Digital strategy is another way of saying internet marketing. In fact, digital is now the term used to describe the internet or web. It has become the new means of marketing where traditional venues are to0 expensive to compete in. With a good strategy a company with little resources can begin to make an impact on their visibility and their bottom line.
Begin your strategy with finding out what you really want to represent. This isn’t just what category of products or services but in branding. What keyword do you want to be remembered for? When I discovered this it was nearly terrifying. I sat in my seat in shock because I wanted people to think of me for all kinds of services; a jack of all trades who could do anything. This isn’t very successful on a personal level nor is it successful on a business level. Companies that have had a focused strategy are the ones that often cut through the clutter. We can easily think of a few like Gieco’s affordable, Dell’s direct, Nordstrom’s service, Starbucks 3rd place, and Google’s relevance. If anything, learn from those who have done it best and create your unique niché.
Once you have a focus then it allows for you to begin defining what your strategy is online. If you are not defining what your position is then someone else will (competitor and stakeholders). Wouldn’t you rather define what you are about then someone else. For instance, when I orginally purchased my domain name, Derek Live, I wasn’t sure what the purpose was. Thought that I could just put up content and soon I would have followers. The result, no one follows me and maybe a few visit occassionally when they meet me. This goes for any digital strategy. Joining the internet is a start but if you do not have a clear strategy then you may never rank for those keywords you want. Unless you have that great domain name, it becomes the strategy of long tails. So ask yourself, what is going to make me unique to others who may do it better and work harder at it then us. Once you have this down it becomes easier to defend when your arch nemesis begins to challenge that position.
Digital marketing is the new platform for marketing and it demands that we think about it on a regular basis. Let your brand and what it represents inform your strategy. Great companies are there because they have thought, planned, and experimented. So learn from those who have done it best. Once you figure your brand it becomes easier to define your strategy and defend it.