Like any other business decision, a digital marketing strategy needs careful thinking and planning before it is put into action. This way, the management and their chosen digital marketing agency can allocate time, effort, money, and other resources wisely, investing in assets that are likely to produce the most desired results. Here are some crucial points to take note of before starting:
- Know the current situation of the business.
Before starting to plan for any digital marketing strategy, the company needs to determine how it is currently performing. For instance, of the leads that it generates, how many turn into paying customers? How many online shoppers drop their shopping carts and when in the shopping process does it usually happen? How many visitors does the company’s Facebook page send to the website? Knowing information like these allows the company to determine their starting point and set the direction in which to go.
- Identify the goals and purpose.
A company does not simply hold a social media or content marketing campaign because everyone else is doing it; instead, it is done for a purpose that has been determined beforehand.
It needs to identify its long-term goals so it has a clear direction of where it is going, then break it down into smaller goals that can be achieved more easily and in less time. With this, it can set the parameters for its digital marketing strategies. For instance, if the goal of a new business is to increase brand awareness, then it can focus its efforts on campaigns that introduce the product to more people. If it is conversion, then perhaps the website can be improved for that purpose.
- Identify the target market.
Digital marketing campaigns will not be as effective as intended if they do not reach the target audience, i.e., the people who are likely to want and need the product. Thus, it is necessary to identify who this target audience is and then design the strategies to reach out and touch them.
For instance, if the business offers products for babies, then the company’s web page, ads, and posts should be able to reach out to parents, especially mothers, who are likely to be in their mid-20s to 30s. The strategy would be different for a company selling sports cars and is targeting professional males in their 30s or 40s.
After identifying the target audience, the company also needs to create personas or fictitious characters that represent their typical customers. This greatly helps in crafting a more effective digital marketing strategy.
- Select the channels.
The strategy that digital marketing utilizes has to be in line with the goals set by the company. In other words, it should support the goal and lead the business towards achieving it. For instance, if the purpose of the campaign is lead generation, which asset would be most effective to use: email, social media, search engine ads, or blog content?
- Track data.
Having an online presence is not just about having an attractive web page design; it is also about meeting customers’ needs. To know what this is, a business has to collect data. Knowing the number of visits, the site that drives the most traffic, the location of visitors, and so on, allows the company to understand the market better. Tracking just about everything during a campaign will also give valuable insight if it is effective; if not, necessary changes or improvements can be made.
- Know the competition.
The internet has leveled the playing field, meaning small companies can now compete with big ones when it comes to marketing and advertising. While this is a good thing, it also means tougher competition since there are more players involved. It is important, therefore, to be aware of these competitors, which ones are ranking high in search engine results pages and which ones are being talked about in social media. If one types in a query, for instance, which websites appear?
- Set the budget.
Like other ventures, digital marketing is not 100 percent free, and this is perhaps what holds many business owners back. A strategy does not have to be so expensive, though; it can start small. The important thing is to be wise and put the budget where best results can be seen.
These may sound overwhelming for some business owners. If you find it difficult to get the above tasks done and worried to make the wrong marketing moves, you can consider engaging Subzero Lab for all your Digital Marketing and Web Design Needs to have an edge over your competitors.
