• MARKETING STRATEGY

• STRATEGIC DIGITAL
MARKETING

DIGITAL MARKETING • DIGITAL TACTICS

STRATEGY, TACTICS, • DIGITAL CHANNELS
AND CHANNELS
 WHY DIGITAL MARKETING?
• Digital media has completely revolutionized the marketing
discipline.
• Digital marketing ensures companies can reach, communicate
and provide value to their target customers, in a way that is
more effective and efficient than traditional media.
• Digital marketing is a key driving force behind marketing and
business in the 21st century.
 COVID-19 ACCELERATING THE MOVE TO DIGITAL
MARKETING

• Reduction in physical interaction means brands are more

reliant on digital strategy (Forbes, 2020)
• Customers are researching and interacting with brands online
more, and brands must respond quickly (HubSpot, 2020)
• Marketing leaders planning to increase investment in digital
marketing (Gartner, 2020)
 Digital marketing defined
• Using ICT to understand, create, communicate and deliver value to both customers and the
organization.

• BENEFITS OF DIGITAL MARKETING:

– Levels the online playing field
– Helps businesses stay ahead of the competition
– Delivers analytics
– Reaches mobile users
– Builds brand recognition
– Allows businesses to monitor their brand
– Can help brands develop trust with their audience
– Provides businesses with additional sales channels
– Brings a brand’s story to more people
– Less expensive than traditional marketing…
 DIGITAL MARKETING STRATEGY, TACTICS, AND
CHANNELS
MARKETING STRATEGY
DIGITAL MARKETING STRATEGY, TACTICS, AND CHANNELS

THE MARKETING MANAGEMENT PROCESS

(KOTLER & KELLER, 2015)

Implementation
Business Market Strategy Tactical Feedback
mission analysis formulation program &
formulation control
DIGITAL MARKETING STRATEGY, TACTICS, AND CHANNELS

BUSINESS MISSION (KOTLER & KELLER, 2015)

Business Market Strategy Tactical Feedback &

Implementatio
mission analys formulatio program control
n
is n formulation

• A statement of the organisation’s reason for existence or its purpose.

• This is all about what the organisation wants to accomplish within its broader
environment in the future.
DIGITAL MARKETING STRATEGY, TACTICS, AND CHANNELS

MARKET ANALYSIS (KOTLER & KELLER, 2015)

Business Market Strategy Tactical Feedback &
Implementatio
mission analys formulatio program control
n
is n formulation

• An organisation’s efforts to gather information about target audiences and its

customers.
• It provides information to identify and analyse market size, competition, and consumer
needs.
• Macro (contextual), meso (transactional) and micro (organisational) environment
analysis.
DIGITAL MARKETING STRATEGY, TACTICS, AND CHANNELS

MARKETING STRATEGY (KOTLER & KELLER, 2015)

Business Market Strategy Tactical Feedback &
Implementatio
mission analys formulatio program control
n
is n formulation

• The marketing logic by which the company hopes to create customer value and achieve
profitable customer relationships.
• Includes information abouts specific objectives and strategies to achieve those
objectives.
DIGITAL MARKETING STRATEGY, TACTICS, AND CHANNELS

TACTICAL PROGRAM FORMULATION (KOTLER

& KELLER, 2015)
Business Market Strategy Tactical Feedback &
Implementatio
mission analys formulatio program control
n
is n formulation

• The concrete marketing activities that will be undertaken to execute the marketing
strategy.
• This typically includes tactics, channels, actions, timings, responsibilities and budgets.
DIGITAL MARKETING STRATEGY, TACTICS, AND CHANNELS

IMPLEMENTATION (KOTLER & KELLER, 2015)

Business Market Strategy Tactical Feedback &
Implementatio
mission analys formulatio program control
n
is n formulation

• The process of rolling out and implementing the tactical marketing program by
executing all of the specified activities.
DIGITAL MARKETING STRATEGY, TACTICS, AND CHANNELS

