9 Questions to Ask When Designing a Digital Marketing Strategy

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9 Questions to Ask When Designing a Digital Marketing Strategy

Every day, we come across hundreds, if not thousands, of pieces of digital content. Most of the time, we’ll scroll past it quickly or give it a quick glance. Rarely will we give anything a second look unless it truly piques our curiosity. But by asking the right questions when designing your digital marketing strategy, you can produce a campaign that grabs and holds your viewers’ attention.

9 Questions to Ask When Designing a Digital Marketing Strategy

1. Who Are We Trying to Target?

This is the most fundamental question of all marketing strategies. Your message won’t resonate with anyone if it’s not aimed at the right people. Conduct research into the market to identify the target customer for your marketing campaign.

Do you want to reach more people or generate more sales from existing customers? Are you looking to reposition yourself as an option for people who may have never considered you before? Once you understand who you’re talking to, you can design a more relevant message.

2. What Is Our End Goal?

It’s also important to define your end goal: a common objective that guides everyone on the team throughout the campaign. Your strategy’s end goal should be measurable and specific. You also want to give the campaign a start and end date for reaching this goal.

While the ultimate goal of marketing is to increase sales, it doesn’t necessarily have to be the focus of your campaign. Other goals can include acquiring a certain number of new email subscribers, higher social media engagement, or more positive reviews on your business profile.

3. What Is Our Budget?

Don’t jump into any ad campaigns or marketing projects until you understand how much you have to spend. Define your budget and evaluate if your goal is reasonable based on this number. If you’re not sure, a marketing agency can give you realistic advice.

4. What Methods Will We Use?

Digital marketing is a broad term that encompasses a range of marketing strategies. Often, the most successful digital marketing campaigns include a variety of marketing tactics. In certain cases, you may want to target certain marketing efforts for a particular strategy.

Content Marketing

Content marketing involves the creation and publishing of content for your target audience that can range from blog posts on your website to an educational infographic that you include in a client newsletter. Because the nature of content marketing is adding informational value rather than directly advertising your brand, it typically has longer-term effects. An effective content marketing strategy now could create loyal customers for years to come.

Search Engine Marketing

If you want your products and searches to be the first thing that customers see when they make a Google search, you’ll likely want to invest in search engine marketing. SEM is a paid digital marketing strategy that will make your website rank higher on search results. It’s also referred to as pay-per-click (PPC) marketing. SEM drives customers to your site fast, and you may see results within hours.

Social Media Marketing

82% of the U.S. population uses social media, so it’s worth considering for your next digital marketing strategy. Social media marketing can include both free and paid strategies. You can build an audience and attract customers by posting helpful or entertaining content on various platforms. Many companies also choose to pay for ads that platforms will show to relevant users.

5. What Platforms Will Reach Our Audience?

Strengthen the effect of your message by sharing it with an audience that’s already looking for it. By this, we mean use social media platforms that resonate with your target audience. Popular social media apps for businesses include Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and TikTok. Each app has properties that may make it suitable for your business model and target clients.

For instance, Instagram’s features make it a great starting point for product-based companies. With its grid layout, the app’s appeal is due primarily to the visual experience for the user. Meanwhile, LinkedIn is a classic choice for businesses looking to connect with other businesses and establish a presence in the local community. TikTok’s short-form video content may be appreciated by business owners looking to creatively connect with others.

6. How Will We Track Our Progress?

You’ll never reach your marketing goal if you can’t measure it. It’s important to have tools that allow you to keep track of what you’ve accomplished. Marketing solutions agencies often offer comprehensive packages that allow both you and the team to monitor where your campaign is and adjust it as necessary.

7. Should We Use SEO?

Your website is the home base for your digital presence and often serves as a marketing tool all by itself. A smooth, aesthetically pleasing website will earn respect from customers who frequently refer to its resources or potential customers who stumble across it through a Google search or reference.

The more you prioritize the look and function of your website, the more organic traffic you can generate. People can find your site through a search query when search engines like Google determine you’re a relevant match to their question. You can establish your site through SEO, or search engine optimization, marketing.

On-Page SEO

On-page SEO involves the elements in your website, including its content, visual appeal, and back-end code. A website with a poor user experience will signal to search engines that it’s not worth appearing to users at the top of a Google search. The same goes for slow page loading times or flaws in the site’s technical aspects. It’s a good idea to have an expert work on your website and make the changes necessary for optimal performance.

Off-Page SEO

Off-page SEO refers to external elements that boost your website’s credibility. Most often, off-page SEO focuses on backlinks. Backlinks are links on other websites that refer to yours. If you run a service-based business, like family law or financial services, having references on other websites that take users to yours will help differentiate you from the competition.

8. What Can We Automate?

You don’t have to manage 100% of your marketing strategy. In this day and age, you’re only wasting precious resources if you do. Take a look at your existing marketing functions – we bet there are ways to streamline the process through automation. Tools like automated email software can personalize the customer experience while saving you time.

9. How Can Customers Connect With Us?

While the origins of marketing may have been a one-way form of communication, that’s not the case with modern digital marketing. Customers expect to get answers quickly and receive help when they need it. When promoting your products or services, plan to dedicate resources to responding to comments on social media, answering phone calls, and replying to emails.

Transform your online presence through LBMS’s custom solutions, including monthly reports, weekly campaign optimization, and robust results tracking. You’ll know where your leads find you and how you can reach who you want. Contact Local Business Marketing Solutions team to learn more about what we do.