What is digital strategy anyway?
NO, IT’S NOT A DUMB QUESTION.
Every business -- every PERSON -- in today’s world has a digital footprint. Unless you’re a spy in which case this article is probably not for you. But everyone else, come on along.
Think about it. You have an email address. You probably have at least one social media account. Now, think about your business. It probably has a website, maybe a newsletter, and a social account. You probably also have goals. Maybe it’s to increase sales or awareness of your product or services. Maybe you want to save the world with your product. Maybe you’d like to do both at the same time.
Your digital strategy pulls everything together and makes everything work in support of your goals.
In large companies, digital strategy can often feel like an afterthought. Where big departments like marketing, sales, and client services don’t always work in tandem, it can be especially hard to get everyone on the same page in support of a digital strategy. Sections of businesses can work in silos. But ultimately, your digital strategy should pull in all aspects of your business because after all, everyone should be working toward the same goals.
For smaller companies, it can be daunting to figure out where to even start with digital strategy. You get on Twitter because you think you should be there because your competitors are, but you don’t have the time or the interest to post regularly. Maybe you’re not even sure what you should say to begin with.
That’s where building your digital strategy comes in. Your strategy outlines your goals, what your target audience is, what platforms you’ll focus on, what types of content you’ll produce, and how you’ll measure success. From there, you can align all your platforms with the same messaging in support of your business goals.
For example, let’s say you run a company that sells vintage maps and you want to increase your customer base, which would then lead to more sales.
First, you conduct a competitive analysis. You look at the landscape - who else is selling products like yours, what methods are they using, what seems to work and what’s missing the mark?
Then, you identify your target audience. Your maps aren’t cheap, so you’re looking for an audience with some income. You decide people in their 30s-40s are probably your ideal audience.
Next, you decide where to reach them. In this scenario, even if you think TikTok is the next big thing and you should be there, the userbase on TikTok skews younger than your target audience. You might instead focus your energy on creating a killer Instagram account.
You up your content game. You invest in high-quality photos of your maps, interview customers who have incorporated your maps into their homes or found your maps to be the perfect gift for those hard-to-buy-for friends. You might produce a podcast series with an eye on historical facts and travel. The possibilities can be endless.
You then broaden your reach through a content partnership. You partner up with a local custom frame shop and do a giveaway. You share each other’s blog and social media posts and expand both of your audiences in the process.
The digital strategy is making sure that whatever avenue you end up using, you stay directed toward your goals. If you want to see a real-life example, check out this case study of one of our recent clients.
The best part of digital strategy is once you have it set, you can always tweak and refine it. If you’re data geeks like we are, finding what is resonating with your audience and what could use work is like a constant quest to get better and better. And the better you get at it, the more likely you are to crush your goals.