15 Industry Secrets on How to Create a Digital Marketing Strategy That Wins
Going digital with your marketing isn’t some passing trend. It’s not a gimmick or a ‘phase’.
It’s how the world does business now, and if you want to be successful, you need a digital marketing strategy connecting you with your customers in more ways than one.
The reality is that if you want to touch growth that you have never experienced before, then the internet is the place to do it.
That does not mean you can just fly head-first into your digital marketing efforts. You will need to know how to create a digital marketing strategy. A good one.
Since the dawn of the internet, digital marketing has evolved from annoying popup ads and spammy emails to a cohesive, value-driven ecosystem that prioritizes the buying journey and building lasting relationships with your customers.
But they have evolved, too.
No longer are people fooled by false promises and coupons. They demand that they be spoken to in ways that enrich their experience, and while it is important that you find them, you have to let them find you just as much.
There are secrets that only the best digital agencies know and only the most successful brands use. Secrets that have been passed down and secrets that have been uncovered in the quest for digital domination.
But first, let’s start with the big questions.
What is a digital marketing strategy?
The first thing you need to know about how to create a digital marketing strategy is what it actually means.
By industry standards, a digital marketing strategy is a comprehensive plan designed to achieve specific goals through digital marketing channels.
This means both paid and organic media are used across various digital platforms such as social media, websites, content creation, and paid advertisements.
The key to a successful digital marketing strategy lies in tailoring it to your business, your vision, and your goals, and most importantly of all, to your customers.
The importance of a digital marketing strategy
In essence, a digital marketing strategy serves as a roadmap for your business. This enables you to maximize your efforts and make better decisions rather than engaging in haphazard and random ideas.
A well-defined strategy allows you to align your actions with specific end goals. And by utilizing online resources, a digital marketing strategy will enable you to reach your customers where they love to be most and impress them with all your exceptional marketing materials.
Knowing how to create a digital marketing strategy is a skill, but also about how much you know about your brand and customers.
Once you have a working knowledge of both, the plan will come together, and you will be well-positioned for success.
Digital marketing ‘strategy’ versus ‘tactics’
It’s important to distinguish between digital marketing strategy and tactics.
A digital marketing strategy involves identifying your company’s goals and objectives, whereas tactics refer to the specific actions taken to achieve those goals.
How to create a digital marketing strategy relies on implementing and fleshing out the outlined digital marketing tactics.
You have to stay true to the plan.
The 15 secrets of how to create a digital marketing strategy
If you want to get more leads, more sales, and build your brand, you will need to do more than to create a nice website and make a few social media posts here and there.
As we have discussed, it’s more about your customers than anything else, and all the secrets in the world won’t help you if you forget that they are the stars of the show.
Let’s get into the secrets every booming business has known for ages, and the newest findings have unveiled.
1. Make sure you keep your website updated
Firstly, you want to start your journey to digital marketing success with a website that thrills and informs your customers. Having a slow and clunky website is like showing up to your big first client meeting wearing an old creased suit.
Nowadays, people have the attention span of a squirrel on caffeine, spending only about 45 seconds on your site, so keeping them engaged is a big part of how to create a digital marketing strategy.
If your website isn’t up-to-date or user-friendly, you might as well wave goodbye to potential customers.
2. Go mobile-friendly
Mobile devices rule the world, and their supremacy isn’t going anywhere, which is a big reason why having a mobile-optimized website is crucial.
Nobody has the time to attempt to navigate complicated websites and wait around for pages to load. By making your website mobile-friendly, you’ll create a smoother, more memorable customer experience.
Other than playing a pivotal role in how to create a digital marketing strategy a mobile-optimized website also helps with Google’s ‘Core-Web-Vitals.’
It measures things like speed, visual stability, and responsiveness. Paying attention to these metrics will boost your search rankings on Google.
3. Focus on the user experience
Google says users want websites with an excellent page experience. And so does everyone else.
To keep visitors engaged on your website instead of bouncing off to your competitors, make sure you prioritize the user experience (UX).
When you show your customers that you care about them, they will respond by staying longer on your website and will be more likely to find the products and services they want.
4. Create content that answers questions for your customers
Here’s a golden rule: create content that answers your customers’ burning questions. If they feel lost in a maze and can’t find the answers they’re looking for, they will look for places they can.
When you’re creating content, make it informative or add value to the user’s experience. Be their hero, solve their problems, and they will be loyal brand ambassadors for many years to come.
