A strategy phase follows the discovery phase but is not required for every project. Its inclusion relies on the project goal statement(s). When we strategize we are generally planning marketing and social media implementation, training and campaigning. Creating a client’s online marketing strategy can also include elements like email marketing, blogging, and other forms of inbound marketing.
In the discovery phase many things are going to be decided, one of them being does the project require online marketing tools, does it include social network integration, does the client have social network accounts, are they using them correctly, do they need training, support or do they want to outsource content creation. The answers to these questions will help our marketing team to formulate a plan for post-launch.
Once the project is built and launched what comes next? Is inbound marketing required, what about ongoing SEO and SEM campaigning, and how do we collect and handle website leads? If we are to be your online marketing partners then we need to strategize, a strategy to using the tools we’re hopefully building for you.
If your brand is already established then we need to discuss with your sales/marketing team what your core messages are, who your target audiences are and what are their profiles, needs and desires. This exercise will give us a brand map outlining prioritized messages with matching audience segments. Your brand map will then help guide all the campaigning, marketing and social networking that will make up the majority of this strategy. If your brand is new we can help you launch it, help you position it, help develop those core messages and brand identity to start to develop your audience and effectively market your products or services.
If the discovery phase is written from a corporate perspective then the strategy is developed from the customer’s point of view. We must intimately know who those customers are. We can’t design campaigns based on personal preferences, rather we must look at what the customer needs and deliver it in a way that not only positions the company top of mind but delivers content, and ultimately products and services, into the hands of customers when they want it and how they want it.
Social media marketing, blogs, SEO, video, podcasts, webinars, whitepapers, infographics, e-newsletters, and other forms of content marketing should all be planned and coordinated for 12 or 24 month stretches. Our marketing team is excellent, knowing how each media type is utilized best, how to sequence coordinated campaigns, how to use each social network and what times and content are best for reaching your target audience.
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