Q: I already have a regular marketing plan for my business. What is a digital marketing plan, and why do I need one?
A: Great question! When crafting any marketing plan, you consider the size and strengths of your business, the size and strengths of your competition, the market for your product, what makes your business unique, your budget, what tools you have available, and a timeline for campaigns. Often, a marketing plan is created with the help of professionals who provide market research, advise you about which tools will be the most effective for your goals, and help you craft a strategy for the highest return on your investment (ROI).
Simply put, a digital marketing plan (or online marketing plan) works in conjunction with your complete marketing plan. It sets forth a strategy for how you will integrate online tools into your total marketing plan –which tools to use, how to use them, and how to measure the return on your marketing dollars.
Nonetheless, many businesses neglect this aspect of their marketing plan. The illusions that websites can be made at home, and that Facebook and Twitter are free, lead some business owners to assume that they don’t need to plan for these resources. They assume they’ll just figure it out as they go. This is a big mistake.
Here’s why—your customers will find you online first. Even if they see a print ad or a billboard, they will most likely Google you or search for you on Facebook. They are very likely to do this on their smartphones or tablets.
- If your online and Real Life branding don’t match, that can lead to confusion, which reflects poorly on your business.
- If your website looks amateurish or doesn’t work on smartphones or tablets, that reflects poorly on your business.
- If your website has a blog that hasn’t been updated in a year, or was never updated at all, that reflects poorly on your business.
- If your social media accounts are improperly set up or sporadically maintained, if they have inaccurate information or an unprofessional tone – or if they aren’t used at all – that reflects poorly on your business.
- Worst of all, if someone leaves negative comments about your business online while you’re not paying attention, you will never know, and that, of course, reflects poorly on your business.
If your competition has beautifully designed and actively maintained online tools while yours are dated and under-used, you will lose clients. So even though a digital marketing plan may feel like an unnecessary expense of time or money, whether you’re a young company just setting up shop or an established one updating your marketing strategy, digital marketing plans shouldn’t be ignored.
You should always have a plan in place that outlines which online tools will be most valuable for your marketing goals. You should plot out who will create and maintain them. You should know how to use Analytics, Insights and other data sources to track your return on investment. Finally, you should have a “damage control” policy in place before you receive negative feedback online. Every step of this will be easier if you call in a professional to help.