5 Online Marketing Strategy questions you must answer before planning a strategy

A marketing strategy now or a marketing strategy 20 years ago, both have a stark contrast yet a smooth proximity. They aim to bring a flood of qualified leads to get maximum sales.

 Marketing strategy today, however, is not a single entity to be watched out for. It is branched into offline and online marketing strategies. Due to a double factor, naturally, it has escalated aspirations of achieving Excelsior milestones. In short, getting more sales by generating, even more, leads – is the pivot of entire marketing endeavor. You will agree that this fact resonates in harmony to your business’ vision charter. 

A recent statement by Ascend2, 2016, that digital marketing requires a strategic proficiency to be successful, calls for a sincere mandate for choosing a good online strategy. 

Also, given the privileged status of online marketing today, let’s lay our talks within the distinguished premises of ‘digital marketing strategy’ in this article.

While you are reading this, you must have either undertaken or are undergoing planning to walk the path of online marketing strategy for your business. 

Hold on! Did you skip something essential? Is your planned strategy inclusive of everything that is required? Was the stage set before laying the plan? 

We popped these questions to make you think a little back in time, while you were planning your digital strategy. Make sure your answers do some greater good to your plan and you move a few steps ahead.

Are you comfortable or not with your answers to the above questions? Think again on below lines. 

The strategy is the spine of your entire marketing mantle. Devising a skeleton before strategising can bring in a higher ROI and higher marketing revenue. Prepare an essential list of things to be included in the strategy of your plan. Because for your goals, preparing is caring.

So finally, have you realized by now that a full ticked checklist should not be overlooked? 

Yes? Take a step back before you jump into the sea of strategy-making. 

Do not fidget.  It’s not a setback rather it is like avoiding the spillage of your resources and pleasantly saving your dollars. 

That was all about why you should grill your marketing plan to glorify your online business.

Now, how you should go about it?

The wait is over and we are unleashing some magical ways by which you will substantiate a great strategy planning in the end. 

Let’s look at the fundamental questions which will refine your digital strategy. It could be any one of the marketing strategies, social media strategy, search engine optimization strategy, lead magnet strategy or any of your online marketing crew.

Below is a list of questions that should touch upon the blueprint of your marketing plan for some more success.

1. Is online marketing included in your marketing plan? 

One single statement validates the importance of this question.

“Online marketing costs 10 to 100 times less than the traditional/offline marketing. “

This cost- effective yet result – oriented marketing mode, is sure to turn around your entire business model. 

As per Ascend2, 2016, the effectiveness of achieving objectives is increasing by 29% with digital marketing for 89 % of the companies. 

Once and for all, it all clarifies why you should necessarily include online marketing in your marketing plan.  

Did you just check your plan if it has been fair enough to include this modern enviable face of online marketing?

2. What is your marketing objective?

Your marketing objective is the gospel of your business. Let all your goals, big and small, stand by it to steer the way through some progress. 

Mention in bolder than bold fonts as to what you are going to achieve from your strategies. What are they going to bring for your business? How much is your expected ROI? What are y-o-y revenue goals? Specify them all with an indelible ink so that you don’t go amiss before you catch them. 

How about some constant reminders in the form of:

“300 lead generation in a month”. 

“450 conversions in the present marketing funnel”. 

“200% ROI in next three months”.

You sow them on your drawing boards, so you reap them in the annual reports. This would make your actions accountable. 

Hope you didn’t forget to review your objectives. Are they specific, time-bound, attainable and relevant?

Time to define them if they are not!

3. Who and where are your target customers? 

We would start with an emphatic surprise on the ‘who’ of this question. Marketers all over the world have puzzled over it; they have immersed their brains in it, only to get disappointed by not getting the sales at the end of the day. 

Brand managers out there are busy promoting day in and day out. They hardly admit that they just could not crack the target customer-game.

But, one can get to find that treasure “the buyer” who will give your business a meaning.

Digital channels are heaven now for people all over the world. Same social media channels are also the dense spots to be cut out as your business’ playground. 

You cannot afford to err on that. According to a report by Neil Patel’s website, 93% of shoppers’ purchase decisions are influenced by social media.

Do some more research, get closer to your prospects and get desirable leads for your online campaigns. 

So, who to target and where to target? Get going now for a fruitful finding!

4. What is the voice and tone of your brand?

Your customers don’t want a product or a service, they want a story to relate with, an experience to cherish and a magic to awe over. 

Does your online marketing sweep it all? Does your brand’s personality echo with your targeted audience’s personality? 

If it doesn’t, then may be it’s time to head to a brand-building on the lines of audience behavior.  

Dig deeper and delve into the actions of your target audience to get some useful insights. Exploit them until you exhibit what they want and how they want.  

Knowing the ‘tone‘ your target audience will find an irreplaceable connection with them, frame the ‘voice’ your audience will listen to.  

If you do it successfully, then that one thing on the audiences’ top of mind will be your product/service.  

Thus, before you go astray with your strategy by your brand’s undefined tone and voice, make certain the stance your brand will take online. 

Can you now hear your brand’s distinct tone and voice?

5. What problems can you help them with?

Most of the times, digital marketers wonder the reasons behind the distorted messages delivered through their digital campaigns.  Well, believe it or not, the hitch had started out at the beginning when they were busy making their digital strategies blindly.

Why would the audience fall for your marketing? What is in it for them? They want an irresistible benefit; if it’s something unique, it would draw them even closer to your business. 

Hence, marketing the solution that you intend to provide is million times better than marketing your product. 

Solution by the product is sharp and it hits the human psyche, unlike just a bland product. You claim to solve a problem and you sell out a promise to bring some change which is positive. 

Thus, try become worthy of inviting a ‘buy’ for not just an ‘idea’ but for your ’idea-laced’ and problem-solving product. 

Let’s make a solution in the digital strategies. Let’s hand out helping gestures to our audience through our marketing. 

Are you still trying to ‘win over’ your audience with loud irrelevant over-claims? Did you forget that we can only ‘win with’ our beloved audience?

Let us know your strategy to scan a potential success at a distance before rolling out an online marketing strategy!

Happy thoughtful planning! 

Ref:

https://blog.bufferapp.com/social-media-strategy-questions

https://www.ducttapemarketing.com/marketing-strategy-questions/

http://masterful-marketing.com/5-online-marketing-strategy-questions-that-must-be-answered/