Key steps to developing a successful digital marketing strategy

Our digital lives are ever increasing, from both a business and personal point of view. When Facebook and Instagram recently went down, people went into meltdown. Suddenly feeling lost and wondering what on earth was happening.

It made many people realise that actually we can’t be entirely reliant on social media. If it were to be taken away, would you lose your audience and your network of potential clients? Time to spread the risk… These tips can help you develop a super strategy that can enhance your digital presence, give you better results and spread the risk.

Know your audience

This is the most important point and actually what I covered in last month’s digital blog, which you can find here. This is the very first step that should be undertaken when you first think about implementing a digital strategy or setting up your social media pages. You should appear where your audience are. Not everywhere, or where other businesses are. Purely where your potential clients are hanging out.

See also: Which social media platform should your business be on?

Develop a content strategy

Creating content can be challenging. It’s time consuming and knowing what to say (or rather, what not to say) can be tricky. The best way to master this is to plan. You wouldn’t just launch a product without planning would you? So you shouldn’t launch a marketing campaign without planning either.

See also: What is content marketing?

It’s time for a spreadsheet - I like to map out a months’ worth of content up front in a spreadsheet, so I can clearly see what’s going out when and where, and if there are any gaps I’ve missed in terms of social promotion or content. When it comes to social, just 20% of your total content should be promotional so ensure you’re offering great value the rest of the time - great value for your audience, not just what you think you should be sharing. If you’re unsure, ask them.

Email marketing - not to be overlooked

The social meltdown saw an increase in the number of newsletters being sent out over the weekend as people suddenly realised and remembered the importance of them. Your email list is YOURS. You have that data (assuming it’s all GDPR compliant) and can work with, nurture and support it as you like. There’s no algorithm to battle and the vast majority of the population have an email account.

This should support your digital marketing plan - try offering a freebie on social to encourage email signups. For example, mine is my 5 PR hacks so people can implement their PR campaign themselves and have the skills and knowledge to do so.

Sign up for my 5 PR hacks here

Critically analyse - what gets measured gets managed

Do you know what is or has been working for you? Are you aware of what works in line with advertising policies and what particular algorithms like? These can all point you in the right direction of creating content that will sell. Don’t ever use a shotgun approach, start small, trial a few strategies or platforms and analyse, analyse, analyse. When you work out what works, increase that. Whether it’s a banner on a website, a Facebook ad or a LinkedIn campaign.

If it works, drive it harder.

See also: Measure to grow: The importance of figures in marketing

Define your goals

Your goals should always follow the SMART analogy - they should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Timely. Goal setting shouldn’t just be left for sales, turnover or growth, social media also needs precise goal setting otherwise how will you know what is working and what isn’t and what a success might look like. Set yourself goals for each month with how much you’d like to grow your page by or how many sales or website visits you’d like from social. Keep it accountable and keep monitoring to manage your success.

If you’re still unsure, please do feel free to give me a call or email tara@tarapunterpr.co.uk and I’d happily offer my complimentary 20 minute strategy session to help with your clarity and to get you started as you mean to go on.

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