SOSTAC Model for Building A Wedding Marketing Strategy

Using the SOSTAC Model to Develop Your Wedding Business’s Digital Marketing Strategy

In the competitive wedding industry, a well-structured digital marketing strategy is essential for attracting and engaging potential clients. The SOSTAC model, developed by PR Smith, is a comprehensive framework that can help you create an effective digital marketing strategy for your wedding business.

I teach this model to my students in Trinity Business School and it is by far the most thorough approach. I also utilise it in all of my strategy developments for clients.

SOSTAC stands for Situation Analysis, Objectives, Strategy, Tactics, Action, and Control. Here’s how to use the SOSTAC model to develop your digital marketing strategy.

Step 1: Situation Analysis

The first step in the SOSTAC model is to analyse your current situation. This involves understanding where your wedding business stands in the market, your strengths and weaknesses, and the opportunities and threats you face.

• Market Analysis: Looking at current trading conditions and nuances.
• Target Audience: Identify your target audience and understand their needs, preferences, and behaviours. Consider factors such as demographics, psychographics, and wedding planning stages.
• Competitor Analysis: Analyse your competitors to understand their strengths, weaknesses, and strategies. Identify what sets you apart and areas where you can improve.
• SWOT Analysis: Conduct a SWOT analysis to evaluate your business’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. This will help you understand your current position and identify areas for improvement.

You will also use this opportunity to evaluate how your existing marketing efforts have performed.

Step 2: Objectives

The next step is to set clear, measurable objectives for your digital marketing strategy. Your objectives should align with your overall business goals and provide direction for your marketing efforts.

SMART Objectives:

• Specific: Define clear and specific objectives that focus on what you want to achieve.
• Measurable: Ensure your objectives can be measured to track progress and success.
• Achievable: Set realistic objectives that are attainable within your resources and constraints.
• Relevant: Align your objectives with your overall business goals and target audience.
• Time-bound: Set a timeline for achieving your objectives to maintain focus and urgency.

For example, your objectives might include increasing website traffic by 20% in six months, generating 50 new leads per month, or achieving a 15% engagement rate on social media. When selecting your objective, make sure it leads to impact in the bottom line. I often meet businesses that are hyper consumed on out-pacing a competitor. This is a race to the bottom and means that you are never creatively developing your own path.

Step 3: Strategy

Your strategy outlines how you will achieve your objectives. It provides a high-level plan for your digital marketing efforts and helps you prioritise your actions. A detailed strategic approach can be broken down using the TOPPPSEED framework:

TOPPPSEED Framework:

• Targeting: Clearly define your target market segments. Understand their demographics, psychographics, and buying behaviours to tailor your marketing efforts effectively. At this point you are building a Buyer Persona.
• Objectives: Reiterate your key objectives and ensure they are aligned with your targeting efforts.
• Positioning: Establish how you want to be perceived in the minds of your target audience. Highlight your unique selling propositions (USPs) that differentiate you from competitors.
• Partnerships: Identify potential partnerships that can enhance your marketing efforts. Collaborate with other wedding vendors, venues, or influencers to broaden your reach.
• Process: Outline the processes you will use to implement your strategy. This includes your workflow, tools, and methodologies.
• Sequence: Determine the sequence of your marketing activities. Prioritise actions based on their impact and the resources required.
• Engagement: Develop strategies to engage with your audience. This includes content creation, social media interaction, and customer service.
• Experience: Focus on the customer experience at every touchpoint. Ensure your website, social media, and offline interactions provide a seamless and positive experience.
• Data: Use data to drive your decisions. Regularly analyse performance metrics and customer feedback to refine your strategy.

Step 4: Tactics

Tactics are the specific actions and tools you will use to implement your strategy. This step involves detailing the digital marketing channels and methods you will use to reach your objectives.

Digital Marketing Channels:

• Website: Optimise your website for search engines (SEO) to attract organic traffic. Ensure your site is user-friendly, mobile-responsive, and provides a seamless user experience.
• Social Media: Use platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest to engage with your audience, share content, and showcase your services. Develop a content calendar to maintain consistency.
• Email Marketing: Build and segment your email list to send targeted campaigns. Use email marketing to nurture leads, share updates, and promote special offers.
• Content Marketing: Create valuable and engaging content, such as blog posts, videos, and infographics, to attract and retain your audience. Focus on topics relevant to your target audience’s interests and needs.
• Paid Advertising: Invest in pay-per-click (PPC) advertising on platforms like Google Ads and social media ads to drive targeted traffic to your website.

Step 5: Action

The action step involves implementing your tactics and putting your plan into motion. This step requires detailed planning and coordination to ensure your strategy is executed effectively.

Implementation Plan:

• Assign Responsibilities: Clearly define roles and responsibilities for each team member involved in executing your digital marketing strategy.
• Create Timelines: Develop a timeline for each tactic, outlining key milestones and deadlines. Use project management tools to track progress and ensure timely execution.
• Allocate Resources: Ensure you have the necessary resources, such as budget, tools, and personnel, to implement your tactics effectively.

Step 6: Control

The final step in the SOSTAC model is to monitor and evaluate your digital marketing efforts. This involves tracking performance, analysing results, and making necessary adjustments to improve your strategy.

Performance Metrics:

• Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): Identify the KPIs that align with your objectives, such as website traffic, conversion rates, engagement rates, and return on investment (ROI).
• Analytics Tools: Use tools like Google Analytics, social media insights, and email marketing analytics to gather data and track performance.

Review and Adjust:

• Regular Reviews: Conduct regular reviews of your digital marketing performance to assess progress and identify areas for improvement.
• Optimisation: Make data-driven adjustments to your tactics and strategy based on your analysis. Continuously optimise your efforts to achieve better results.

As a business owner, you should be constantly reviewing and refining your efforts. You can review my basic steps for audit your wedding marketing presence.

Start using the SOSTAC model today and watch your digital marketing efforts flourish.

If you would like assistance or are interested in taking a workshop, contact me today.