A digital marketing strategy can bring outstanding success if implemented correctly either locally or globally. In this article we will discuss the 10 primary digital aspects to consider when creating a digital marketing strategy, to help you reach your marketing objectives.

What sets apart those digital marketing strategies that you read about in case studies, from those failing strategies that never see the light of day?
Aside from the impact that budgeting and available resources will have on the outcome of any strategy, there are some steadfast rules you can stick to, to give your digital marketing strategy the best chance of success. If you are new comer to marketing, then check out this "How to Write a Marketing Plan: A Step by Step Guide."

Have you ever asked yourself any of these questions?

• How do you I create a digital marketing strategy to obtain my business goals?
• How do I choose the tools, which will deliver the right digital solution and provide true value?
• What do I need to start, grow, and develop my digital marketing strategy?
• Where do I start, as there is so much information available?
• How will I know what the right digital strategic elements are for my brand?

With so much, often conflicting, information out there, we will endeavor to answer these questions and many more in this 10 part series on “The 10 Keys to a Successful Digital Marketing Strategy”.

This blog starts with a brief summary of the 10 primary keys you should consider when deciding what to incorporate into your digital marketing strategy. In the coming months we will cover each of these topics in much more detail, giving you a road map to create a digital strategy that will provide more targeted traffic, brand awareness, engagement, quality content, measurement processes and ultimately improve your bottom line.

Research

This is the first step for your online business and it can also be one of the longest processes. What form will your brand take once it becomes ready to go digital? How will you be able to define your online audience? Pinpointing the right sectors for your audience will help you determine the online channels in which you want to invest. It will also shape what your online strengths can be, something you will want to base your content on. We will also cover the importance of benchmarking yourself against the your industry so you can decide where you might be lacking in digital prowess.
You need to know what “good” looks like in your industry before you can decide where to best invest your time and money.
Also read: The 10 Most Common Online Marketing Mistakes

Search Engine Optimization

For most people, SEO means getting more traffic to your website. But it’s much more than that. Through SEO, starting, developing and sustaining an online business becomes possible only by using appropriate strategies that make your site more visible in all search engines. These strategies will include offsite and onsite optimization and great content.

If you are starting out with your own SEO strategy, you need to first survey your online influences, competitors and your unique customer activity. This will enable you to create search optimization techniques that will have a significant effect not just on online traffic, but targeted, quality traffic.
Related:  

• 22 Best Tips on Google Search Engine Optimization
• How to Rank High on Bing Search Engine: 15 Bing SEO Tips
• How to Use Yandex Webmaster Tools to Submit Your Website

Content Marketing

The phrase “content is king” already resounds through the online landscape and there is good reason why this is true. Content is what fuels both social media and SEO processes and these two fronts are even more powerful when used in unison.
Also read: 9 Content Marketing Things You Need to Know

Getting the right content in the right place is crucial to any digital business. Therefore, understanding what kind of content you need, producing quality content and promoting it is the bread and butter of digital marketing. Content requires time and effort to produce quality pieces that will be engaging and shareable so resources will need to be considered, who will produce the content, who will QA it, where will you distribute it and how are all questions that will need to be answered within your business.
Related: How to Build Content Marketing Strategy Plan That Actually Work

Data Analytics

It is not easy to keep track of online marketing and it is difficult to provide ROI data if you do not know how to collect and analyse your online data. There is the set up process, setting goals, segmenting your audience and creating custom reports to show you the exact data you need to make accurate decisions with your business.
It can be daunting to sift through the ocean of data available, so what you also need is a systematic process that will help you pull out which information really means something to your particular industry and business. It is best to find experts who can help you set up and control your Google Analytics and provide you with the insights that will tell you exactly what your web and social media data means, however, we will cover the basics in this future blog. With the right information in your hands, you will be able to plan and execute your strategies with precision.

