A strategist finds the way. Once a marketing goal has been identified, it’s the job of the strategist to determine the tactics and approaches to get there. That doesn’t seem too complicated, does it? So, why is there so much confusion surrounding the roll?

There are two reasons.

The first reason is that most people are not really clear about what a strategy actually is. A strategy is not a plan. There’s no such thing as strategic planning – that’s an oxymoron. But you hear this kind of language all the time – as if strategic was something of a better or deeper adjective than simply making a plan. A strategy is a systematic approach to coordinate tactics and activities to attempt to enable the desired outcome. Boom.

The second reason is that experience is often a critical factor in actually being a “good” strategist.

Often. Not always – don’t @ me unless you read through all of this.

Having a range of experience across industries, B2B and B2C – the ability to function from a generalist POV provides a strong background to be a successful strategist. In today’s marketing world (especially large agencies), roles are often stuck in silos. That means you might be very proficient in social or media buying or analytics, but you are largely located only within that swim lane. I’m not here to say that is a fault or limitation – but it’s definitely a reality. Ideally, from a Strategist perspective – you are both competent (you have done it/can do it) and confident (you know it) with all three of social, media buying and analytics and more. Usually, the only way to get “good” at that is through direct experience. YES, THERE ARE ALWAYS EXCEPTIONS. LIKE YOU, YOU LITTLE DYNAMO!

It’s also important to keep pace with what is happening in the industry and what other brands or agencies are doing. This not only helps to inform any specific approaches but gives a background on what is on-trend, getting attention/success – and likewise, what is not. So you need to be paying attention to key industry publications and people. I usually start my day reading through industry news and monitoring discussions on #MarketingTwitter.

You also benefit from knowing what’s happening in other areas of life. Pop culture, music, current events, trends, technology, issues, etc… the ability to bring in sources from a wide range of areas and ideas helps to contribute some of the more dynamic, interesting and buzzy worthy elements to a campaign or project. This brings the importance of diversity – both in terms of building talent pools of diverse backgrounds of professional and personal experiences as well as the ability to bring together seemingly different elements that contribute to the larger whole.

I have zero time for marketers who say "I don't get TikTok". "I don't get Clubhouse". YOUR ACTUAL JOB IS TO GET IT. Marketers need to understand where the attention is. It's not up to you to judge or dismiss a platform - but it is up to you to understand it. Download it, try it out, see what's happening there - the audience, the content. The same goes for traditional media: radio, TV... You don't need to enjoy The Bachelor (I hate it), but you do need to get it. When someone says that they don't get TikTok or The Bachelor, you should be the first one responding with what matters in those spaces.

Attention should be like gravity to marketers. Be drawn towards it.

In summary, here’s how to be a “good” strategist in 3 steps:

1. Gain as much experience doing different things as possible. Often, smaller brands or agencies require multiple hat-wearing rolls and that’s a great thing.
2. Stay up to date. Know what’s happening in the industry and your local town and who’s doing it. You're the source.
3. Be open. Ideas and inspirations can come from many different sources. Embrace them!

And one final word – not every painting is a masterpiece. Sometimes, all a lead gen project requires a strong CTA and effective targeting – and that’s it. It can be easy to overcomplicate things. So don’t! Simple always wins. The trick is to be simple in an apparently effortless manner – that’s when people say, “Omg that’s brilliant!”