Also known as digital first…
The term ‘digital marketing transformation’ is used to describe the shift in organisational thinking away from over-dependence on traditional marketing channels and closer towards the prioritisation of digital media. Also known as digital first, the objective is to eventually place digital at the centre of all your marketing tactics. Businesses are increasingly aware that taking a digital first approach is central to their continued success – but it is tricky to develop a practical plan of action. At the outset, the full commitment of your executives is essential. There are several steps an organisation needs to transform its digital marketing.
The first is current situation analysis – that is, you must undertake a review of the current state of digital in your marketing activities. Brands wanting to succeed online must offer convenience in the form of speed, accessibility and UX. If you have a weak social media presence you could be losing out on visitors and potential customers. Your web design team may want to consider an instant-messaging based help-desk, or a common Q&A section, to communicate more effectively with the world. It’s important to focus on customer experience across the main digital channels.
You also need to review the behaviour of your competitors, other players in your field, and other digital marketing leaders across a wide range of sectors. The next steps are to formulate your vision and build a business case to support it. Explore the value of digital to your company and the benefits it will generate in both the short and long-term. Identify your key performance indicators, and put measures in place that will help you to uphold momentum in a more sluggish environment. Next comes the actual development of your digital marketing strategy. At this stage you need to identify the key strategic strands, and drill down to the tactical campaigns. You should prepare yourself for a future of continuous review and improvement. The goal is to embed a process of never-ending improvement with a ‘test and fail fast’ mentality. Experimenting with digital marketing techniques is critical to stay digital first. These may include LinkedIn marketing and organic SEO, among others. Regular blog articles with valuable keywords can draw new clients to your site.