Digital Marketing Strategy: What It Is, Why You Need It, and How To Create It
In today’s hyper-connected business world, having a solid marketing strategy is a prerequisite for success. But what exactly is a digital marketing strategy, why is it so important, and how can you create one that works for your business?
What Is a Digital Marketing Strategy?
Digital marketing strategies outline how you intend to leverage virtual channels to engage and convert your target audience into customers. Think of it as direction for your marketing efforts, providing guidance on how to better connect with your audience, enhance visibility, and help drive conversions.
While the primary focus is on mediums like social media, email marketing, and content creation, every good digital marketing strategy should also synergize with your offline marketing initiatives.
Why Do I Need a Digital Marketing Strategy?
In today’s fiercely competitive marketplace, the notion of “build it and they will come” is… well, outdated. Without a clearly-defined digital marketing strategy, it’s all-too-easy to get lost, overshadowed by your competitors who already know how to capture the attention of your target audience.
In short, that’s why you need a robust digital marketing strategy, as it helps ensure that your brand stands out amidst the noise.
Four Elements of a Robust Digital Marketing Strategy
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
When it comes to increasing visibility, investing in SEO is a tried-and-true tactic. It’s the cornerstone of any successful digital marketing strategy and aligns your content with the search queries of your target audience. There are three areas of focus within SEO:
- On-page SEO: Optimizing the content on your website—including page titles, product descriptions, and blog posts—with relevant keywords to improve your search engine visibility.
- Off-site SEO: Building external credibility and authority for your brand or product through backlinks from reputable sources such as publications and bloggers, boosting your website’s credibility and visibility.
- Technical SEO: Technical SEO lays the foundation for an efficient and user-friendly website experience, addressing the technical aspects of your site, such as loading speed and indexation of product pages.
Pay-Per-Click (PPC)
PPC advertising helps you reach potential customers through paid ads on search engines and other digital platforms. It’s exactly as it sounds: you bid a certain amount of money to show up in search results, essentially “paying for clicks” to your website.
Social Media Marketing
Social media marketing has emerged as a powerful way to build brand awareness, foster customer engagement, and drive conversions. There are four elements that, when incorporated, can go a long way towards pushing your overall marketing efforts in the right direction:
- Strategy: You know the saying, “Fail to plan, plan to fail”? Well, that rings true for social media too. To really make waves, set clear goals, decide what content works best, and curate posts that resonate with your audience.
- Consistency: Think of social media like a marathon, not a sprint. Consistency is key! Set up publishing calendars—monthly, weekly, or even daily—and stick to them to see the best returns.
- Engagement and Analytics: Don’t just skim the surface—dive deep into the analytics. Use that data to see how well your brand is recognized, which campaigns are hitting the mark, and where you can improve.
- Paid Ads: Paying for clicks isn’t “just” a search engine thing. Different platforms, like Instagram, Facebook and Amazon, have their own version of paid ads, and when used correctly, they can be a very profitable investment.
Email Marketing
Despite the rise of new digital marketing channels, email still remains one of the most effective means of connecting with your audience. Although you can capture emails at the point of checkout, you’ll ultimately want them collected early on in the buyer journey. The sooner you reach customers, the easier it will be to build a connection, create value, and promote your product.
How to Create a Digital Marketing Strategy: Your Step-By-Step Guide
Step 1 – Get Your Goals Straight
First things first, define what success looks like for your business. Are you aiming to boost brand awareness or drive website traffic? Generate leads or increase sales? Be crystal clear about both your long-term and short-term objectives and make sure measurable, achievable, and time-bound.
Step 2 – Know Your Audience
Dig deep into your target audience’s, and explore their demographic profile, preferences, online behavior, and pain points. Be sure to take advantage of free tools like Google Analytics, organic social media insights and, of course, good old-fashioned surveys.
Step 3 – Watch the Competition
Pay attention to your competitors’ marketing strategies. What are they doing well? Where are their weak spots? Chances are, they’ve left gaps that you can use as an opportunity to stand out and gain a competitive edge.
Step 4 – Pick Your Battles
Select the digital marketing channels and tactics that align perfectly with your customer’s preferences. Whether it’s content marketing, social media, email campaigns, or SEO, invest time and resources only in the channels that best connect with your audience.
Step 5 – Craft Great Content
Develop a content strategy that speaks directly to your audience’s needs and desires. From blog posts and videos to infographics and podcasts, use these mediums to create good content that educates, inspires, and calls attention to your products.
Step 6 – Stay Consistent
Once you’ve started releasing new content, keep the message consistent across all channels and touchpoints. Watch your campaigns’ performance in real-time, and make tweaks as necessary to keep things on track.
Step 7- Measure, Analyze, Repeat
Numbers don’t lie, and you need to analyze data to gauge the performance of your digital marketing strategy. So why not start with what you already have? Your website. Google Analytics is a free tool that provides real-time insights into your website traffic, conversion rates, and engagement metrics. Over time, you’ll be able to learn from what’s working and what’s not, and then use these insights to fine-tune your strategy for even better results.
Let the Experts Handle Your Digital Marketing Strategy
Still unsure about how to craft your digital marketing strategy? Need some guidance on which channels to focus your time and energy on? Schedule a call with Timmermann Group. As a full-service digital marketing agency, we specialize in getting you in front of the right customers at the right time. Our success stems from our holistic approach, which encompasses every stage of the customer journey. From igniting curiosity to fostering long-term loyalty, we have the experience and resources to take your digital marketing efforts to the next level.