Digital Strategy Template - For Startups Small Business & Ad Agencies

By Piyush Aggarwal

Digital Strategy TemplateFor Startups & Small Business

About mePiyush Aggarwal Digital & Startup Marketing Expert

www.piyushaggarwal.me e: [email protected] t: www.twitter.com/iampiyusha m: +91 9873660781

By Piyush Aggarwal

Often people don’t know where to start from to create their digital “STRATEGY”Incidentally, Microsoft Office does not offer any template for it

By Piyush Aggarwal

Lets start with few basics, shall we?

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“Hope” is not a strategyso make strategy for getting results which is not based on hope

1.

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The real strategy is always “INVISIBLE”

You don’t need to see the strategy out there. It should just work

2.

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Before strategy, your “GOALS” should be in sharp focus

Photo credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/my-other-eye/5823686330/in/photolist-9SBV41

3.

Making profit in business can’t be a goal, its an outcome.

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Let’s SIMPLIFY STRATEGY

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Stage I - Concept Development

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Step 1 : Reality CheckMarket

Competition

Price

SWOT Analysis

• What’s the estimated market size (number of customers as well as total revenue of your product / service?

• Top 5 customer segments• Top 5 geo locations ( cities, countries )• How much of your customer segment available online?

• Who are your top 5 direct competitors?• Who are your top 10 in-direct competitors? • What’s the max avg. annual revenue generated by top 5 players? • What’s the average number of customers of top 5 players?• What’s the avg. YOY growth rate of the top 5 & next 10 players?

• What’s the avg price of your product / service? • Can it be purchase online?• It is high margin, low volume or low margin, high volume?• Does it require physical touch/ personal visit to close the deal?

• What are your business strengths? ( network, resources, partnerships etc.) • What are you weakness due to which you think you can fail or get slow down? • What are the key low hanging business opportunities?• Are their any visible or hidden risks in the business?

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Step 2: Goals & Targets

•  Presence across X locations

• % Market Share

Business Goals

• Number of orders / deals

•  Avg Value / Deal

Sales Goals •  Leads

Generated •  Prospects

Engaged

Marketing Goals

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Step 3a: Trends

Audience(Insights(

Business(Trends(

Technology(Trends(

Platform & Devices

Software & Tools

Data Security

DemographicPsychographic

Behavioral

Industry Specific Trends

Government Policies

Social Media Trends

Customer Purchases

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Step 3b: Derive Insights• Who is your core target audience?

• Where is your core TA located (online & offline)?

• What’s their purchase life cycle? How long it takes between first marketing message to purchase decision?

• What excites them?

• What are my industry’s best practices?

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Stage 1: Take aways• Get your facts in place. Gather as much data before you

spend a single penny on digital marketing.

• Based on the insights, decide the following:

• Core target audience

• Technology (platform/devices)

• Expected return on investment

• Sales targets ( # customers / revenue )

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Stage II - Strategy & Planning

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Important!

Nothing works if your “STRATEGY” is not “INTEGRATED

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Step 4: Strategy Wireframe

Integrated Marketing

Communication

Customers & Partners

Outreach

EmployeesMedia Shareholders

Brand Pitch - What you want to be perceived as? ( Trusted / Quality / Customer Friendly / Efficiency etc. )

Audience Marketing ( B2B / B2C) Product Marketing

Engagement Retention & Loyalty

Offline Marketing Digital Marketing

Audience Layer

Communication Layer

Product Layer

Strategy Layer

Tactics Layer

Data ( Marketing & Sales Data) Analytics Layer

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Do you want your digital strategy to look like this?

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Step 4a: Outreach Plan

Outreach – Owned Channels

•  Website Strategy •  Mobile Apps •  Social Media

Strategy •  SEO Strategy

Outreach – Paid Channels

•  SEM •  Social Ads •  Affiliate Marketing •  Sponsorships •  Performance

Marketing •  Email Marketing

Outreach - Earned

•  Content Marketing •  Downloads •  Online Videos •  Webinars •  User generated

content

Attract more customers

Find out the best way to invite people

Get your house in order

Campaigns:*Brand*Awareness,*Tac4cal,*Sales*

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Step 4b: Engagement Plan

Engagement Channels

• Social Campaigns on FB / Twitter / Instagram etc. like contests, sweepstakes etc.

• Website – hosting flash sales, exclusive content

• Events – online / offline events

Engagement Call to action

• Register • Buy ( discounts ) • Ask for quotation • Book an appointment • Get more info in your

inbox

Engagement Metrics

• Visits to Registration • Visits to Sales • Visits to query

Metrics End outcome of engagement

Where do you want to engage?

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Step 4c: Retention PlanCRM – Relationship Program •  Email Marketing Program

•  Marketing Alerts – deals, company updates, newsletters, PR Stories, New Product Launch

CRM – Follow ups •  Tele Calling / Email ( outbound / inbound )

•  Customer care & support •  Outbound sales

CRM – After Sales •  Customer Onboarding Program •  Feedback & Survey •  Case Studies Development

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Stage 2: Take aways• Keep your marketing strategy totally integrated, else it may fall.

• Map your strategy wireframe against overall business goals & key target audience

• Create a simple outreach plan by:

• Pick one channel & do A/B testing at every stage

• Ensure the call to actions are correct at every engagement

• Retaining customers is equally important as gaining new customers

• Decide your marketing tactics based on business priorities & goal along with type of audience & product category

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Stage III - Execution

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Rollout Plan Structure

Scope of work

Team roles & responsibility

Project CreationDesign &

DevelopmentProject Review Project Approval Go-to Market

Key Project Stages

Project Timelines

Key Metrics

Web / Mobile / Apps Landing Environment + Content (Images, Text, Video)

Campaign 1 SEM

Marketing Tech ( Google Analytics, Social Listening, Content Marketing, CRM )

Campaign 9 Affiliate

Campaign 2 Social Media

Campaign 7 Email Marketing

Campaign 4 Re-targeting

Campaign 3 Mobile

Campaign 6 Native Ads

Campaign 5 Video

Campaign 8 Display

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Stage III : Take away• Get all the important pieces of your strategy on the table to

decide your rollout plan.

• Use “AGILE” approach in your design & development for faster go-to market.

• Develop your marketing content in phases to maximize results

• Connect your marketing efforts to sales at each stage.

• Chose the right marketing tech for getting an integrated view of your marketing activities.

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Stage IV - Metrics

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Key MetricsEmail&

Marke+ng&Delivery&Rate& Open&Rate& Click&Thru&

Rate& Registra+on&

Social&Media&

Leads& Followers&growth&rate&

Engagement&rate& Referrals&

SEM&/&PPC& #&Leads& Cost&/&lead& Cost&/&click& Sales&Closures&

Website& Conversion&Rate&

Leads&Generated&

Content&Influence& Closures&

Content&Marke+ng&

#&Downloads&/&Views& #&Prospects& #&

Opportuni+es& #&Closures&

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Stage IV : Take away• Try attributing your individual marketing efforts (by

channel) to your sales.

• Use universal analytics dashboards to view multiple metrics on single page.

• Play as much as possible with different attribution models to find what works for you.

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–Andy Roddick

“At one point in your life you either have the thing you want or the reasons why you don’t.”

Food for thought

Presented byPiyush Aggarwal Digital & Startup Marketing Expert

www.piyushaggarwal.me e: [email protected] t: www.twitter.com/iampiyusha m: +91 9873660781