Each phase is essential in creating digital marketing strategy in leading to success and ranges from helping you understand your business goals, estimating the depth of what needs executing then iteratively improving continuously.
In this post we will elaborate on those steps to let you create a strong digital marketing plan.
To begin with: Get straight forward objectives Identify and Understand your Business Goals For any digital marketing strategy is impossible without clear goals. Use SMART:
• Specific — define exactly what we want to do.
• Measurable: Make sure your goal is quantifiable.
• Feasible: Establish goals you can reasonably expect to meet based on your resources.
• Aligned : Of the delineated goals, do they align with Notionally broader business objectives? Time-bound – Give each goal and target a deadline.
That might be, for instance, an increase in website traffic by 30% within six months: make sure you have the resources needed for that goal and it is linked with your business.
Having objectives that directly associate with your business strategy will also help guarantee a unified and consistent approach to online marketing. E.g., if going into a new market is your business goal, then for the digital marketing take concentrated towards local SEO and targeted ads.
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This alignment assists Team in staying focused, and achieving the results that they have worked hard for. Short and Long Range Goals On top of using goal setting process examples such as SMART goals, manage the difference between short-term vs. long-range objectives Short-term goals might include, increase social engagement by 15% in three months and long term could be double your customer base within two years.
The tricky trade-off between process and outcome-linked goals Wrap a fish…101 Days of Writing, Day 4 Having both helps retain momentum It is incredibly useful to have two different types of goals; one that measures the things you do (a progress indicator) and another…medium.com Lay out your OKRs Objectives and Key Results (OKR) are the second in goal-setting frameworks that can be used along with SMART goals.
Where SMART goals get down to the nitty-gritty of specific, measurable targets – OKRs provide a transparent view into how those ambitious qualitative objectives will be reached and what is most critical in attaining that success.
A target might be to “Lead the market within a region” A key result would then measure your success at doing that: e. g., “run 5 large campaigns”, and/or another could reflect it by saying, “market share increases by 10%”.
This is potentially the most important part of your target audience analysis…
Knowing WHO Your Ideal Customer Is: Buyer Personas This will include:
• Demographic Information (Age, Gender, Income level, chosen or available):
• Psychographic Information: Interests, Principles and Lifestyle.
• Behavioral: Patterns (consumer behavior, online activity)
For example, if you are a product that serves young professionals knows who the persona might be: an urban professional age 28 making $50K annually with interest in tech and fitness.
Market Research Use to tools like Google Analytics, social media insights, or survey your current audience. This will help you analyze data to uncover trends and insights regarding what the audience likes or does.
Take it one step further and look at your competitors’ followers to identify potential holes or areas you can stake a claim in. If 70% of your traffic is on mobile devices make sure you have a mobile-friendly website. Step Six: Segment Your Audience (Divide your audience into smaller, more specific segments.) Division serves a targeted marketing strategy.
For instance, think of purchase behavior or geography at engagement levels. And as a result, we can see that different campaigns should be designed for each segment to increase engagement, and the conversion rate.
Splitting your audience by location alone could mean an up to 20% higher engagement rates, when done effectively as laid out in campaigns for different regions. Build a Customer Journey Map A customer journey map maps the process of your customers from awareness through to purchase and beyond.
Using a customer experience map along with feedback can assist you in identifying what some of those red-hot touch points are, and where the key improvement opportunities lie. For instance, you may find that customers consistently abandon their carts during the checkout process due to a payment system that is too complicated.
Social Listening Tools Social listening is a process of tracking social media channels for mentions of your brand, competitors, or keywords that are relevant to you. Such platforms will allow you to get an understanding of how customer sentiment is changing online or even see the week-by-week evolution among trends and potential pain points.
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One way to identify areas for innovation is the irrelevant feedback that customers give like how hard your mobile app or something else. Who are your main digital rivals? Study their websites, content (both created and curate), social media footprint, and SEO strategy to ascertain what they are good at.
