One of the biggest challenges in planning digital marketing strategies with our clients is to understand exactly what a digital marketing strategy is and does. After our first week up and running as Usual we have several great inquiries into what we do, but one has stood out above the others. It highlights how expectations and reality can be very different. We had a request to create a ‘viral’ digital media strategy! One where ‘posts through social channels will catch the attention and imaginations of viewers around Europe’. Admittedly we all read the email, then read it again, had a bit of a rant and a chuckle.

We’ve been in touch with the customer since and we have to be fair, they don’t know what we know. They’re not digital strategists. By the end of our call, they joined our rant and chuckle and we started to explore how we can work together to help them build their unique digital marketing strategy, starting with a foundation workshop.

Now don’t miss the point of this article. Creating viral digital marketing strategies is what every digital agency wants to do. Something that grabs attention, transcends and opens new markets, catches the attention of users and brings an astronomical return on investment to our clients. In the digital marketing world, it’s the Holy Grail. The reality is that viral campaigns are very much the exception, not the rule. Planning a digital marketing strategy with the objective of becoming viral should not be the goal. Planning a digital marketing strategy to excite and engage your customer consistently, that’s the way to go.

Know Your Customer

The first step is to know your audience. Answer; who is your customer and what do they care about? The things that they care about might have little to do with your business, but it gives you something that you can use to relate to them. Sounds logical enough but many small businesses don’t put the effort in at this stage. The assumption is that they know their customer, so it’s not necessary. In planning your digital media strategy this is the foundation of everything that comes next.

Think of it as the training portion of a marathon. You’re understanding what you have to do. By putting down on paper who your customer is (more often than not there is more than one customer type) a roadmap starts to develop. This roadmap will show you where you’re lacking in information or approach and give direction on what you need to do to attract your customer’s valuable interest. There will be things you won’t have in your tool belt to give your customer. Some information. Some channels of interaction. But now you can clearly identify what you need.

Consistency  

What is essential when building a digital media strategy is consistency. Small steps. Targeted information bites that your customer can relate to. A solid digital marketing strategy is a marathon and not a sprint. As with any marathon, you have to know your route. Be ready for when you hit the wall and learn to break through it and be clear on what your goal is. To get engagement from a large audience who loves your brand, you first have to earn that audience.

A whole industry has been built around providing us with the tools to reach our customers consistently. Social scheduling apps like Hootsuite, Later and Buffer have all built their businesses on helping their clients reach their audience at moments that suit them. Scheduling across relevant social media channels well in advance has simplified the ‘when’, a key step in a consistent digital marketing strategy. It does, however, not solve the ‘what’ content issue.

If you haven’t yet used a scheduling app check out the links below to Hootsuite, Later and Buffer. They all have slightly different service levels and plans, but we’ll have more on that in a later blog!

·         Hootsuite

·         Later

·         Buffer  

Creating Content

This is the challenging part where a huge amount of digital marketing strategies will fall down. It’s graft time. It’s putting in the distance. A complete digital marketing strategy will take what has been learnt about your customer and bring a plan that will fill the gaps in their knowledge about you and your brand. This is your opportunity to start providing them with something useful in a way that they can relate to. This is even before anything has been purchased.

Writing blogs that are helpful and insightful. Creating a video that explains who you are and your business values. Engaging with peers and prospects through social channels. Sharing common interests and ideas. These are the small and consistent steps to making your digital marketing strategy work for you. It’s not glamorous. It’s not viral. It’s the accumulation of consistent messages that build a sincere and active following for your brand.

Key to creating content is having a content plan that works for your business. Understanding what you can and can’t do internally and shaping your resources around this. When it comes to digital the centre-piece of all activity is your content. What it says about you, your brand and your customer. Building a content plan linked to your customer types will help you reach your audience effectively.

Easy Content

One of the most powerful content sources also seems like it’s one of the most mundane, it’s an easy start point and over time, with consistency (the all-important consistency) it will bring in customers. This magic source of content? It’s your everyday tasks. It’s what you’re up to. It’s where you are. It’s who you’re interacting with. It’s your next project. It’s your latest idea.

All businesses are increasingly transparent in what they do and why they do it. The reason behind this is not some altruistic sharing of information, it’s because their customers want to know these things. Whether you’re selling B2B or B2C your customer wants the reassurance that they are buying from someone they trust. By sharing simple day-to-day images, videos, moments, updates; you start to create your story. Show who you are. Show your values. Show what makes working with you a unique and exciting prospect for your customers.

So, that’s the start of it. Some thoughts to start pushing your digital marketing strategy in the right direction. There’s more to it. From marketing calendars, campaigns, content types and more. But if you’re starting your digital marketing strategy journey remember to think of your customer and be consistent. There’s your foundation to grow something truly engaging.  

If you’d like to get more insights into digital marketing strategies feel free to get in touch for a chat. You can drop an email to letstalk@usual.ie or through our contact page.