Update: 

Having a digital strategy will allow you to make the most out of your resources without having to sacrifice a substantial part of your budget.
So you can create a plan no matter what size business you have. 

Digital strategies are being widely adopted by SMBs, for instance, because they give smaller businesses the chance to compete against bigger brands.

So it's no longer about who has the best available resources, but who is making the wiser investment.

That’s why digital marketing is no longer an option, but a necessity. At least, if you want your business to thrive.

I’m not saying traditional media aren’t useful anymore.

But due to the exponential growth of the digital world, if you don’t embrace change, you stand the chance of being left behind by your competitors.

Study Your Main Competitors For Digital Marketing Strategy

Some people think that they just need to have a product to sell and then sell it. And they expect to be tremendously successful immediately.

It’s a little bit more complicated than that.
The competition is fierce.

One of the fundamental aspects that many entrepreneurs ignore is studying their competitors. 
This is what’s known in marketing as benchmarking.
It means that besides getting to know your competitors, you need to know what makes you stand out from the rest. 
That something is called your unique selling proposition.

Analyze areas of opportunity in your competitors’ digital strategies and understand what is working for them.
That way, you can take advantage of the situation and make a name for yourself.

Set Goals For Digital Marketing Strategy

Do you know who or what you’re aiming for? 
Your goals will define the course of your strategy.
We would advise you to establish short, mid and long-term objectives, but above all, they need to be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and timely (SMART goals). 


If you don’t know what you’re trying to achieve with your campaign, you won’t know which path to take later, either.

A new year brings new social and digital opportunities for marketers to businesses big and small. As we wrap up one year, many find themselves at the heart of planning for what lies ahead. Specifically, how to up your brand’s digital marketing game in the new year.

To help you prepare and budget, let’s take a look at three trends that you should keep an eye on as well as three classic marketing strategies that you shouldn’t lose sight of in favor of all of the shiny new things. First, the new digital marketing trends to watch in 2016 2017…

Streaming Social Video

This year saw the rise of streaming social video with Periscope and Market allowing users to broadcast videos directly from their Twitter feeds. Midway through the year, Facebook launched a limited version of this feature to select influencers. As 2015 comes to a close, Facebook has expanded access to all users. Look for more streaming video opportunities to crop up for both personal users and brands. The video is extremely relevant and engaging — key outcomes for brands and social networks like Facebook and Twitter. What real-time stories can your brand share?

The Continuing Evolution of Social Advertising

Like the continuing trend of adopting a mobile-first mindset (you really need to do that by the way), it’s easy to nod along at the idea of new opportunities for social media advertising. But this year saw increased access to Instagram advertising, the launch of buyable pins on Pinterest, and expanded promotional features from giants Facebook and Twitter. Have you thoroughly reviewed these new opportunities? How can you amplify your social media message through paid advertising?

More Isn’t Always Better

Social media isn’t going anywhere. Another thing that’s also abundantly clear is that people are consuming more online content than ever before. Marketers have been quick to answer the call, adopting new social networks and creating content rapidly. Marketers will need to remember, however, that more isn’t always better. Sometimes more is just more. Instead of creating more “me too” content like everyone else and arbitrarily launching new presences on new social networks, work to get specific by creating better, more unique content — even if that ultimately means producing less content.
Now, how about those classic marketing strategies you can’t forget?

Strong Brands Still Rule

For starters, don’t throw the brand out with the bathwater. With the previously noted parity problem that many businesses fall prey to online, we have to make sure that we have a clearly defined brand with a bold, memorable voice that comes through in new forms of content and on new social networks. Take a moment before starting the new year to audit who you are and what you stand for as a brand? Have you communicated this clearly internally?

Email (Seriously)

Yes, I am flagging an email on your watch list for 2017. Yes, I know this is not 2006. But the numbers don’t lie. Marketers report that email has consistently been delivering the strongest ROI year on year for the past decade. Like the content warning above, as you look to raise your email game don’t just focus on sending more email. Send better, more relevant email that your customers actually look forward to seeing in their inbox.

Wanted: Better Integration

Another annual mainstay on marketers’ wish lists is better integration between online marketing and other traditional channels. It’s no secret that we have more on our plates than ever before. As such, a continual dilemma is figuring out how all of this fits together. If you’re going to invest your precious marketing resources into a new content or social initiative, it’s paramount that you understand how it fits with the rest of your brand experience.

What are the Experts Saying?

These trends and tips represent my best advice on how to plan your digital marketing for 2017 but what about other specialists in the industry? I’ve been talking to several colleagues and will once again have a new post rounding up all of these expert opinions on the social media and content marketing trends to plan for in 2016 2017.

What About You?

Digital media evolves more and more rapidly each year. As smart marketers, you need to keep your eye on what’s ahead while not losing sight of what’s most important to you and your business.

What’s your plan for digital marketing in 2017?