How A Strategy First Process Uncovers Growth Opportunities

Hans Oliver • June 17, 2025

What Most Businesses Get Wrong - Tactics Before Strategy

Running social ads, posting on LinkedIn, updating your website—these are all important marketing actions. But if you’re doing them without a clear strategy, they’re just disconnected tactics. And disconnected tactics don’t build momentum. They burn out your budget and your team.

Most businesses come to us because they feel stuck. They’re doing “all the things,” but nothing’s moving the needle. The real issue? They never built a strategic foundation. That’s where our Strategy First process comes in.

What Is Strategy First?

Strategy First is our proven framework for uncovering what’s holding your marketing back and designing a path forward that’s actually aligned with your business goals.


It’s not just about looking good online. It’s about answering key questions:

  • What does your brand really stand for?
  • Who are you trying to reach?
  • What’s your best opportunity for growth?
  • And most importantly—how do you turn marketing into ROI?



With this process, we make sure your marketing efforts are built to support your actual business objectives, not just make noise.

3 Core Phases That Drive Results

1. Discovery: Digging Into What Matters

We start by understanding your business inside and out.
This phase includes:

  • Interviews with key stakeholders
  • A deep dive into your offers, audience, and competitive space
  • Clarification of your long-term business vision


By the end, we know where you want to go—and what’s standing in the way.


2. Audit: See What’s Working (and What’s Not)

Next, we run a full diagnostic on your marketing:

  • Website performance and SEO
  • Messaging clarity
  • Conversion funnels
  • Paid ads and content


This isn’t a surface-level checklist. It’s a comprehensive, honest look at what’s driving results and what’s draining your budget.


3. Roadmap: Your Custom Growth Plan

Finally, we pull it all together into a strategic roadmap.
You’ll walk away with:

  • A prioritized action plan
  • Clear messaging guidelines
  • Funnel recommendations
  • Budget guidance
  • Tactical next steps


You’ll know exactly what to do next, what to stop doing, and where to invest for the biggest return.

Why It Works: Focus, Accountability, Growth


The Strategy First process isn’t just theory. It’s a system that creates focus by aligning your efforts with your goals. It creates accountability by defining clear next steps. And it creates growth by identifying the right opportunities—not just more noise.



Most importantly, it gives you the confidence that your marketing has purpose—and power.


Client Win

"Edgewood Solutions exceeded my expectations...."

"Hans and his team delivered exceptional results.... The process was smooth, collaborative, and highly informative. Their expertise .... helped me understand how these elements work together to drive online traffic and boost my sales. I absolutely recommend Edgewood Solutions to anyone looking to elevate their brand or enhance their online presence."

"They are a top-notch team, and I couldn’t be more pleased with the results."

Leslie Martin - Errand Runners


Ready for Clarity?


If you’re tired of throwing money at marketing that doesn’t work, we’re here to help.

Book your Strategy Discovery Call today and let’s uncover the growth opportunities you’ve been missing.

No fluff. No guesswork. Just a clear path forward.


👉  Schedule your Strategy Call now


Still not sure? Take our 3 minute quiz to learn if this approach is right for you and your team. Start Quiz



A group of people are sitting in a room with question marks on the wall.
By Hans Oliver July 25, 2025
This isn’t some trendy buzzword cooked up by consultants. It’s a smarter, leaner, faster way to get real marketing leadership without blowing your budget. And yes, it’s catching on fast.
AI Prompt Agents
By Hans Oliver July 3, 2025
Discover why most small business marketing fails and how to fix it with the EDGE AI Prompt Vault—your all-in-one system for clear messaging, consistent strategy, and smarter content creation.
Man struggling with his marketing
By Hans Oliver June 13, 2025
The “Do You Need a Fractional CMO?” quiz was built to answer one critical question: Is your business ready for marketing leadership—without the full-time cost?