Creating a winning digital strategy for your business

January brings optimism and time to reflect on improvements, with digital marketing often high on the priority list. However, many businesses create ambitious plans that fizzle out within months. The key to a successful strategy lies not in doing more but in sustaining a plan that is realistic and manageable over time.

Why digital strategies fail
Much like new diet or fitness regimes, digital marketing efforts often start strong but gradually take a backseat to pressing business concerns such as supply chain issues or staffing problems. A good strategy is comprehensive, but a winning one is sustainable beyond the initial few months.

Practical steps to avoid failure:

Set a budget – both time and money
Budgeting for digital marketing involves two key aspects: financial and time allocation.

Financial Budget: Review the percentage of turnover spent on marketing last year. Typically, this ranges between 0-7%. If you aim to maintain your current level of business, a modest budget suffices. However, for significant growth, investment needs to be at the higher end.

Time Budget: Assess how much time you can realistically dedicate to marketing. If you lack a dedicated marketing person, determine the quietest part of the month when you can focus on it. Be pessimistic in your estimations – business demands will inevitably interfere.

With a clear understanding of these constraints, you can choose tactics that align with your resources.

Evaluate tactics based on your budget
Assess potential marketing tactics using three criteria:

Time Cost: How much effort is required to manage it monthly?
Complexity: Is there a steep learning curve?
Financial Cost: What are the setup and ongoing expenses?

By weighing these factors, you can decide which tasks to manage internally, delegate within the team, or outsource to an expert.

Choosing your digital marketing mix
Selecting the right mix of marketing tactics is crucial. Beginners can follow industry trends since widely adopted strategies typically yield results. However, those looking for a unique approach should ensure they don’t overlook proven methods before experimenting. Among numerous digital strategies, four have consistently delivered results:

Google PPC (Pay-Per-Click) Google PPC allows businesses to pay for ads that appear in search results, charging only when a user clicks on them.

Pros:

Immediate visibility in search results.
Advanced targeting by demographics, location, and behaviour.
Clear return on investment with measurable analytics.

Cons:

Competitive industries drive high costs.
Requires continuous monitoring and optimisation.
Visibility disappears once ad spend stops.

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) SEO focuses on optimising a website to improve its organic ranking in search engines, offering a cost-effective alternative to paid ads.

Pros:

Generates consistent traffic over time without ongoing ad spend.
Increases credibility and trust among users.
Higher click-through rates compared to PPC ads.
Enhances user experience, leading to better conversions.

Cons:

Takes time to see measurable results
Requires ongoing adaptation to Google algorithm updates.
Competitive industries make ranking difficult.
Continuous content creation and maintenance needed.

Social PPC Advertising Social PPC places paid ads on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok. Unlike Google PPC, which targets search intent, social PPC targets users based on demographics, interests, and behaviours.

Pros:

Highly targeted campaigns based on user data.
Engaging ad formats, including videos and interactive ads.
Increases brand awareness even without clicks.
Retargeting options help re-engage potential customers.

Cons:

Users may have lower purchase intent compared to Google PPC.
High competition leads to ad fatigue.
Requires ongoing investment to maintain visibility.

Email Marketing Email marketing involves sending targeted messages to a segmented audience to build relationships, nurture leads, and increase conversions.

Pros:

Allows personalised and segmented messaging.
A direct communication channel unaffected by social media algorithms.
Can be automated for efficiency (e.g., abandoned cart reminders).
Measurable success through open rates and click-throughs.

Cons:

Spam filters can reduce email visibility.
Requires time to build and maintain an engaged subscriber list.
Poorly designed emails may result in low engagement and high unsubscribe rates.

Set measurable KPIs

A winning digital strategy must have clearly defined Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that align with overall business goals.

For example, if the objective is increased revenue, break it down further:

Identify whether growth should come from new or existing customers (or both).
Determine conversion rates – how many leads turn into actual sales?

By continuously refining these metrics, businesses can ensure marketing efforts remain targeted and measurable.

Conclusion

These four tactics form the foundation of a robust digital marketing strategy.

To summarise:

Be realistic about the time available for marketing – sustainability is key.
Set financial budgets that align with growth objectives.
Track performance and measure outcomes to assess strategy effectiveness.
Select a marketing mix that suits your resources – avoid overextending.
Consistency beats intensity – small, regular efforts outperform short-lived big pushes.

By following these steps, businesses can develop a practical and lasting digital marketing strategy that drives real results.

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