How To Create a Digital Marketing Strategy
It is my goal in this article to give you a framework via a step by step process to help you begin the hard, but rewarding work of strategy.
If you are a business owner looking for a consultant to develop and build a digital marketing strategy that your team can take and implement or if you would like our agency to assist you in the implementation of the strategy, please click the button below.
Why Create a Digital Marketing Strategy?
If you are still reading maybe you prefer to go the DIY route to create your own digital marketing strategy which I highly admire and respect. No one knows your business, the current challenges it faces and potential it has better than you and if you have the time and expertise to go it alone I am going to add as much value as I can to help you!
I believe an important place to start is by defining what our goal is in creating a strategy at all. Why should we care about a digital marketing strategy? Answering this question is vital, otherwise, we might as well simply do what we have always done.
Remember Blockbuster?
They are the perfect example of a successful business that once dominated the marketplace but because of a failure to change and adapt their strategy, were knocked off by Netflix and the rest is history, including the need to “Be Kind and Rewind”.
Thank God I don’t have to feel guilty about not rewinding VHS tapes anymore, it was a big ethical issue for me as a young person. Shockingly, there is still one Blockbuster left in the world located in Bend, Oregon. The NY Times even wrote about them.
This small example though is exactly why creating a digital marketing strategy is important for your business. Regardless of the industry of your business, one thing is certain. Attention has shifted from print, radio and television to social media, podcasts and youtube. If you do not want to get left behind, adapting your strategy is crucial for your business. Let’s go ahead and dive into a deeper explanation of what a digital marketing strategy actually is.
What is a Digital Marketing Strategy?
Now for the definition! Investopedia defines a marketing strategy in a way I like. They wrote “a marketing strategy refers to a business’s overall game plan for reaching prospective consumers and turning them into customers of the products or services the business provides.”
The only thing I would change about this definition when talking about how to create a digital marketing strategy is by adding two words.
“A digital marketing strategy refers to a business’s overall game plan for reaching prospective consumers online and turning them into customers of the products or services the business provides.”
Breaking it down in its simplest form, a marketing strategy answers the question: how can we serve more people with our product or service?
The way that you do that of course requires a great deal of market research, deep thought, tracking methods and creativity.
A Minute On Funnels
If you have spent some time in the marketing world you have probably heard about the concept of a funnel.
You begin at the top of the funnel with a larger number of leads or potential buyers. However, as you move them down through the funnel that number becomes fewer as you qualify them, create tension and place your offer.
I really love the imagery of the funnel photo here because it shows your potential customers all being placed somewhere on the timeline on the path to becoming a customer.
Will all of these people become customers? No, but the longer they remain in your funnel the higher the likelihood will be that they will choose to buy from you.
It is also very important to note that it is up to you to recognize where each individual is on their timeline. It does not make sense to treat someone who has not even become a lead as if they are a prospect or to treat a prospect as if they are already a customer.
Tension and timing are both very important when it comes to sealing the deal with your customers. A small word of advice, don’t ask them to marry you on the first date. More on that later, let’s go ahead and dive into the funnel we are going to create to build your digital marketing strategy.
Crafting Your Digital Marketing Funnel
We are going to breakdown your digital marketing strategy into 6 phases.
I call them the 6 C’s of Digital Marketing:
I will give you a quick definition of each of these phases and then we will dive deeper into how you can go about actually developing your strategy. The most important part of developing a digital marketing strategy though, is creating it specifically for your company!
Before we move any further, I created a 10 page document that will walk you through these 6 phases to help you develop the perfect digital marketing strategy for your business. Simply enter your name, email address, and the business you either own, work for or are thinking about launching! Once you download your copy we will begin working through the 6 phases to help you create a marketing strategy that will dominate the digital landscape and put you in the best position to succeed moving into the next decade!
Discover The 6 Steps To Create
The Perfect Digital Marketing Strategy
The 6 Phases of Digital Marketing Strategy
Now let’s talk through the 6 phases and begin developing your strategy.
1. Communication– In this phase the goal is simply to communicate with your target customer and let them know you exist and the solution you offer to their problem. You can’t over communicate here.
2. Consideration– The consideration phase is all about building a relationship. Giving your potential customer an opportunity to get to know, like and trust you and offer value up front before asking for a purchase.
3. Connection– Now that we have had a good conversation and they have gotten to know us a little it is time to extend an invitation. Think of this phase like asking for a business card, we simply want to exchange information for a later follow up.
4. Conversion– This is where tension in the relationship is created. We must extend a lower priced offer to our prospect providing a solution in order to continue our engagement with them.
5. Cultivation– In this phase we need to over-deliver. The amount of value they receive on their first purchase and subsequent communications needs to exceed their expectations.
6. Champion– Finally, it is time to encourage your current or past customers to promote you. There are different ways to incentivize them to do this but the best way is to offer a remarkable product or service and it will happen naturally.
Communication
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