Foundations of an Effective Digital Marketing Strategy

The digital marketer is essentially required to focus on outlining the key or essential components that would contribute in formulating an effective digital marketing strategy. 

● Firstly, the business managers in collaboration with the digital marketers are required to evaluate whether the business institution is readily in-built to work based on a digital marketing framework. They are required to evaluate whether the products and services sold by them can be effectively promoted in an online fashion. Again, the existence of the right kind of tools and infrastructures needed for conducting digital marketing programs are also required to be evaluated in an effective fashion. The objectives of the digital marketing plans and programs are evaluated to gain success in that the same are synchronized and integrated with the business and institutional objectives and processes. Herein, in cases of mismatch of existing business processes with the digital marketing programs the business managers are required to focus on bringing about key changes in the former aspects and also aim in making the staff get duly equipped in handling such changes. 

● The second crucial component that needs to be dealt with while designing of digital marketing strategy is identified as competition. Herein, it is crucial for the business managers to identify the key competitors of the business operating both in an online and offline fashion. Further, it is required to understand the key differences in the digital marketing activities carried out by competitors with that carried out by them and thereby focus on incorporating the new and effective strategies used by them. In the face of competition, the digital marketer is also required to focus on differentiating the online product and service offerings compared to the competitors in that the same helps in attracting potential customers. 

  

● Thirdly, the digital marketer is also required to have a clear understanding of the prospective customers and also their needs and expectations from the firm. Further, the business managers are required to identify and evaluate whether they would be focusing on the same consumer demographics for both the physical or virtual sphere and whether they would be shifting entirely on targeting new consumer categories. In terms of customer evaluation, the manner in which customers use the digital technology platforms and also the manner in which the same platforms can be harnessed by the business firms for attracting, converting and retaining customers also needs to be rightly evaluated.  

● Fourthly, the business managers are required to set and define effective goals in a specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time-bound manner associated to their strategizing of digital marketing platforms. The goals identified need to be synchronized with the business and organizational goals for generating key results.  

● Finally, a set of Key Performance Indicators or KPIs need to be put in place that contributes in evaluating whether the activities undertaken have the potential in meeting the set targets and objectives both pertaining to business and business organization at large.