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It is likely safe to assume that digital marketing accounts for a substantial portion of your overall marketing strategy. This is because today’s consumers and business people are constantly connected and, on the go, – making it absolutely essential for marketers to place their content and analytics in the places that are going to reach them.
Any marketing strategy a business creates is designed to reach a specific marketing-related goal (or multiple goals). The basis of a digital marketing strategy is the same as it should take a focused and achievable approach. Developing a digital marketing strategy can feel like a challenge if your business is new to this space. Here are the essentials to creating a bulletproof digital marketing strategy.
#1 Analyze And Evaluate The Landscape
No strategy will get very far without thoroughly examining and analyzing the environment you are about to enter. After all, with this knowledge, you can begin to create a clear understanding of your customers and determine how well you stack up against your competition.
Start by analyzing your digital performance over the previous years. You need to develop a deeper understanding of what did and did not work. Furthermore, it is essential to learn why your previous strategy may or may not have been successful.
Then, take a close look at your competitors. What does their digital presence look like? This is one of the many benefits of digital marketing – it is easy to see what your competitors are doing. But, of course, you also need to learn more about your customers. Facebook Insights and Google Trends are both free tools that assist in uncovering details regarding your audience.
#2 Make A Strategy Map
Determine what you wish to achieve and how you plan on achieving it – this is the foundation of your strategy map. The GSOT framework is a great place to start! GSOT stands for goals, strategies, objectives, and tactics that will help you align your marketing decisions with your plan.
- Goals are high-level objectives that you desire to achieve. For example, it could be to increase sales by 7% or to get 250 people to sign up for an event.
- The approach you take to accomplish your objectives is your strategy. The marketing funnel stages are commonly used to describe this – you can choose to target awareness, interest, desire, or action.
- Objectives are numbers that can be measured and linked to a specific purpose. For example, if I want to increase sales by 7% this year, I can set a goal of generating 250 leads or reaching 500 individuals.
- Your tactics should be well-aligned with your goals. For example, if I need 250 leads, I might utilize a landing page combined with a webinar and social media to tempt potential new clients.
Setting a clear strategy will allow you to concentrate your efforts on the areas that will most likely lead to business success. There is no shortage of things you could do in digital marketing; the problem is determining what you should do.
#3 Determine Who You Want To Reach
Digital marketing offer the opportunity to deliver campaigns with precise targeting. Be as detailed as possible, going beyond standard demographic targeting. Make buyer personas for your target customer to learn more about them. Creating granular target audiences has never been so accessible.
#4 Develop Your Content Strategy
Make a content strategy based on your marketing goals and target audience. This should help you determine the primary subjects or content buckets to include in your execution. Some businesses outsource their content strategy to a professional digital marketing firm like Just 99 Web Design, while others tackle this undertaking on their own.
#5 Establish Your Tactics And Channels
Choose the channels most likely to deliver the best results after you know what material and content resonate well with your audience. It is important to consider all the digital channels, tools, and approaches available to you. Then, prioritize your options using the technique you devised in your strategy. Finally, consider how each channel helps you achieve your targets and goals.
#6 Establish Performance Benchmarks And Key Performance Indicators
More often than not, businesses begin executing but cannot determine whether or not their efforts are yielding results. Each activity you concentrate on should have a defined KPI, or key performance indicator, that you can use to gauge its success. Set benchmarks after that. What you aim to achieve is your benchmark. In email marketing, for example, my KPI may be the email open rate for a specific campaign, and the benchmark could be 25% or higher.
#7 Use Best Practices In Your Execution
The devil is frequently found in the details. If you skip over the execution steps, you might not obtain the outcomes you want. Spend some time making sure you’re following best practices. Digital marketing evolves rapidly, and what worked last year may need to be tweaked to function now. Remember that doing a few things well is preferable to doing many things poorly.
#8 Analyze And Make Necessary Adjustments
The flexibility to pivot and adjust is one of the things that makes digital marketing so effective. You don’t have to make a rigid schedule and keep to it. For example, if an ad isn’t working, pause it and try fresh creative.
Run an A/B comparison test with alternative calls to action if your website isn’t converting visitors. Staying flexible and versatile is essential when executing a successful digital marketing strategy.
Final Thoughts
With digital marketing, it’s easy to get caught up in tactics because you’re probably pitched new ideas or tools every week. Instead, building a clear plan and staying focused are the keys to improving your performance.
A laser-focused strategy means you understand precisely how each component of your strategy contributes to your goals and propels your company ahead. Of course, always stay open to new ideas, but remember, the most important thing to keep in mind is questioning whether they serve your overall strategy. If you need help with a digital marketing strategy reach out to Los Angeles Digital Marketing Agency for assistance. Just 99 Web Design is a top-rated agency that provides outstanding services.
