Strategy is by far the most important stage. Devising the best "digital marketing strategy" for your business can only come from the person who knows your business best,
...YOU!
Under the guidance of someone who knows digital marketing best,
...ME!
A good metaphor would be relationships with the opposite (or same) sex (I guess).
When we meet someone we're attracted to, a good tactic may yield us immediate gratification, but to enjoy the most (overall) value from a relationship with a person we're attracted to, irrespective of immediate returns, we're far better off being strategic in how we go about courting such a relationship.
Have you ever heard the saying:
“You won't fall in love until you love yourself?"
Well, business strategy, in my book, is very similar to love.
Firstly, you need to know and like yourself (your brand) inside out, then you need to narrow the "target" market of people who need, and "could" love what you represent (your offer), you must understand what may get in the way (roadblocks) of them accepting you (your offer). Position yourself as a desirable add-on to their current world view.
Then, you need to get their attention and engage them. Obviously you're not going to create a fake persona, a compatible “match-up” is a pre-requisite.
Seth Godin, in his book "All Marketers are Liars", calls this framing. The crux of framing is that we all have a world view shaped by different influences throughout our lives. How you and I receive a marketing story will differ, relative to our already constructed world views.
That marketers cannot change a consumers mind but only appeal to whats already in it.
“Marketing is” therefor,
1. Finding a group of people who share a similar world view.
2. Framing a story around your offer that this group (the narrower the better) will want to share.
3. Connect them in ways they can share it amongst themselves.
Your "marketing strategy" then, is how you plan to achieve this. Branding, positioning, pricing, naming and advertising strategies, all working together to support "the marketing plan".
"A marketing plan" in turn supports “the business plan”, a businesses objective in growth is attained only after reaching a series of marketing goals.
Example:
Business Objective
"Increase market share by 15% in California within 12 months".
Digital Marketing Goals
- 100,000 unique visitors (per month) to our website.
- 12% of unique visits subscribe to our white paper.
...etc etc
In the coming weeks, I'll be introducing you to some digital marketing strategies I think are brilliant.
One is by a small agriculture start-up to show you that brilliant digital marketing is not reserved for large web companies.
Another is by the smartest company on earth (I think) when it comes to digital marketing.
By the end of this eCoaching [SMARTER] series you’ll have a good understanding of what a good digital marketing strategy is, as well as book-end examples on either side of the digital marketing strategy spectrum. Use this platform to start putting together a digital marketing strategy of your own (somewhere in the middle).
Sprinkled throughout these case studies will be eMails about positioning, pricing, and advertising strategies.
Be interested. Not interesting!
Simon U Ford
Engage Smarter!