Social Media

Using social media for your business will provide significant results in the long term, but first you need to determine the best social platforms that will be right for your business, as there is no “One Size Fits All” with Social Media.
We will guide you to the pro’s and cons of the best channels so you will know which ones will work for certain types of businesses, for example there is no point participating with Pinterest or Instagram if your business does not have access to visual content. 
You will also need to decide what resources you will have to dedicate to Social Media, both people and budget wise, social media will only provide results if you can dedicate some time and effort to it. Once you have the channels set up and processes in place to manage engagement and the distribution of appropriate content via a Social Media Planner, then you will find Social Media a rewarding and fun part of your Digital Marketing Strategy.
Also read: How to Make a Social Media Marketing Plan

Pay Per Click Advertising

Pay Per Click is not as simple as it seems. Though it may be one of the most reliable marketing tools since it is a paid service and it can provide results very quickly as you are targeting those people searching for specific keywords, it can also be a waste of money if handled incorrectly.

The first step to PPC is determining where your opportunities are, doing keyword research around your products and services to determine search volume, what the cost per click of your keywords might be and what the competition levels for those keywords.  
You will need to ask yourself a few questions: will you have to outbid too many people if you are gunning for a high competition keyword? Should you consider placing ads in related blogs and websites through the Google content network? Will Facebook or Yahoo be the better channel for you? Once you determine which paid advertising channel is best for you, what your budget is, what your objectives are, how you are going to measure them, then you can set up your process for getting started. This is one area of your Digital Marketing strategy that is best implemented by involving a partner due to it’s complex nature so you should also consider this when deciding if PPC Advertising is for you.
Related: Keyword Research Tool For SEO and PPC

Conversion Optimization

After you have reached the right people or have driven the right amount of traffic to your site, the next thing you want is for them to convert. How do you make sure that your traffic is not wasted? Conversion optimisation tackles the design and content elements of your website and tweaking it in order for more people to take the next step.

The key here is determining the psychological process that your audience goes through by landing on your page and clicking through to where you want them to click through. What triggers this? What makes them trust you with their personal information? There are a number of factors involved here so we will walk you through the top things you can look at by implementing Conversion Optimization techniques that can improve your site’s performance, dramatically improving your website conversion rate and your bottom line. Conversion Optimization is the only way to gain improved ROI and increased performance online without having to spend more money on advertising!

Mobile Marketing

Mobile devices have boomed and mCommerce is becoming a major piece of the digital market pie. Is your online arm ready and adaptable enough to accommodate all the different mobile devices and users? It’s so important to know the best solutions and understanding what makes a good mobile strategy different from the usual online strategies if you want to grow your investment.

While mobile solutions still work hand in hand with traditional types of online marketing strategies, it is not as simple as making sure your website is designed so it is easy to view and use on mobile platforms.  Your mobile solution should include Mobile Content, Mobile Advertising and Mobile Conversion Optimization. We will highlight the top areas you need to think about when coming up with your mobile strategy as it presents both challenges an enormous potential for your business.

Website Factors

The content of your site and its optimization will be greatly affected by website factors. In a sense, important technical site factors are the foundation for most of your online strategies. Creating a strong site is creating a strong marketing foundation. There are so many elements you can include, so the real challenge might be to know what to keep and knowing what to throw out. This topic will cover some of the website factors that influence your site and what the top elements to consider first.
Learn to High Quality Websites Building

Email Marketing

Email marketing has always been a strong marketing channel that can complement your other strategies. Unlike social media marketing, email marketing can be more personal and can solidify old bonds with your long-term audience. We believe that email marketing is greatly enhanced by social media and there are various ways to do this, we will cover topics like: How to funnel to social media through email? How to build your email database through social media? How to distribute content and what’s the right content strategy for blending social media and email marketing?

Also read: 3 Secrets to Creating a Better Marketing Plan

We’d love to hear what success you have had with your digital marketing strategies. Just let us know in the comments below.

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