Sydney Community College Blog | on 28 January 2021
Digital marketing gets many ticks on the “plus” side when compared with traditional methods of promoting your business. But, as marketing specialist and Sydney Community College tutor Brook McCarthy says, digital marketing can offer an overwhelming number of options and has “many moving parts”. That’s why the key to any digital marketing success is to map out a clear strategy.
1. What is your business?
It may sound obvious, but it is so helpful to go right back to basics and define who you are and what you do. Write up a quick and easy statement by filling in the gaps: "I'm _____(your name), I work with _____(your ideal customers) by _____(a few words to describe what you do) so that they can _____(outcomes you want your customers to experience)." It’s remarkable how much you can learn about your values and goals when you step back from it in this way.
2. Who are your customers?
Take some time to consider this question and then create personas for your ideal customers. This helps you target your marketing to the right places and in the right tone. With that personal connection to a persona, it helps you create and share genuine communication – like you’re speaking with a friend or colleague. As Brook McCarthy says: “Customer personas help us to better understand the ideal clients we’re trying to attract, and relate to our customers as real humans. Having a deep understanding of your buyer persona(s) is critical to driving content creation, product development, sales and customer retention.” One quick and low-cost way to learn more about your ideal customers is to join Facebook groups related to the subject you’re working in. This will give a real insight into who is interested, where they are and the problems they have that you can solve.
3. Map out your customer journey
Customer journey mapping is a visual representation of the many interactions a potential customer has with a business. This can help you understand your customers’ pains and needs, look at how they interact with your business and identify gaps between desired customer experience and reality. It can provide an outsider perspective on your sales process to help you focus your marketing efforts and expenditure on what matters. There are loads of customer journey mapping apps and tools online to help you complete this visual mapping.
4. What’s your USP?
Your Unique Selling Proposition (USP) is that lovely sweet spot where “what customers want” overlaps with “what you do well” (minus the bit where your competitors do it well too). This one’s as much about your competitors as it is about your business and your customers. So take some time to look at them and how they differentiate their brand. By comparing this with your own strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, you can define what makes you one of a kind in your USP.
5. Get S.M.A.R.T.
With all the options, apps and avenues available, a digital marketing strategy can try to be all over everything. Avoid scattering your limited marketing resources in too many directions, by outlining a S.M.A.R.T. objective to follow. This means it should be:
- Specific: state what you want to do* Measurable: what metrics or data targets can you use to evaluate success?* Attainable: make it something you can achieve* Relevant: keep a focus on the task of improving your business* Time-based: give it a specific time-frame. So now you’re clear on what you do and who loves you for doing it. You’ve identified that special something that makes you totally unique, and set your intention on what your digital marketing strategy will deliver. Now you’re set to dive in and get creative!
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