5. Take advantage of paid ads
The beauty of paid ads is in their simplicity. You bid on certain keywords about your niche, and like magic, they are shown to people who are searching for those keywords.
This is called ‘pay-per-click,’ meaning that you only pay for the ads that your customers click on, which is what makes it a big ROI opportunity to lower costs and increase returns.
This means more website traffic, more people finding you, and more potential sales and profits, and is always a fundamental pillar of how to create a digital marketing strategy that works.
6. Go local, boost sales
Customize your marketing to appeal to the local crowd. Start by optimizing your online presence for local SEO, and you will see the benefits of adding even more leads and sales opportunities from customers a little closer to home.
Did you know that 72% of customers do a local search before visiting a nearby shop?
7. Embrace digital sales tools
With the pandemic shaping consumer behavior, people now expect everything to be done online. So incorporating digital tools that make it easy for customers to engage with your sales team will always be a critical facet of how to create a digital marketing strategy.
Chatbots allow visitors to have live online chats, pre-recorded demos save time, appointment tools like Calendly make scheduling a breeze, and online transactions with e-signatures provide convenience.
8. Build your brand
First impressions matter. That’s why you need your brand to go beyond just a logo and a few catchy CTAs on your website.
Hiring an agency like ours to create an impressive branding and logo design ensures you stand out and become the brand of choice.
9. Track & Measure Spending
In online business, just like traditional business, you’ve got to spend money to make money, but do it wisely.
Analyze each marketing channel and set measurable goals. It’s like testing the waters. Run small test campaigns, and once you find what works, invest more heavily. Continuously measure and review results to get the best bang for your buck.
10. Explore account-based marketing (ABM)
ABM is a personalized, strategic marketing strategy where key business accounts are marketed directly.
B2B marketers are already zoning in on account-based marketing (ABM) strategies.
According to Information Technology Services Marketing Association, 84% of digital marketing specialists have found account-based marketing to deliver higher returns than any other marketing approach.
11. Get more personal
Engage with your prospects by sending them targeted, relevant messages based on the data you’ve gathered from them, it takes the guesswork out of how to create a digital marketing strategy that appeals to your customers on a more personal level.
Personalize your messages using the information collected in your CRM, like contact and demographic information, what web pages they’ve visited, which emails they’ve clicked, what resources they’ve downloaded, etc.
Continue to send relevant information about their interests and send additional information and resources based on their topics of interest to help move them through the stages of their buying journey.
Personalized emails deliver six times higher transaction rates.
12. Use Google My Business
If you are a local business or brand, getting your company on Google My Business (GMB) is a big deal. The good news is that you can set up GMB yourself (or hire an agency for GMB setup GMB is a free tool that allows you to showcase your company’s information on Google and Google Maps.
You can highlight your branding elements through photos and posts as well as display important details such as your opening hours, website, address, and phone number.
13. Try New Social Media Platforms
Keeping up-to-date with rising social media platforms can help your company engage with your target audience. You need to find niche platforms that house your ideal customers and connect with them.
For example, TikTok, has taken the world by storm and provided skincare and fashion brands a new outlet to reach their audience. Using influencers that use those brands has also been breathing new life into digital marketing.
14. Keep your content updated
You’ve created your content like we suggested above and you’re on a roll!
Now, don’t forget to update your old content too! The world is changing every day, and content needs to change with it.
It’s a must to review your old blogs and refresh them.
You can either trim out advice that does not hold true anymore, or add on vital information that your audience will love.
15. Maintain an authentic tone
One of the most compelling ways to attract new customers and an underrated aspect of how to create a digital marketing strategy is to be authentic. Rather than creating a brand that you think people want to learn about, why not be true to your core values and attract customers with similar goals to you?
In doing so, your voice will be heard through your sincere brand storytelling, and your audience will respond in a much more genuine way.
Authenticity will convey a message about your brand that will attract a more relevant customer base to your business.
Grow your business online with an agency that knows what your customers want and just how to give it to them
The reason they call the old days ‘the old days’ is because they are the old days. But these days, a well-crafted digital marketing strategy is essential for your business to thrive.
It’s no longer enough to simply find your target audience. You have to engage them, inform them, and build lasting relationships with them through personalized experiences.
At Proven 360, we understand the intricacies of digital marketing and the secrets to online success.
Our expert team offers strategic problem-solving, audits, and innovative thinking to achieve a high Marketing Return on Investment (MROI).
We believe in meaningful discussions, strategic advice, and structured support to help you overcome roadblocks and transform your business to become a digital marketing powerhouse. Ask us how.
