10 Tips to Create a Successful Digital Marketing Strategy

To help you create a successful digital marketing strategy, we asked marketing experts and business leaders this question for their best tips. From planning each stage of the buyer’s journey to paying attention to Google My Business, there are several pieces of advice that may help you create a successful digital marketing strategy.

Here are 10 tips from experts on how to create a successful digital marketing strategy:

• Plan Each Stage of the Buyer’s Journey
• Develop a Content Marketing Plan
• Analyze Your Competitors
• Forecast Future Market Trends
• Set the Bar for Success
• Consider Your Audience
• Turn to Organic SEO
• Be Present Across Channels
• Let a Tool Do the Brainstorming
• Pay Attention to “Google My Business”

Plan Each Stage of the Buyer’s Journey

One of the most important aspects of a successful digital marketing strategy is having a plan for each stage of the buyer's journey. This means understanding what content or messages will resonate with your audience at each stage of their journey, and creating content that speaks to their specific needs. For example, awareness-stage content should be focused on educating your audience about your product or service, while consideration-stage content should aim to persuade them to choose your brand over your competitors. If you don't have a plan for each stage of the buyer's journey, you risk losing prospects at any point along their journey, which could impact your sales and revenue.

Todd Saunders, BIG Safety

Develop a Content Marketing Plan

Content marketing should be at the center of your digital marketing strategy because it is necessary to have enough assets to promote digitally to your prospects at every stage of the buyer's journey. To develop a content marketing plan, consider the questions your buyer typically has as they move through the purchasing process, and create content that helps answer those questions. This could be in the form of web content, videos, blogs, social imagery, and more.

From there, consider where your prospects go to research that information to ensure you promote this content on the channels where your prospects spend the most time. By creating a content plan, you become a thought leader in your space, and your prospects will return to your website and digital channels because you are now a trusted authority as they make their purchasing decision.

Elyse Flynn Meyer, Prism Global Marketing Solutions

Analyze Your Competitors

Your competitors have the same goals as you. It is therefore interesting and instructive to see what methods they use to build their digital strategy. This can allow you to identify what works or not, to inspire you, and even more so to differentiate yourself and do better. For example, in a market like that of B2B SaaS solutions, which is highly competitive, being able to stand out from what competitors are offering becomes vital in order to exist and not blend in with the crowd.

Ilija Sekulov, Mailbutler

Forecast Future Market Trends

If you want your digital marketing strategy to be effective, you should use predictive analytics. You should start by computing your previous campaigns in order to forecast future market trends. You can predict what’s going to be welcoming in these uncertain times. Get the most out of your money while spending as little as possible. As a result, you can discover how to stand out from your competitors. Another smart move would be to run their data to develop a well-rounded strategy. Leverage these insights to your advantage!

Eric McGee, TRGDatacenters

Set the Bar for Success

In digital marketing, folks tend to lose sight of the forest because of the trees. There are so many intermediate metrics you can latch on to and say you're making progress, such as traffic generated, social shares, comments left, follower gained, etc. These can be useful guideposts but they aren't the goal in most digital marketing strategies. Usually, you're looking for direct sales and qualified leads. When setting out a strategy, focus on the ultimate goal and don't settle for less.

Daniel Ndukwu, UsefulPDF

Consider Your Audience

First and foremost it is imperative that you start by understanding your audience. Whether it is the one you already have or one that you trying to attract, you must always have your audience at the heart of your writing, because different types of people will be attracted to a unique style of content.

If you take writing as just one example of the content you create, differing between a professional audience or a more relaxed one can completely change your tone and how you approach it. It is not just about high-quality wording but using wording that suits the demographic. Between personal and formal, anecdotal and to the point, you want to capture your audience's attention by using a style they will relate to. Remember every piece of content you make isn't for you, it is for the audience, which is why they need to be at the heart of generating ideas right from the beginning

Brett Downes, Haro Helpers

Turn to Organic SEO

Within the last year, I have decided to use organic SEO to grow my business, because it saves money while getting my organization recognized. Costs for other types of digital marketing, such as paid ads, can add up quickly before there are any results, while organic SEO is less expensive and builds a strong online presence over time. Through our partnership with a digital marketing company, we’ve seen that organic SEO has lasting power. Organic SEO is a winner for my business because it’s a cost-effective way to establish consumer trust and brand awareness in a tough economy.

Alex Carroll, Caliber Games

Be Present Across Channels

I believe that a well-defined digital strategy combined with a variety of platforms and channels will successfully assist you in reaching the proper audience and help you effectively convey your message. As I did, you should focus on building user engagement and interaction while simultaneously creating many touchpoints across the web.

Consider a change in your clients' purchasing trends across several channels. In that situation, you must modify your messaging and content to appeal to them on those particular channels. Keep your message clear and cohesive across all media when promoting a particular campaign, and tailor the material to take use of each channel's strengths.

James Crawford, DealDrop

Let a Tool Do the Brainstorming

Let a tool do the brainstorming for you. Every SEO team has a list of target keywords that they want to rank in the SERPs. While they could try to brainstorm a set of questions related to that keyword list, it's easier to just get a list from Google. How is that possible? By looking at the questions that Google displays in People Also Ask boxes.

There are tools that can generate a list of PAA questions that are related to your target keyword list, sorted by display frequency. These are questions that your audience is asking. All you have to do is start at the top of the list and create content based around those questions.

Sarah Norwood, Nozzle.io

Pay Attention to “Google My Business”

I recommend using a tool called "Google My Business" to help people easily find your firm online. With the use of this tool, you can establish and confirm your business's identity, allowing Google to include your location and contact details in its map results. This is important because Google will then display all of your contact information, including your location, whenever potential clients conduct a search for your business. This might make it easier for potential customers to get in touch with and find your company.

David Janssen, VPNOverview

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