This means for example, if you identify five main competitors look at their social signals (likes and shares), traffic to site, or technical SEO audit on keyword rankings. Assess Your Competition It is really helpful in gaining competitor insights as with tools like SEMrush and Ahrefs, you can dive deep into your competitors’ strategy.
Find which keywords they rank for, where their backlinks come from, and what content brings in the most traffic.
Identify areas where they are weak and think about how you can take advantage of those opportunities. For example, if a competitor ranks well for their blog posts but has limited engagement on social media, you can work to be sure that your content is high quality and promotes this effectively through your social channels.
Benchmark Their Performance The first step in benchmarking is against your competition. This process will help you understand where are you in the market and check your shortcomings.
To illustrate, if your competitor has an average website session time of 5 minutes and yours is at only three—think about potential solutions that could get users more interested in the content you create.
Evaluate the Competition and Yourself – Conduct a SWOT Analysis A SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities Threatened) is an organized way to evaluate both your competition as well as where you stand in the market.
This helps to find out the internal strengths & weaknesses and opportunities & threats prevalent in the external environment. A competitor’s robust social media presence could be a threat, but their customer service (or lack thereof) might present an opportunity for you.
Content Planning
Content Strategy
Determine the types of content that might appeal to your audience, such as blogs, videos, or infographics. These should share high conversion rates by providing long-term educational value to engage your audience, particularly in the early stages of their buyer’s journey.
- Consideration: In-depth content that aids in the comparison of options.
- Appeal: Compelling content that influences the sale/closure.
For example, create tutorial blog posts for the awareness stage, product comparison guides for the consideration stage, and detailed customer testimonials for the decision stage.
Develop a Content Calendar
A good content calendar will assist in planning and automating your distribution of content. Organize posts across different channels with tools like Trello or Asana. Consistency and engagement are key to building trust with your followers. Example: Schedule three blog posts, two videos, and five social media posts every week.
SEO Optimization
Incorporate SEO best practices in your content strategy. This includes keyword research, optimizing on-page elements (titles, meta descriptions, headers), and internal linking to enhance search visibility. For instance, optimizing your blog posts for specific keywords can boost organic traffic by about 25%.
Repurpose Content
Repurposing content means taking existing content and presenting it in a new format, such as turning a popular blog post into a video or infographic. This strategy increases the reach and value of your content across different audience segments.
Use User-Generated Content
User-generated content (UGC) includes reviews, testimonials, and social media posts created by your customers. UGC adds trust and authenticity to your marketing. For example, featuring customer reviews on your website can increase conversion rates by up to 18%.
Channel Selection & Integration
Pick the Right Platforms
Determine which digital channels are best suited for your target audience based on your analysis. This might involve social media, email marketing, SEO, PPC advertising, and content writing. If your audience is highly active on Instagram, focus on visual content for that platform.
Integrate All Channels
Ensure that your marketing channels flow seamlessly from one to another. For example, social media campaigns should direct traffic to targeted landing pages rather than your homepage, and email newsletters should drive interactions with your latest blog content or offers. This integration provides a seamless user experience and enhances the effectiveness of your actions. Integrating email and social media marketing has been shown to increase customer retention by 15%.
Utilize Multi-Channel Marketing
Multi-channel marketing means reaching customers on various channels, boosting brand presence and providing more touchpoints with your audience. For example, use email, social media, and PPC ads to launch a new product.
Adopt Omnichannel Strategies
Omnichannel marketing creates a unified experience across all channels, ensuring consistent messaging whether customers interact with your brand online, in-store, or via mobile. For instance, send a personalized email to a customer based on their recent in-store purchase with a customized offer.
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Budget Allocation
Plan Your Budget
Allocate a budget that covers all necessary expenses, including ad spend, content creation, and tools/software, based on your business goals and chosen channels. Creating a budget helps prevent overspending and loss. Allocate 40% of your budget to content creation, 30% to paid ads, 20% to SEO, and the rest to tools and software.
