Digital Marketing Basics

Digital channels can do great things for your business. They can tell the world who you are and what you do in the most compelling way, bringing incredible results. A carefully crafted digital strategy will set you on the right path – its your blueprint to success. That said, it’s not just about having a shiny website or a social media presence. Its about strategically leveraging these platforms to move your business towards your goals.

A digital strategy isn’t a one size fits all solution. It’s customised to your unique business model and importantly the needs, wants and aspirations of the people your venture is designed to serve. The document will set out who your audience is, what challenges they have and what offer you can create to help them get from where they are now to where they want to be and communicating this in a way that resonates.

A strong online presence isn’t just about being visible. It’s being visible to the right people, crafting a strategy that attracts, engages and converts.

Your digital strategy should be guided by specific and measurable goals, whether that’s increasing brand awareness, generating leads or driving sales, your strategy ensures every digital marketing effort you make is purposeful and brings you closer to those goals.

The Benefits of a Digital Marketing Strategy

Businesses who document their digital marketing strategy are more successful. According to McKinsey Global Institute, data driven businesses are 21 times more likely to acquire customers, six times more likely to retain them and 19 times more likely to be profitable. If that wasn’t enough evidence to show why a digital strategy is essential for your business, here are some other benefits:

Increased Reach

When you have a clear plan of action and you know the destination, you can reach more of the right people. You can connect with these people not just in a specific town or region, but on a global scale. A digital plan will set out how you intend to do this.

Targeted Advertising

If you have the budget and you go down the paid advertising route, you can precisely target your audience using tools such as Google Ads to reach people with ideal demographics, interests and behaviours. You can also set out how you will retarget visitors.

Cost Effectiveness

Most digital marketing is organic (free). The only investment is your time. Digital marketing often provides a higher return on investment compared to traditional marketing channels. If your budget is limited but your time is rich, you can achieve significant results with careful planning and optimisation.

Measurable Results

One of the most significant advantages of digital strategies is that you can set out exactly what you want your goals to be and what metrics you want to see to show you have achieved them. You have the ability to track data in real time such as website traffic, conversion rates, engagement and ROI. This data provides insights into the effectiveness of campaigns, allowing for continuous improvement and optimisation.

Flexibility

Digital campaigns set out in your marketing strategy can be easily adjusted and optimised quickly based on real time data and new trends or technologies. This agility enables you to respond quickly to changing consumer behaviour, industry developments or competitive pressures, ensuring your strategies remain relevant and effective.

Improved Customer Experience

When you document your digital marketing approach, you can use digital channels to deliver a personalised and seamless experience to customers across all channels. From targeted messaging to tailored offers and convenient purchasing options, your marketing can enhance the entire customer journey leading to higher satisfaction and retention rates.

Elements of a Digital Strategy

A comprehensive digital strategy encompasses several key components that work together to achieve specific business objectives and enhance the overall customer experience. If you carefully defining these elements, you can create targeted campaigns that resonate with your audience and drive meaningful results.

A Specific Goal

For every marketing activity, have one specific goal that’s clear and measurable. It could be generating 10 leads, increasing targeted followers by 100 (for brand awareness) or retaining 5 customers, defining a specific objective provides focus and direction for an entire campaign.

A Specific Audience

While your business may serve multiple people, craft offers that speak to one group of people. Identifying a specific target audience is essential for delivering tailored messages that resonate with potential customers. Through market research and data analysis, you can segment your audience based on demographics, interests, behaviours and other relevant factors. For example, a fitness apparel brand might target active individuals between the ages of 18 and 35 years who are interested in health and wellness.

A Specific Offer

A compelling offer is key to capturing the attention and interest of the target audience. Whether it’s a discount, free trial, exclusive content, or limited-time promotion, the offer should provide clear value and address the needs or pain points of the customer segment. For instance, a software company may offer a free 30-day trial of its productivity tool to attract new users. The productivity tool should deliver exactly what the user expects, so the 30 day trial is followed by a paid subscription.

Customer Journey

Mapping out the customer journey is crucial for understanding how individuals interact with your brand at different touchpoints. This journey typically consists of awareness, consideration, purchase, and post-purchase stages, with each stage presenting opportunities to engage and influence the customer. By identifying key touchpoints and crafting relevant content or experiences for each stage, businesses can guide prospects through the conversion funnel effectively.

Customer Experience

The customer experience encompasses every interaction a customer has with the brand, both online and offline. From browsing the website to contacting customer support to receiving products/services, each interaction shapes the overall perception of the brand. When you take time to craft a seamless, personalised and memorable experience that can’t be found elsewhere, this become a huge selling point and you can foster loyalty, advocacy and long term relationships with your customers.  

The digital strategy is a working document that should be revisited often. With a cohesive digital strategy, you can create a targeted campaign that not only drives desired outcomes but improves the customer experience across all touchpoints.