In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, mastering the art of digital marketing is essential for sustainable growth. As highlighted in Corey Morris’s new book, The Digital Marketing Success Plan, having a clear, actionable strategy is the cornerstone of achieving ROI and business outcomes amidst constant change.
Chapter 3: S For Strategy
The Strategy Phase within the START Planning process lays the foundation for a robust digital marketing strategy. This pivotal phase encompasses profiling, auditing, research, and goal setting, ensuring that every subsequent step aligns with defined objectives and market realities.
Unpacking the Four Steps of the Strategy Phase
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Profile: Defining Your Identity and Audience
The first step in crafting a successful strategy involves profiling your business comprehensively. This includes detailing your team, defining your products or services, establishing your brand’s positioning and differentiation, and identifying your target audience personas. Understanding these foundational elements ensures clarity on what your business offers, who it serves, and how it delivers value.
Key Insights:
- Clarify team roles and responsibilities.
- Define product/service offerings and their unique value propositions.
- Establish brand identity and market positioning.
- Identify target audience personas and their buying journeys.
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Audit: Assessing Past and Present Efforts
Conducting a thorough audit is crucial to understanding past successes and failures. This step involves reviewing historical marketing activities across various channels like SEO, paid search, content marketing, and email campaigns. By evaluating performance metrics and identifying gaps, businesses can refine their strategies for optimal results.
Key Actions:
- Document and evaluate previous marketing initiatives.
- Analyze technical SEO, paid search campaigns, and content effectiveness.
- Assess web systems and email marketing performance.
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Research: Gathering Internal and External Insights
Research is pivotal for gaining deeper perspectives beyond internal data. Engage stakeholders from marketing, sales, operations, and product teams to glean insights into market dynamics and customer expectations. Additionally, external research helps validate assumptions, understand competitor strategies, and forecast future opportunities.
Focus Areas:
- Gather internal insights from cross-functional teams.
- Conduct external research on market trends and competitor activities.
- Forecast future opportunities and challenges.
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Goals: Setting Clear Objectives for Success
With a comprehensive understanding of your business landscape, set SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) goals. These goals should align with broader business objectives and outline how marketing efforts will contribute to achieving them. Clear goal-setting ensures accountability and guides strategic decisions throughout the implementation phase.
Critical Considerations:
- Align marketing goals with overarching business objectives.
- Define KPIs to measure success.
- Establish realistic timelines for goal attainment.
Real Stories: Applying Strategy in Action
“WE HAVE A PROBLEM” Premium Roofing Manufacturer Story
A premium roofing manufacturer faced a sudden drop in SEO performance despite ongoing efforts. Marcy, the marketing manager, recognized the issue and sought expert help. By conducting a comprehensive audit, we uncovered hidden technical issues and proposed strategic solutions. This proactive approach not only restored SEO rankings but also laid the groundwork for sustained growth and eventual industry recognition.
“WE HAVE TO GET THIS RIGHT” Continuing Care Retirement Community Story
A high-end retirement community struggled to reach its target audience effectively despite a strong local reputation. By starting with SEO and leveraging existing data, we optimized their digital presence and generated qualified leads incrementally. This phased approach proved effective in maximizing ROI without compromising budget constraints, eventually leading to acquisition by a larger healthcare institution.
Conclusion: Empowering Your Digital Marketing Success
In conclusion, the Strategy Phase of the START Planning process is not just about formulating a plan but about laying the groundwork for transformative growth. By profiling, auditing, researching, and setting clear goals, businesses can navigate the complexities of digital marketing with confidence and agility.