FEEDBACK AND CONTROL

(KOTLER & KELLER, 2015)
Business Market Strategy Tactical Feedback &
Implementatio
mission analys formulatio program control
n
is n formulation

• The process of monitoring the proposed plans as they proceed and optimising where
necessary to improve performance.
 DIGITAL MARKETING STRATEGY, TACTICS, AND
CHANNELS
STRATEGIC DIGITAL
MARKETING
 DIGITAL MARKETING STRATEGY, TACTICS, AND CHANNELS

STRATEGIC DIGITAL
MARKETING
• The core principles of marketing
management (Kotler, 2015) still apply,
only in a digital context. Business goals

• Strategic digital marketing typically Digital

includes 5 components: objectives
• Business goals
• Digital objectives Digital
• Digital strategies strategies
• Digital tactics
Digital
• Digital channels
tactics

Digital
channels
DIGITAL MARKETING STRATEGY, TACTICS, AND CHANNELS

BUSINESS GOALS AND

DIGITAL OBJECTIVES
• Business goals are the overarching goals that
the business is trying to achieve.
• i.e. Increase revenue by 25% this financial year
• Digital objectives are specific goals that the
business is trying to achieve through digital
marketing.
• i.e. 23% of existing customers buying a
secondary product from the website by end of
April
• Best practice for formulating objectives is the
SMART framework.
DIGITAL MARKETING STRATEGY, TACTICS, AND CHANNELS

DIGITAL MARKETING
STRATEGIES
• Any given objective can have one or
more strategies (Kotler, 2015).

• A digital marketing strategy is a series

of actions taken to achieve the
overarching objective…
• …through carefully selected digital
marketing tactics and channels,
including paid, owned and earned
media.
ACCORDING TO A ‘MANAGING DIGITAL
MARKETING’ STUDY BY SMART INSIGHTS
IN 2019, 50% OF BRANDS DON’T HAVE A
DEFINED DIGITAL MARKETING STRATEGY,
WHILE 16% DO HAVE A STRATEGY BUT
HAVEN’T YET INTEGRATED IT INTO THEIR
OVERALL MARKETING STRATEGY
 DIGITAL MARKETING STRATEGY, TACTICS, AND
CHANNELS
DIGITAL TACTICS
DIGITAL MARKETING STRATEGY, TACTICS, AND CHANNELS

DIGITAL MARKETING STRATEGY VS. TACTICS

Strategy (the ‘path’) = Overarching vision,
intended to fulfill predetermined objectives.
Strategy is the plan that ensures all day-to-day
activities (tactics) contribute to digital marketing
objectives.

Tactics (the ‘steps’) = Highly practical and

carefully planned series of day-to-day
activities (e.g. writing blog posts, sending
tweets, replying to emails, outreach to
bloggers, etc.).
 DIGITAL MARKETING STRATEGY VS. TACTICS: THE
DIGITAL MARKETING STRATEGY, TACTICS, AND CHANNELS

ROLE OF TIME
• Strategies are more timeless, whilst tactics are technology or
time sensitive.
• If you change the time frame, a strategy would typically remain
the same, whilst the tactics will more than likely change.
• Example strategy: Engage customers in
store to increase sales
• Example time frame: Years 1900, 1980, and 2013
• Example tactics:
• 1900: Put up posters in a store promoting deals
• 1980: Electronic screens updating a specials board
• 2013: AR app, mobile optimised website, foursquare deals, customer
service in social media, etc.
DIGITAL MARKETING STRATEGY, TACTICS, AND CHANNELS

DIGITAL MARKETING STRATEGY VS.

TACTICS:
BUSINESS GOAL:
WORKING EXAMPLE
• Increase sales revenue by 25% by the end of 2020
DIGITAL OBJECTIVES:
• Increase awareness of website to Target Audience (TA) by 100% by the end of the year
• Increase traffic to website by 50% compared with last year
• Increase repeat purchases by 10% compared with last year
• Increase average order value from $50 to $55 this month
DIGITAL STRATEGY:
1. Engage target audience at key touch points in their day when receptive to brand messaging
2. Drive traffic from new unique visitors to your website
3. Encourage repeat purchases from existing customers
4. Increase average order value from within the cart
 DIGITAL MARKETING STRATEGY, TACTICS, AND CHANNELS

DIGITAL MARKETING STRATEGY VS. TACTICS:

TACTICS: WORKING EXAMPLE CONT.

