Define digital marketing strategy
When you decide to pursue digital marketing, the next step is to understand the basics of digital marketing strategy and then enter the field. Unfortunately, there is no “one-size-fits-all” strategic elixir. We have no magic formula to guarantee digital marketing success, and neither does anyone else. Basically, each business must determine its own unique strategy based on a specific set of circumstances.
Created digital marketing strategies can be really different. It seems completely logical, if you use a truck to sell apples to a grocery store, your strategy is the same as that of a company that sells e-books and downloadable financial transaction reports. It bears little resemblance, which in turn will be very different from the strategy adopted by sportswear manufacturers who plan to cut out retailers and sell directly to consumers via the Web. Different products of different markets and different needs require the final solution. The best people who are curious enough to define your digital marketing strategy are the ones who know your business best.
Establishing a strong digital foundation
Probably, before starting to invest in this area, the role and impact of digital marketing in the context of your business, the things that competitors do online and the reason for those things, how customers use digital technology in their lives and how to make the best use of These existing digital channels are thought to create longer and more productive relationships. These are actually the elements that form the basis of your digital marketing strategy.
Know your business
_ Is your business ready to embrace digital marketing?
_ Are your products or services suitable for online promotion?
_ Do you have the right technology, skills and infrastructure?
_ How does digital marketing adapt to existing business processes?
_ Do these processes need to change and are you and your employees ready to adapt to these changes?
Know your competitors
_ Who are your main competitors in the digital market?
_ What they do right (imitate it)
_ What are they doing wrong (learn from it)
_ What do they not do at all (is there an opportunity for them?) and how can you differentiate your online offering from them?
Remember that competition in the digital world can be local or global. When you invest online. You are entering a global game, so don’t limit your analysis to a local competition
Know your customers
_ Who are your customers and what do they want from you?
_ Are you serving the same customers online or are you approaching the business from a whole new demographic?
_ How do the customers you have targeted use digital technology and how can you control that knowledge to enter into a constructive and continuous relationship with them?
Know what you are looking for
If you don’t know where you’re going, chances are you’ll never get there. What do you want to achieve from digital marketing? Clearly, measurable and achievable goals are a key part of your marketing strategy.
Are you looking for online sales, a source of targeted sales, promoting your brand awareness among online communities, all of the above, or perhaps something completely different? Your goals are actually the scales by which you can measure the progress of your digital marketing campaigns.
Know how to do this
The beauty of digital marketing is that compared to many forms of advertising, its results are more measurable. You can track everything online and compare your progress against predetermined goals and KPIs to see how your digital campaign is progressing.
Are certain digital channels delivering more traffic than before? Why is this so? What is the conversion rate? How much of those results are related to increased traffic to your business based on tangible numbers? Measure, have the courage to correct and measure again.
Digital marketing is an ongoing and iterative process
The process of formally defining a digital marketing strategy forces you to sit down and think about the various elements of your business and how digital marketing can help you achieve your business goals. Don’t get too bogged down in technical details, remember that digital marketing is about connecting people to each other and this should not be forgotten during the marketing process.
