It is important to recognise that planning for digital marketing does not mean starting from scratch. Any digital communication must be consistent with the overall marketing goals and current marketing efforts of your business.

The main components of an digital marketing plan will typically include the following stages:

1. Identify your target audience

If you identify multiple targets, rank them in order of importance so that you can allocate resources accordingly. Profile each target group and understand their requirements and expectations so that you can pitch your costs and benefits at the correct level.

2. Set your objectives

Possible objectives could include awareness raising (of your business or disseminating information about your products or services), entering new markets, launching a new product, focusing on sales (building internet sales of a product or increasing the frequency of sales from regular customers), or internal efficiency (decreasing marketing costs, reducing order-taking and fulfilment costs, or improving customer retention rates).

3. Decide upon the marketing mix

You should choose a mix of digital marketing activities that will help you achieve your objectives and fit with any existing traditional marketing activities you already have planned. For an outline of the range of digital marketing options, see our guide on how to generate business from your digital marketing plan.

4. Agree a budget

Careful budgeting allows you to prevent costs spiralling out of control. By identifying the returns you expect to make from your investment in digital marketing activities you can compare these with the costs in order to develop a cost/benefit analysis.

5. Action planning

Iidentify the tactics for implementing the selected digital marketing activities. The plan should also cover other non-internet marketing activities that are being undertaken.

6. Measure your success

Build in feedback mechanisms and regular reviews to enable you to assess the success of your digital marketing activities, particularly as e-commerce is such a dynamic and fast-changing area.

Please contact us to discuss you digital markting plan and digital marketing strategy.