Learning how to create a killer digital strategy is one of the most vital aspects of growing a business. But, the digital world is like a huge market filled with stalls and shops and they’re all trying to get the attention of the same few customers, sounds tough right?
There are tons of opportunities for you to connect your brand with the right audience. There are more platforms, tools, and rules or best practices than ever which you’d think would make it easier, but figuring out where to start when creating a digital strategy can be tricky.
Meanwhile, the stakes are high – the success of your business is on the line. Bad digital marketing doesn’t just do nothing; it can negatively impact your brand if you’re not careful. But the benefits of good marketing are there. Higher sales, greater brand awareness, more effective audience targeting, and more are at your fingertips.
At Five by Five, we build great-looking, high-performing websites, and are known as one of the Gold Coast & Australia’s leading WordPress web design & SEO agencies. We have 16+ years of experience in the web design industry. If you or your business need a new, high-performing digital solution, then contact us today and find out why we have 200+ 5* Google reviews.
What is a digital marketing strategy?
A digital marketing strategy is the process of planning, creating, and executing a series of online marketing activities through all online mediums relevant to your business including organic search (SEO), social media, Google ads, etc. For your digital marketing strategy to be successful, it needs to be based on a clear understanding of your audience and how digital marketing can help you achieve your goals. Think of how a burger is constructed, you’ve got the buns, some fresh lettuce, a juicy patty, sharp cheddar cheese, some succulent tomato and a little spice from red onion! All of these put together make the ultimate burger, the same can be said for the ingredients of a digital strategy.
Creating a digital marketing strategy doesn’t have to be complicated. The best digital marketing strategies are often the simplest ones. By starting with the basics and building from there, you can create a solid foundation for your digital marketing for years to come.
Do I need a digital marketing strategy?
If you want to grow a successful business then yes, you need a digital marketing strategy!
Here are a few sure signs that you need to update your digital marketing strategy:
- You don’t see results from your current digital marketing activities
- Your website traffic has plateaued or is declining
- You’re losing market share to competitors
- You’re launching a new product or service and need to reach a new audience
- You’re expanding into a new market or opening a new location.
If any of these sound familiar, it’s time to start thinking about how you can improve your digital marketing with a great new strategy.
Creating a digital marketing strategy step-by-step
Want to dive into digital strategy development but need to know where to start? We’re here to help. Here are seven easy steps to get you to digital domination:
Figure out where your target audience spends their time online.
This is the first and most crucial step in developing your digital marketing strategy. You need to know where your audience is spending their time online so you can reach them with targeted content.
There are a few different ways to do this research:
Google Analytics: Look at your website traffic data in Google Analytics – this is where we probably spend 70% of our day! See which channels are bringing people to your site and what they’re doing once they’re there. This will help you understand which digital marketing activities are working and which need improvement.
Social media listening: Use social media listening tools to see which platforms are being used and what topics are being talked about the most. This will give you a good idea of where to focus your efforts.
Customer surveys: Ask your customers how they prefer to consume content and where they spend the most time online. This feedback can be precious in shaping your digital marketing strategy.
Research what kinds of content they're interested in.
Once you know where your audience spends their time online, it’s time to start digging into the type of content they’re interested in. What topics are they talking about? What problems are they trying to solve? What information are they looking for?
Again, there are a few different ways you can do this research:
Content analysis: Take a look at the most popular articles on your website or blog. What topics are people most interested in? You can use tools such as SEMRush to dig into the most popular search terms in your industry. For example, we’ve written this blog about digital marketing as it is searched hundreds of times each month, therefore we know this type of content is sought after!
Social media listening: Again, look for patterns in the content your audience is sharing and talking about. This will give you a good idea of the topics they’re interested in.
Customer surveys: Sometimes it really is better to just ask. Ask your customers what content they want to see from you. This feedback can be incredibly valuable in shaping your content strategy. Every month we host a webinar based on questions and content requested from clients and users of our website!
Create content that is interesting and relevant to your target audience.
Now that you know what kind of content your audience is interested in, it’s time to start creating it! Remember, the goal is to create content that is interesting and relevant to your target audience. That means writing articles, blog posts, ebooks, infographics, etc., on topics they care about.
Promote your content on social media and other online platforms.
Once you’ve created some great content, it’s time to promote it! Share it on social media, send it out in your newsletter, and post it on other online platforms where your target audience hangs out, this is most likely your website!
Use digital marketing tools to track how well your content is performing.
It’s important to track how well your content is performing so you can make adjustments as needed. There are a few different ways to do this:
Google Analytics: Check your website traffic data in Google Analytics. See how much traffic your content is getting and how people are interacting with it once they land on your site.
Social media analytics: Use the analytics tools on each social media platform to see how well your content is performing. See how many people are sharing it, how much engagement it’s getting, and what kind of reach it has.
Make changes to your digital marketing strategy based on what you learn from your analytics.
Once you’ve been tracking your content for a while, you’ll start to see patterns emerge. Use what you learn from your analytics to make changes to your digital marketing strategy. If something isn’t working, try something new. If you’re seeing good results, double down on what’s working and ditch what isn’t.
Refine, refine, refine!
The beauty of digital marketing is that it’s always changing and evolving. That means there’s always room for refinement and improvement. So, as you continue to create and promote content, don’t forget to keep track of how it’s performing. Based on what you learn, make changes to your strategy and keep refining your approach as your goals and marketing trends change.
The Five by Five process for creating a digital strategy
At Five by Five, we help brands across Australia pour rocket fuel on their digital marketing strategy. And it all starts with a simple five-step process. We start with a briefing form where we gather a bit of info about you, followed by a discovery call where we all become best mates and learn more about your business. Next is a web strategy workshop, which is a lot more fun than it sounds. We’ll then present our customised digital solution and introduce you to the rest of the team so that we can dive into the deep end, where the big fish are. And by big fish, we mean big marketing opportunities.
Don’t worry, you’ll get used to us.
Contact Five by Five today to get started!
