What is a Digital Marketing Strategy, and do I need one?!

I'll answer the 'what' part of the headline in the body of the article, however as to the 'do I need one'. That's easy. Yes!

The question I ask business owners when I first meet them is "Do you have a Digital Marketing Strategy, or just an Online Presence?

The most common answer or reply I get is "What's the difference? Why is it relevant? Will my customers know, or care?"

I hesitate to give blanket answers, though in most cases, my response to those questions would be - a) yes - b) because, without one, you won't get new customers via the internet, and c) yes and yes - unless you don't want repeat business or referral business!

For some Baby Boomers and Gen X's out there, of which I'm one, this might come as a surprise. Many business owners are proud of their websites, and the fact that they are just as good when viewed on a Tablet or Smartphone.

The point they're missing is that having a beautiful website without a strategy to drive traffic to a page on that website that you want potential customers to visit - and I don't mean the "About Us" page, I mean a 45-second video that explains what you can do for potential customers or your "Testimonial" page where other satisfied customers do the selling for you - is like having just refurbished a building off the main street in your town into the best restaurant in the entire state, but then not having billboards, signs, adverts in yellow pages, on radio, TV and local newspaper, mentions in local "about town" hand guides, letterbox drops, and brochures (along with a commission arrangement) at every hotel reception in town. If a Restaurant owner spends all that money and time creating an amazing atmosphere, stocking the pantry with the best fresh ingredients money can buy, and hiring the best Chef and Service Staff, but does not hire a Marketing and Sales Team, who create and implement a Digital Marketing Strategy, he or she will be bankrupt before the end of the first year of operation.

This is not a theoretical statement. I'm a lifelong Entrepreneur. I've invested in and started up eight businesses on my own over 25 years, and invested passively in several others. Back in the early days, we didn't have access to the internet, so in a way, we all followed the tried and true advertising options available to us. Hard as it may be to believe, Google Adwords (now Google Ads) launched in 2000, and Facebook Ads launched in 2007. So businesses could harness the massive reach of social media for nearly two decades now.

So, what do I mean by the term Digital Marketing Strategy?

I hate to be a spoilsport, but it's not that simple! There is no "one size fits all" strategy. Each one is developed based on a need and hence a goal that the business has - at that time.

For example, creating awareness about your company, product or service requires a different strategy than say, running an ad campaign to entice people to make a purchase.

The framework we use to create a winning Digital Marketing Strategy for our clients is RACE - Reach, Act, Convert, Engage.

I'll go into as much detail as this short Blog allows, however, if anyone has specific questions, you can complete the form below.

REACH. Buyer Stage = EXPLORATION. Publish and promote your content, allow sharing to other outposts, networks and influencers. Draw people to your content hub. Key Measures: Unique visitors; Value per visit; Fans/followers.

ACT. Buyer Stage = DECISION MAKING. Be worth finding via clear customer journeys and a content hub that is relevant, inspirational, useful and creates leads. Key Measures: Leads/lead conversion rate; Time on-site; Shares/comments, likes.

CONVERT. Buyer Stage = PURCHASE. Capitalize on marketing investment using CRO (conversion rate optimization), marketing automation and remarketing to ensure contextual relevance drives conversion. Key Measures: Sales (on and offline influence); Revenue/profit; Average order value.

ENGAGE. Buyer Stage = ADVOCACY. Thrilled customers are key to social media marketing, social proof, repeat sales and referral. Start your marketing here! Key Measures: Repeat purchase (CLV - customer lifetime value); Satisfaction and loyalty; Advocacy.

Recommendation

Structure your plans to define the Opportunity, Strategy and Action. Your Digital Marketing Strategy Plan will be more believable if you have SMART objectives for each part of the RACE customer lifecycle.

Deliverable: Use summary tables to link your strategies, KPIs and actions.

Is There A Pill I Can Take That Will Make Me Become A Digital Marketing Strategy Wizard?

I wish!! It would have saved my wife and me a lot of headaches, heartburn, sleepless nights, costly purchases, wrong decisions, frustration, disappointment and general "angst".

The good news is that if you are a business owner you don't have to learn everything that we've learned, just to create and run a successful online marketing campaign. All you need to do is know your business (what is your value proposition and why should customers use you instead of one of your competitors?). Know your target customer (who are they know, and who should they be?). And know your numbers (if I get X mores sales, what is my profit margin, and hence, how much can I invest in a digital marketing campaign to get those sales).

We can do the rest and show you how we can drive qualified business leads to your inbox, so that you can spend 80% of your time closing new customers and taking care of existing ones, and not spend any of your time searching for your next customer, ever again!

If your head is spinning by this time and you'd like me to explain that statement in more detail, take advantage of my free 15-minute discovery session by booking a slot in my calendar below.

This post first appeared on the DMO (Digital Marketing Offers) Blog at https://digitalmarketingoffers.com/what-is-a-digital-marketing-strategy/