The digital strategy is a set of actions organized in a precise way with the aim of achieving a clearly defined objective. In marketing, actions are those that are carried out with the aim of achieving the business objectives of the company concerned.

Strategy is plan and plan is deep knowledge of the context. As a result, the right digital mix is even more complex to establish: you would have to be everywhere at all times to address all your audiences. The task can quickly prove to be complex. The establishment of a successful digital strategy is not improvised. Here are the 08 steps to a successful digital strategy

Step 1: audit a digital presence

The audit stage of your digital strategy is very similar to that of the doctor’s diagnosis.  It is a matter of mastering all the context data, collecting all the available statistics on your sector and your audience and of course using all the knowledge that your digital agency has.

Step 2: a successful digital strategy is a digital strategy integrated into the overall company strategy.

Your digital strategy must be at the heart of your business strategy.  It is not about making a nice Facebook page whose only objective would be to gather a maximum of «fans». Let’s say that one of your business goals this year is to better qualify the leads you pass on to your sales reps. 

You have seen that they are reluctant to make cold calls in order to filter your contact lists.  How could digital help you achieve this goal?  One solution could be to offer relevant content for your audiences and through an automation campaign to learn – automatically – how to know each potential customer individually.

Step 3: define your digital objectives in accordance with your business objectives

The objectives of your digital strategy will be aligned and must support your business goals

Step 4: identify your targets 

One of the most important parts of your digital strategy is the precise identification of your targets.  Digital analytics tools allow you to precisely identify the geographic and demographic data of people who are or have been in contact with your brand. 

And no more just your existing customers!  This gives a tremendous power and an enormous amount of information that will need to be able to sort and analyze in order to make the right hypothesis.
Digital has brought its share of concepts about the people who make up your audiences.

Step 5: choose your digital channels

In the past, the choice of distribution channels was relatively limited:
• Press
• TV
• Radio
• Billboards
• Brochures/Flyers
• Events

Agencies realized that the Internet should no longer be considered a single medium but rather a multitude of media. These media are commonly classified into three categories:

Paid Media includes all media for which you pay to gain exposure.
This encompasses banner ads, Google Ads, Facebook Ads, and email marketing. In terms of traditional media, it includes:
• TV and radio advertising, billboards, etc.
• Sponsorships and patronage
• Brochures

Owned Media includes the media you own. This includes your website, blog, social media pages, physical points of sale, brand catalogs, or magazines.

Earned Media is the most challenging category to achieve. As the name suggests, it must be earned! This includes customer opinions, word of mouth from friends and family on social media, blogs, forums, and more. It also includes articles and reports about your brand in the press.

Step 6: Define Relevant KPIs

Digital Provides Tremendous Power for Measuring Marketing Performance

Digital platforms offer vast opportunities to measure the performance of marketing actions through various tools. These tools allow you to analyze behaviors, habits, connection speeds, and browsers used. However, for all this to be effective, selecting the right KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) is crucial.

Only once the three components of your digital strategy are clearly defined can you choose the appropriate KPIs. As a reminder, these three elements are:

• Target audience
• Communication channels
• Purpose (objectives)

Step 7: Allocate Resources and Budget

Your action plan is taking shape and appears solid. Now is the time to plan its implementation effectively.

Step 8: Monitor Performance and Adjust the Digital Strategy

Yes, your digital strategy must be continually adapted. As actions progress, you’ll gather more data, allowing you to refine your assumptions and enhance performance.

Businesses will undergo significant transformations in the coming years. It’s high time (for those who haven’t yet) to embrace digital and integrate a well-defined digital strategy at the core of their operations.

Knowing the eight steps to successfully implement a digital strategy is critical and deeply transversal within organizations. Contact our web agency in Montreal to create a custom digital strategy tailored to your objectives.

Visit our blog for more articles, and don’t forget to subscribe to our Facebook page.