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.

No comments: