Indeed, tactics and strategies complete and complement each other where in order to be effective and efficient one cannot be applied without the other. However, strategy should come first since it is the foundation and basis in order to set smart tactics to achieve the fixed smart goals

First, in order to set an effective marketing strategy, it is essential to choose a clear business objective and clarify it to the team where the way you define it will have an influence on whether the strategy will be a success or failure. Then, using innovative ideas and encouraging employees to be creative is important to identify, evaluate and activate the evolving opportunities in the market and its industry.
In a research about B2B marketing mix report released in 2018, it has assessed that more than 66% of B2B marketers use a formal marketing plan during the assessed year where they tried to apply a more strategic and proactive way in setting their tactics for reaching their goals instead of using a responsive attitude.
A strategic marketing plan should combine a deep research and analysis of the market with the current positioning of the brand. It is mandatory to identify the five strongest competitors within your industry and assess a SWOT analysis in order to know what their weaknesses are, so you can use them to compete with them, position yourself in the market in order to survive within the industry. Differentiation is considered as a key competitive advantage where you can use the data collected about the competitors and develop a strategy which will put into light your strengths and qualifications.
Marketing is a key factor that can make you the leader of your industry. However, many don’t know how much to invest in this area and department. In fact, most companies invest 10% of their annual budget in their marketing department which reflects that the competition is getting harsh both online and offline. Therefore, many invest on the users’ experience, the shared content and their SEO program content including the website development, the digital marketing and the mobile content field.

Reference:

– 4 Trending B2B Marketing Strategies (Not Tactics) for 2019.