What makes a Digital Marketing Strategy effective?

We are often directed to “sell our stuff online” by clients looking to move into the Digital Marketing space, but we know (and have learnt) that strategy doesn't happen by chance, onflow results happen from hard work. 

Our world has advanced well beyond being guided by a singular, static marketing strategy. In business, we are now required to have a number of other schemes operating within our marketing approach. In a world where digital presence is critical to business success, digital marketing strategies are becoming increasingly important tools. 

A digital marketing strategy is the plan, the roadmap, the overarching principle driving how you make use of digital marketing tactics and channels, and why. An effective strategy will outline what you’re trying to accomplish, how you’re going to do it, and how you will measure success. Strategies are not made overnight. They require extensive market research, data analysis, and goal setting. 

Every marketing strategy starts with determining the target market (we hope). It is essential to know who you’re trying to engage with and how to reach them. An effective tool for finding your audience is creating buyer personas. Created from extensive research, the buyer personas represent your ideal customer. If you don’t have accurate information on your audience, your strategy is likely to move in the wrong direction. 

Now that you know your Pat/Pam, it's important to determine SMART goals. That is; specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, time-specific goals. An example: increase Instagram followers by 15% within six months. Having a detailed understanding of your goals and desired outcomes is crucial for the sake of your time and budget. 

Once your goals are set, it's time for a stalking sesh! All marketers are stalkers (by pop culture definition of the word). We ‘stalk’ our clients, our clients' customers, our clients' competitors, and our own competitors. For the sake of more appropriate terms, conduct a competitor analysis. The benefits of this analysis are the ability to identify gaps in the market, uncover trends, and market more effectively. Consumers are probably looking at your competitors, so it's important that you gain insight into what they’re posting and who they’re targeting, which will allow you to determine how, and where, to communicate your point of difference. 

Determining where you can reach your audience and where your competitors are appearing, you can select the digital marketing channels and tactics to use within your digital marketing strategy. Channels used in B2C markets are often always Facebook and Instagram, while B2B is commonly LinkedIn and email, with both markets utilising company websites. Tactics are the specific tools you use within your digital marketing strategy. Common tactics include blog posting, live stream and video, Google Adwords, and search engine optimisation (SEO). What you choose to make use of will ultimately depend on your audience and objectives. 

Lastly, an effective digital marketing strategy measures success! Are you on track to achieving your SMART goals? What can you do to improve your efforts? It is important to identify key metrics, such as overall site traffic and social media engagement, to ensure your strategy is informed. For a strategy to be effective, it requires constant monitoring and adjusting. It must be flexible to changing SEO patterns, social trends, and shifting timelines.  

If you find yourself struggling with your digital marketing efforts, we at KEO just happen to be a team of digital marketing experts who are happy to help! Reach out and let's talk about digital marketing strategy!