As we head into the last few months of the year, many businesses are taking the opportunity to review their digital marketing strategy targets. If you’ve discovered that your digital strategy hasn’t been leading to the results you want, it’s a good time to clear the table and start from the beginning. Here are a few very simple steps to review, so that you can evaluate where your strategy may have gone wrong.
Step 1: Start with a clear understanding of the past.
When you developed your digital strategy for this year, did you ground it in data from the previous year? If not, there are two possible reasons this could have impacted results this year. Either you created a plan that wasn’t achievable within a single year for your company, or you focused on digital strategy and techniques that just weren’t working.
Step 2: Brainstorm with your team to define problems and come up with new solutions.
Did this year’s digital marketing strategy come about as the result of considering how your company could solve problems? Planning a campaign around the goal of making sales is not enough. Your marketing should start by defining consumer problems, and then creatively communicating how you solve those problems.
Step 3: Prioritize the assets and channels you have based on your target audience’s preferences.
The Internet has allowed businesses to have access to a wealth of channels to communicate through. You may have a website, social media, a newsletter, and videos – but that’s just the start. You may also be using influencer testimonials, SEO ranking, trade shows, and more. If you didn’t prioritize which of these channels would get the bulk of your attention and budget, you may have spread your team too thin to be effective in any one area.
Step 4: Set goals for your digital strategy.
Did you set SMART goals for your digital marketing strategy when you created it? These goals should be extremely specific, with deadlines for achieving specific numbers. If you haven’t been tracking these goals, it’s hard to know exactly where you may have gone wrong.
Step 5: Look to the future.
Finally, ask yourself if your digital strategy was formulated with an eye on the following year. You may have achieved certain goals, but not allowed for growth in the future.
These five steps can help you review your strategy so that you can see a real difference in your future planning. To see how we use these techniques at Organically, check out a few transformative case studies from our clients. By getting back to the basics of what makes great marketing work, we can help you achieve the same amazing results. Contact us about our digital marketing services to learn more.