So you’ve got a Marketing Plan. But how about a Digital Strategy? With the increasing sophistication of digital marketing, this can be a daunting task.
So, when we ran across an informative article on SmashingMagazine.com that simplified the whole concept of what a Digital Strategy is – and how to create one – we thought, “Hey, this could help a lot of people!”
According to keen insight from Paul Boag, a preeminant authority on all things web, there are a few tips that make writing a Digital Strategy much, much less daunting. With these tips, Paul can help navigate this seemingly murky digital world.
First, keep it simple. There is no need to dive deep into a strategy when, in reality, broad strokes is all you need to start becoming more proactive, and less reactive. Show your team how you’ll move forward. Don’t overthink it. A great Digital Strategy does one important thing: It brings order to the chaos.
Boag outlines a crash course for tackling the looming project with some sage and simple advice.
- The three P’s: Policies, Priorities and People. Basically, a Digital Strategy knows its players and its decision-makers, designs policies to keep the work moving without too many obstacles and, finally, it prioritizes what comes first, second and last.
- Make a roadmap: Identify a big-picture view of where you’re headed two years from now. A clear set of objectives can help settle any ruffled feathers and avoid delays. The strategy quantifies the project and gives everyone a sense of control.
- Scope of work: Three magical words that keep everything from spinning out of control. It’s important to remember that “digital”doesn’t just refer to your website. There are typically five areas of a Digital Strategy, including email, mobile, social media, digital marketing and website. Your scope can address short- and long-term goals for each, as well as non-goals which clarify your limitations up front.
- Down to brass tacks: Talking money. Budgets are critical to digital assignments, especially when they are ongoing – and digital is never finished. How much of the work can be handled in-house? If you need to outsource, what can you afford? Either way, shifting your focus from fixed projects to ongoing annual budgets will better prepare you to manage costs – and team expectations.
Boag’s helpful article shares some essential tips and to-do lists. It’s a great place to start. And if you want to know more about what a great Digital Strategy looks like, just visit The Ocean Group. We’ve done plenty of them for happy clients.
