Five key steps to get started

In this briefing, we outline five tips for creating an effective digital marketing plan.

Define your business objectives

The purpose of a digital marketing plan is to enable you, through the process of research, to clearly align the business objectives and digital goals of your practice. The digital plan should clearly identify a target audience, choose what messages are relevant and which communication channels are most effective in communicating them. 

All digital marketing activities should relate to making your business objectives a reality. 

Identify your target audience

In creating your digital plan, the first step is to identify your target audience. Examine what attributes they have, and try to build ‘personas’ for them. That will help you to understand what message you want to communicate to them, and what type of content and social media channels are the best way of connecting with them. 

Create unique insights on content

It is important that you spend some time researching what content is relevant to the target audience you are trying to reach. It is worth creating a list of typical keywords related to the message you are trying to send out, and carrying out research to see how other influencers are communicating their message. It is important to regularly review competitors through social media to see what content is being discussed. 

Information that is simple, relevant and easily understood works best. Content that provides unique insights is perceived to have value and thus more likely to be engaged with.

Channels of communication

Once you have defined your target audience and objectives, you will need to figure out what is the best way to communicate effectively with them. 

The channels you use will be based on your audience, budget and your expertise. Channels such as Twitter and LinkedIn are generally free and are a good way to get started. Passle is a marketing platform publishing tool for professional service firms, and useful for creating quick content.

Schedule regular content

Regular, consistent digital marketing activity is important to achieve successful digital marketing results. The research and creation of content must be worked on regularly. Posting a comment and/or article to LinkedIn and Twitter must become an ongoing habit. By taking small actions consistently over time, you will build a following with your prospective target audience.

Aligning your business goals with your digital marketing plan and regularly communicating your unique insights to your target audience will improve your profile and lead to better business results over time. 

eNewsletters

This article originally appeared in the 22 December 2020 member eZine. For more information, and to subscribe, visit eNewsletters.