Steps for Implementing an Online Marketing Strategy

I’m very organized most of the time- not always, but my partner calls me the ‘keeper of all things’. I like knowing where all my stuff is and how to get at the small things at the back of the cupboard.

At work, I’m positive that I annoy most of my co-workers with my need to know everything. It’s not that I want to control everything or everyone- it’s just that I feel lost not knowing the bigger picture and it’s through the organization of the smaller things that I’m able to stay focused.

At home, if I want to try a new recipe from my favourite cookbook I don’t want to spend 20 minutes hunting for all the ingredients. I have a designated place for everything. All of my baking tools are in one drawer with all of the ingredients I use to bake.

Professionally, I apply the same principles to organizing strategies for my clients.

Here’s my list of actions and steps to keep a new project on-time and orderly. I strongly encourage you to leave a comment if you think I’ve missed anything or failed to explain something. I also encourage you to share this with anyone who might find it helpful.


Interview the client to obtain:

• What are the business objectives?
• What is the USP (unique selling proposition)?
• What is the marketing budget (on-going and current)?

Research category to define:

• Who are the direct competitors (online and offline)?
• Are there any gaps in the market?
• Are there any potential partners? (Cross promotions, affiliates, add-on services)
• What is the best brand positioning strategy?
• What are the top 40 search terms?
• What available digital technology compliments the product/service?

Outline a project strategy to define:

• Best method to achieve business goals.
• Online brand positioning tactics.
• Cost of acquisition via online promotion(s). (On-going, seasonal, special offers)

Content inventory assessment to define:

• Is there enough call to action messages?
• Are the calls to action messages strong enough and clear?
• Are Images rotated and updated on a regular basis?
• Is there a unique message for returning site visitors?
• Can the sitemap be improved to increase traffic (SEO)?
• Do people know what to do on the site? (Are the conversion paths smoothly transitioning the user through the flow?)

Work allocation to ensure:

• Developer(s) understand what needs to be built and /or improved.
• Designer is clear about the direction of the brand positioning.
• Promotions are scheduled and prepared well in advance.
• Copy is given a “fresh coat of paint” by a professional copy-writer.

On-going Analysis to obtain:

• Report on performance translated into action (are people doing what we expected, is the number of conversions increasing?)
• Explain the trends (annotate data with the wisdom that explains the results).

Another great idea when developing an online marketing strategy is to look at previous examples, 6 Lessons We Can Learn From Barack Obama’s Online Marketing Strategy.