Digital Marketing Part One: Identify the GAP and make a Plan
“Plan your work and work your plan”
Planning is crucial to creating an effective digital marketing execution. It can be easy to say, I want to post a blog every day or I’m going to post a picture every day and then it is just as easy to find it falling by the wayside due to unrealistic expectations. Adding too much just adds to the noise your audience is already seeing and adding too little can make you easily forgotten. How do you create a balanced plan that is executable and doesn’t take too many resources away from your core business? It isn’t as scary as you may think.
Starting a digital marketing plan is no different than any other kind of plan. It doesn’t take extensive knowledge of Google analytics, SEO or how to create a hashtag. It also doesn’t require a SWAT analysis, Porters 5 forces or other ratios to figure out. A simple GAP analysis will get you started and on your way to digital execution.
IDENTIFY YOUR CURRENT STATE
Who are you?
This is the start of every conversation when putting together a strategy. Who are you? What does your company represent? From a small mom and pop shop to Fortune 5000 companies this has to be the first thing you figure out. What do you stand for? What is your elevator speech? What would your clients say about you? Your suppliers? Your employees?
It can be as simple as just writing it down or as complex as putting together surveys and analytics, but try to write out who you are and what your business represents.
What resources do you have?
You probably already have more than you realize. Take a few minutes and put together a list of digital assets.
Website: Do you have your own website or is it hosted through a program? Many programs offer minimal customization but can still provide a beautiful look and feel.
Contact List: Most companies keep a list of their current clients. If you have their email addresses and they have given you some kind of permission to opt in, you have an email list. A few quick do’s and do not’s of list building. We will go more in depth on email marketing in a later step in the series.
Do have some place on your website to allow visitors to “opt in” to hear from you? A simple fill in form will work.
Do try to maintain one master list. This will keep you from accidentally sending something to someone who has opted out.
Do try to scrub your list from time to time. If you have a large percent of old or inactive email addresses - clean them out. This will keep your integrity up.
Do not buy a list. You never know what you are really getting and with the new legislation regarding privacy and opt in (GDRP) many times you won’t get the ROI you are looking for.
Do not scrape or mine websites or work with anyone who does. (This is usually a computer based program that will go through websites and pull email addresses from directories) You are asking to be flagged
Digital Content: What content do you already own? Do you have a social presence? Have you already created fliers or logos that you can use? It is okay if you don’t, but don’t discredit what you might already have. Even when creating a new strategy, not every wheel needs to be reinvented.
IDENTIFY THE IDEAL FUTURE STATE
Who do you want to be?
Just remember, you don’t have to do everything. If Twitter is not your thing, don’t be on twitter. If you are in love with LinkedIn, focus on that. If you have a kick ass list of contacts and know they will love email blasts, go with that. If you have an amazing story to tell and you know you can rock blogging, go with it! The biggest key to anything digital is being authentic. If you try to force it, everyone will know. Just be yourself.
Keep in mind where your target market plays or actively uses/follows. Different industries gravitate towards different mediums. Did you know that electricians have huge followings on Instagram? I had no idea until I went to a conference with a friend who runs digital marketing for a company that makes electric equipment. Many of the professionals post pictures of repairs or electricians using the equipment and have thousands of followers. If you are marketing to electricians figure out how to find them on Instagram. If you aren’t, your competition will be.
What is going to make the most impact? It is different for everyone. But by identifying what your ideal is based on who you are and who your target is, you will be able to fill the gaps.
BRIDGE THE GAP
Map the plan
It is easy to be overwhelmed with what gaps you may have found. It is just as easy to let it slip to the side in favor of the here and now, the low hanging fruit. Digital marketing is a long game plan, not a quick buck. Creating a step by step task list and assigning owners, just like in any other area of business, is the way to succeed.
Sample Task list:
Create social media accounts.
Make sure all applicable parties are able to access.
Make an editorial calendar (See future post for more details).
Choose an email marketing platform that can maintain unsubscribes and bounces as well as open rates.
Find a way to tag clients in your CRM.
Putting together SMART goals.
Hire a digital marketing agency (There is no shame in outsourcing)
Failing to plan will never lead to success. Once you have the plan together it will be time to execute. Stay tuned for more information on creating a story, creative imagery and more!