How to Build a Digital Marketing Strategy That Works

A digital marketing strategy should start with clarity, not tactics. Before posting on social media, sending emails or creating content, first know your strengths, ideal customers and what matters most to them.

Yet many businesses start in the opposite direction.

Should we post on LinkedIn? Do we need email marketing? What about SEO? Should we create videos?

During a recent Digital Game Plan LIVE conversation, Damon Pistulka and Curt Anderson explored a better starting point. Instead of chasing marketing tactics, businesses can first create a clear plan.

That process starts by answering a few important questions about your company, customers and opportunities.

Why Is Starting With Marketing Tactics a Problem?

Marketing tactics struggle when they lack a clear strategy behind them. Therefore, businesses should first decide who they want to reach and why those buyers should care.

Small businesses face countless marketing choices. For example, they can invest in websites, email, social media, SEO and content. AI has added even more options.

However, more choices do not always create better results.

Damon explains the challenge:

“You have to step back first…know who you should be talking to, ideal customer profile, what we should be talking about.”

That step creates focus.

Next, identify what your company does exceptionally well. What problems do you solve? Where do customers gain the most value? Most importantly, how do you help customers succeed?

As Damon says, businesses should “focus in on what we are best at helping our customers achieve.”

That shift matters. Your marketing should not focus on everything you can do. Instead, concentrate on the strengths that matter most to your best customers.

How Do You Build a Focused Digital Marketing Strategy?

A focused digital marketing strategy connects your strengths with the right opportunities and customers. The Digital Game Plan starts by helping businesses examine those areas before moving into execution.

First, look at your strengths.

What makes your company different? Perhaps it is your equipment, expertise, engineering skills or customer service. Maybe decades of experience give customers confidence.

Then, look for opportunities.

During the conversation, Damon described the idea behind Blue Ocean Strategy. The goal is to find ways to stand apart rather than compete exactly like everyone else.

He explains that businesses can find areas “that will set you apart.”

However, adding opportunities is only part of the process. Strong strategy also requires subtraction.

What services drain your resources? Which customers create headaches without enough profit? Where does your team spend time on things customers do not value?

Damon puts it simply:

“If it’s not important to your customers, why are you spending time on it?”

That question can help eliminate distractions. As a result, your company can focus its time and resources on activities that create more value.

How Can Ideal Customers Guide Your Marketing?

Your best customers should help shape your marketing message, content and buyer journey. Customer segmentation and buyer personas can make that picture much clearer.

The Digital Game Plan uses a process called Rounding the Bases. It separates potential customers into singles, doubles, triples and home runs.

Damon describes it as a form of customer segmentation. Home runs might represent the large customers you want to land. Meanwhile, singles could represent smaller or occasional buyers.

More importantly, the exercise can uncover opportunities.

Once you identify your best customer types, create an ideal customer profile and buyer persona. Explore their goals, frustrations and motivations. Then, consider the questions they ask before making a purchase.

Finally, map the buyer journey.

Curt summed up the goal with a simple idea:

“People don’t like to buy, but man, they love to be successful.”

Therefore, stop thinking only about how to sell. Instead, determine how you can help your ideal customer make a better decision.

What triggers their search? What questions do they ask? How do they feel during the buying process?

Those questions can guide your B2B marketing strategy and content. In addition, they can help you create useful information that supports buyers at every step.

Start Your Marketing With Clarity

A strong digital marketing strategy gives your business a clear starting point. Know what you do best, identify your best opportunities and understand exactly who you want to help.

From there, marketing becomes easier to prioritize.

You can decide what content to create because you know what customers need. You can choose marketing channels based on where your buyers spend time. Most importantly, your team can stop wasting energy on tactics that do not support the plan.

The Digital Game Plan brings those pieces together. It helps businesses explore strengths, opportunities, customer segments, buyer personas and the buyer journey.

Before asking, “What marketing should we do?”

Start with a better question:

“Who can we help become more successful?”

Ready to find the answer? Create your FREE Digital Game Plan and start building a focused path forward.

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Watch the entire conversation about digital marketing strategies.