10 Steps To Creating a Digital Strategy

Public Relations & Media Services

The internet has fundamentally changed marketing. In order to connect with our audiences, we need to have a digital marketing strategy. Have you heard this joke: Why is page two of google the best place to hide a dead body? Because no one would look there!

But all jokes have an element of truth, and this is no exception. 95% of all google traffic is found on page one. this really is no joke if you are a business. no longer can we rely on word of mouth, print or publicity. nowadays, we must connect with our market who are busier and have multiple screens to view and are suffering from information overload.

Given the landscape of digital marketing (social media, search engine marketing, email marketing, mobile devices, website optimisation, content marketing) in addition to the traditional marketing activities, it is no wonder it is all too overwhelming.

1. Nail your goal. Step 1 is clearly defining your why. Simon Sinek got it right with his book Start With Why. What is the overriding objective you want your digital marketing efforts to achieve? Establish the one thing and design your long term digital strategy around that. For example my why is customer centric marketing, so all my content is around that area.

Tip: Decide what you want to be known for in the future.

2. Know thy market. Who are your ideal clients? You should know the customers that you love to work with and that really value what you do/sell. It’s their attention that you want to grab so create the strategy to achieve that. You need to understand them: their demographics, psychographics and what keeps them up at night. You need to understand how they make decisions. If your target is a business customer, then the way you engage with them is very different.

Tip: Use Google Analytics or Facebook insights to give you a heads up.

3. What mediums do they use? Focus on core channels. Digital marketing is like a Swiss army knife. You need to know which tools to use for the purpose of your digital strategy. There are generally different types of content that will engage your prospects and customers. Finding out if they hang out on Snapchat or listen to podcasts in the commute to work is key. You can’t master every digital platform and do it well, so it is critical that you choose the one’s that your customers use.

Tip: If you are in business to business LinkedIn is likely to be a good one to check out, if you are in business to consumer then check out Facebook. Each market has their own communication platform.

4. Start with your customer’s journey. Mapping out your customer’s journey will allow you to connect with them at each touch point. In a digital strategy during the awareness stage we are trying to get the customers attention and build a connection. In the consideration phase we are attempting to engage by assisting customers to consider their options. In the decision making phase we are trying to convince them to pick us!

Tip: At each stage it is important to pick the right medium and message for your audience.

5. How to get found, think like your customer. Getting found is all about knowing what your ideal customer types into Google to solve their problem and find you. If you don’t know, it is always a good idea to ask your current clients what they typed in.

Tip: Add this question to your customer survey or feedback form.

6. Create your message. Creating a message that your customer will hear is all about understanding what is valuable for them. It is not about you. It is all about them. Learn to write about solving their problem. Address their concerns. Always make sure you add value. Just because you sell real estate, doesn’t mean it wouldn’t be useful to have a list of links to the local schools, cafes and playgrounds for families to click on when they visit the property overview on your website.

Tip: Use Mindmap tool like Mindmeister to brainstorm ideas around their problems. Listen to what influencers in your market are saying. Use your salesforce and employees to create content, they are listening to your customers concerns first hand.

7. Have the right tools. I must admit I am a techno geek and I love tools. They can make your life so much easier.  Understanding how to use digital marketing tools like, Hootsuite for scheduling social media updates, Moz.com to find key words or wufoo.com to create a quick survey online is a godsend!

Tip: Download my 70 key online marketing tools http://www.macinnismarketing.com.au/tools-we-love.html

8. Integrated approach. While digital is an important part of your marketing, you should integrate this with your offline marketing or traditional marketing like, print ad campaigns, direct mail and telemarketing. Working these two together will create an integrated approach and this will be more effective. Besides, if you don’t integrate all your marketing efforts then you could really annoy your potential customer.

Tip: Create a content calendar so you can see what you are doing when.

9. Don’t try to be an expert on everything – you can’t be. Getting the right advice is critical in the digital marketing space. While you don’t have to be a guru on every digital platform, you certainly need to understand what experts are saying. Following some reliable sources is key. I love Lynda.com for up-skilling, other great resources are Social Media Examiner and the Content Marketing Institute.

10. Test, measure, learn, refine. Digital marketing has one thing going for it. It leaves a footprint that can be measured. Likes, downloads, tweets and follows all give indications of engagement. By testing ideas in a digital medium you can get instant feedback to tweak and refine your campaign to make better marketing decisions. Autopilothq.com

Tip: Get Google Analytics set up properly and try out their bench-marking tools.