Strategy 1. Engage TA at key touch points in their day when receptive to brand
messaging
1a. Run TV ads targeted at TA in the middle of the day
1b. Run Facebook Advertising at lunchtimes based on similar interests
1c. Acquire Coverage in National Magazines targeted at TA using PR
1d. Run Online Banner Advertising on XYZ sites targeted at TA in evenings
1e. Create content on the shopping & lifestyle needs of customers
3. Encourage repeat purchases from existing customers
3a. Email existing customers with referral % deal for new customers
3b. Print vouchers added to all orders sent out this month
3c. Competition: invite friends to enter mechanism (opt-in email data
capture)

Strategy 2. Drive traffic from new unique visitors to website
2a. Ensure website URL is featured in TV ads
2b. Add URL to Twitter Bio
2c. Start 10+ conversations per day with TA on Twitter
2d. Lead Industry based Tweet chats on Twitter, attracting influencers to join
2e. Create video responses embedded in SEO’d blog posts with transcripts
2f. Share video blog posts on Twitter (monitoring Qs and responses)
4. Increase average order value from within the cart
4a. Add attractive deals to the cart automatically (worth 10% of value)
4b. Increase the Free Delivery Threshold from $35 to $45
4c. Add gift wrapping options to the cart (with images of premium gift
packaging)
4d. Auto opt-in to higher cost delivery / up-sells
DIGITAL MARKETING STRATEGY, TACTICS, AND CHANNELS

CORE TACTICS IN A TYPICAL

DIGITAL MARKETING STRATEGY
DIGITAL MARKETING STRATEGY, TACTICS, AND CHANNELS

WHAT ARE THE MOST

EFFECTIVE TACTICS?
 DIGITAL MARKETING STRATEGY, TACTICS, AND
CHANNELS
DIGITAL CHANNELS
DIGITAL MARKETING STRATEGY, TACTICS, AND CHANNELS

DIGITAL MEDIA CONVERGENCE & THE DIGITAL

MARKETING TRIFECTA
DIGITAL MARKETING STRATEGY, TACTICS, AND CHANNELS

SELECTING DIGITAL
CHANNELS
• A digital marketing strategy can
encompass a range of channels.
• All channel selections should:
• Align closely with the your objective
and strategy.
• Be tailored to the behaviour of the
brand’s target audience and
personas.
• Communicate a clear and consistent
message.
• Be integrated for better results.
• Share data to inform each other.
DIGITAL MARKETING STRATEGY, TACTICS, AND CHANNELS

PRIMARY CONSIDERATIONS IN THE CHANNEL

SELECTION PROCESS
1. Identify primary digital marketing objective(s) for the business.
2. Understand which digital marketing channels the target audience engage and how.
3. Category/ competitor benchmarking: what channels are they using? Are they
successful?
4. Define a budget allocation (incl. staff, graphic artists, video/ photographers, paid ads,
content creation services) and expected ROI.
5. Identify available internal and external resources (skills + knowledge) for campaign
design, execution and measurement.
DIGITAL MARKETING STRATEGY, TACTICS, AND CHANNELS

THREE DIGITAL MARKETING CHANNELS

THAT CONSISTENTLY PERFORM
SEARCH EMAIL SOCIAL MEDIA
DRIVE TRAFFIC TO FOSTERS BRAND BUILDS BRAND-
WEBSITE, MARKET ENGAGEMENT & CONSUMER
PRODUCTS/SERVICES STRENGTHENS COMMUNITY &
& ULTIMATELY BRAND AT MULTIPLE CONVERTS
INCREASE SALES LEVELS (IF CONSUMERS INTO
RELEVANT, URGENT & CUSTOMERS
PERSONAL)