Spend Wisely
Use your budget where it matters most. If PPC advertising drives the highest number of conversions but requires investment, reserve more budget for this channel. Monitor and adjust your spending regularly to maximize resource utilization. For example, if PPC campaigns have a 5% conversion rate, but social media ads convert at 2%, invest more in PPC.
Watch Out Your Expenses
Keep a close eye on your expenditures to ensure you stay within budget. Use budgeting tools like Google Sheets or expense tracking software for organization. If certain areas exceed the budget, investigate and adjust.
Plan for Contingencies
Set aside 5-10% of your budget for contingencies to handle unexpected opportunities or challenges.
KPIs (Key Performance Indicators)
Set the Important Metrics
Identify the metrics to measure your business’s success, such as:
- Site Traffic: Number of visitors to your site.
- Conversion Rates: Percentage of visitors who take a desired action.
- CTR: Click-through rates.
- CPA: Cost per acquisition.
- ROI: Revenue generated compared to marketing costs.
For example, aim to increase web traffic by 20% in six months or decrease CPA by 10%.
Use Analytics Tools
Track data and analytics with tools like Google Analytics, Semrush, or HubSpot. Regularly monitor performance to identify what works and what needs adjustment. For instance, use Google Analytics to track which blog posts drive the most traffic and conversions.
Modify and Optimize
Continuously refine your strategy based on analysis. This could mean changing your ad copy, trying new content formats, or reallocating budget to higher-performing channels. For example, vary headlines in A/B tests to find which generates more clicks and adapt your content accordingly.
Establish Routine Reporting
Create a reporting routine to review performance metrics regularly. Track progress monthly, quarterly, and annually to make data-driven decisions. Reports should highlight key metrics, insights, and recommendations for improvement.
Customer Lifetime Value (CLV)
Track CLV to see the true value of your marketing tactics. For example, improving customer retention can significantly boost profitability.
Continuous Improvement
Run A/B Tests
Experiment with different ads, emails, or landing pages to find what performs better. A/B testing provides insights into what works with your target audience, optimizing your marketing efforts. For instance, test email subject lines to see which results in higher open rates.
Keep Up to Date on Current Trends
Stay informed about the latest trends and tools in digital marketing to keep your strategy effective. For example, follow trends like voice search optimization and AI-powered marketing.
Encourage a Learning Culture
Inspire your team to learn new skills and grow. Provide access to learning resources, webinars, and industry conferences to foster innovation and relevance.
Implement Customer Feedback
Regularly gather feedback from customers to understand their needs and preferences. Use surveys, reviews, and social media interactions to collect insights and improve products or services, enhancing customer satisfaction.
Perform Regular Audits
Regularly audit your digital marketing strategies to identify strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement. This includes content, SEO, and social media audits to ensure alignment with business goals and market conditions.
Leverage Marketing Automation
Marketing automation tools like HubSpot, Marketo, or Mailchimp can streamline and optimize your digital marketing efforts, saving time and ensuring consistency.
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FAQs
- What are SMART goals in digital marketing?
SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound objectives that provide a clear framework for achieving marketing goals. - Why is target audience analysis important?
It helps understand who your customers are, what they need, and how they behave, allowing for more personalized and effective marketing strategies. - How can I conduct competitor analysis?
Identify key competitors and evaluate their strategies using tools like SEMrush or Ahrefs to reveal opportunities to outperform them. - What is a content calendar?
A content calendar organizes your content distribution across channels, aiding in planning and maintaining consistency. - How do I determine my marketing budget?
Cover all necessary expenses based on business goals and chosen channels, prioritizing high-impact areas and regularly reviewing the budget. - Why is continuous improvement necessary in digital marketing?
Continuous improvement keeps your strategy effective and relevant by regularly analyzing performance, running A/B tests, and staying updated on trends.
Conclusion
Creating a successful digital marketing strategy involves defining objectives, knowing your audience and competition, scheduling content production, selecting the right channels, setting a budget, measuring performance, and continuously improving. By following these steps, you can develop a robust strategy that drives results and aligns with your business objectives.
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