Based on research across many brands and industries, these three digital channels consistently perform and
achieve strong ROI
 DIGITAL MARKETING STRATEGY, TACTICS, AND CHANNELS

DEFINE PRIMARY DIGITAL MARKETING GOALS: EXAMPLE GOALS & SUITABLE CHANNELS
• Goal = Lead generation
• Goal = Brand awareness • Key channel considerations: Communicate directly
• Key channel considerations: Provide strong brand awareness and and in an engaging way
recognition
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
• Engaging with targeted audience through social channels.
• Pay-Per-Click Advertising
• Social media channels particular Twitter, Facebook or Instagram
• Display Advertising
• Channels that promote visual elements like Instagram and Pinterest.
• Google Search Network
• Channels that promote video materials like YouTube and Vimeo.
• Blogging and other content marketing channels
• Promotional campaigns with coupons.
• Email marketing
• Joint venture marketing projects with other online businesses.
• Participating in online and offline events.
• Goal = Sales generation
• Goal = Educate customers • Key channel considerations: Encourage online
• Blogging, press releases and content marketing purchase behavior
• Goal = Generate website traffic • Amazon Resellers
• SEO and content marketing • Facebook Storefront
• Google Shopping Feeds
• Google Search Network
• Google Display Network
• Affiliate Marketing Networks
DIGITAL MARKETING STRATEGY, TACTICS, AND CHANNELS

WHY HAVE A MIX OF DIGITAL

MARKETING CHANNELS?
• To use the right channel for the TA
• To capture the attention of TAs looking at various channels
• To continuously provide fresh content
• To be not dependent on any one channel(s)
• To diversify link building and generate more traffic
• To minimise the impact of channel cost fluctuations
• To prepare for future market changes
• To enhance results by cross-pollinating channels
DIGITAL MARKETING STRATEGY, TACTICS, AND CHANNELS

TREND #1: SOCIAL MEDIA STORIES

• Stories are increasingly popular among
Instagram, SnapChat, Facebook, and
YouTube platforms as people continue to
consume digital video content faster.
• Stories are a great way to connect with
followers in more engaging ways.
• Many formats: tutorials, testimonials, funny
how-to’s, interviews, GIFs, and more.
Currently:
• Over 970 million accounts are posting to
their stories
• 50% of businesses are taking advantage of
the feature.
DIGITAL MARKETING STRATEGY, TACTICS, AND CHANNELS

TREND #2: CHATBOTS

• Chatbots have advanced as the most popular interface to
connect brands and consumers.
• Over 1.4 billion people a year use chatbots and by 2020
chatbots will control 85% of all customer service.
• A recent study shows that a delayed response by even
10 minutes can decrease chances of a sale by 400%.
• Currently, chatbots are being used for:
• Saving time and money
• Generating leads and sales
• Pushing users to better products or services
• Providing 24-hour support
• Personalizing experiences
DIGITAL MARKETING STRATEGY, TACTICS, AND CHANNELS

TREND #3: VIDEO

• Incorporating video marketing into
digital strategy continues to be
important and shows no signs of
slowing.
• 70% of consumers have shared a video
• 52% of consumers watch videos to make
informed purchases
• 72% of videos have improved sales
conversion rate
• Brands are gaining high engagement
rates for interviews, product demos,
how-to’s, and more.
• Shift towards live videos to show brand
transparency and interactivity, as well as
high quality imagery.
DIGITAL MARKETING STRATEGY, TACTICS, AND CHANNELS

TREND #4: VOICE SEARCH

• Smart devices have created a continued rise in verbal communication.
• More than 40% of adults use voice-based search
• Predicted that 50% of all searches will be voice-to-voice by 2020.
• With voice-recognition assistants, marketers need to rethink this digital
marketing channel to keep up with sophisticated systems that have an
error rate.
• Key challenge is that voice searches display differently than text - a text search
retrieves a long list of options, but a voice search may only hear one choice read out
verbally.
• While a relatively new channel, voice search cannot be ignored because
people are relying on it more than ever before.