Chapter
10
Digital marketing plan
Digital marketing planning involves marketing planning within the
context of the online business environment. So, not surprisingly,
the successful digital marketing plan is based on and integrated
with traditional marketing disciplines and planning techniques,
adapted for the digital media environment and then mixed with new
digital marketing communications techniques (which include
listening as much as ‘talking’). This chapter shows you how to
create a comprehensive, integrated Digital marketing plan, based
on the well-established principles of the SOSTAC® Planning
System (Smith, 1996).
1
10.1 Introduction to digital marketing planning
Digital marketing plans must support, and be integrated with, marketing plans and
eventually with business plans.
The 3Ms
• Men (and women) – human
resources
• Money – budgets
• Minutes – timescales and time
horizons for production, delivery,
service, etc.
www.SOSTAC.org
2
10.2 Situation analysis
Situation analysis should
contain a thorough
analysis of…
• Customers
• Competitors
• Partners Competencies
• Performance/ results
• Market trends
3
10.2 Situation analysis
4
10.2 Situation analysis
5
10.2 Situation analysis
6
10.3 Objectives
7
10.3 Objectives
8
10.3 Objectives
9
10.3 Objectives
10
10.3 Objectives
Focus on the Big 4
objectives
The 5Ss objectives
RACE framework
•
•
•
•
Revenue/ sales
Margin/ profit
Customer satisfaction/ loyalty
Brand value/ brand awareness/ brand preference
•
•
•
•
•
Sell
Serve
Speak
Save
Sizzle
•
•
•
•
Reach
Act
Convert
Engage
Marketing objectives
Physical digital action
(sales, market share visits,
click through, conversions)
MarComms objectives
States of mind (awareness
levels, preference levels,
intention to purchase,
satisfaction scores/ NPS
scores)
11
10.4 Strategy
A digital marketing strategy should define the level of resources directed at different channels.
Replacement is most likely to happen when:
Kumar (1999)
•
•
•
•
Customer access to the Internet is high
The Internet can offer a better value proposition than other media
The product can be delivered over the Internet
The product can be standardized
TOPPP SITE
•
•
•
•
•
Target markets
Objectives
Positioning
Processes
Partnership
•
•
•
•
Sequence
Integration
Tactical tools
Engagement
12
10.5 Tactics
Tactics = short term and flexible VS Strategy = longer and more enduring
13
10.5 Tactics
14
10.6 Actions
Produce a project action plan for each tactic
Internal marketing
Risk management
and contingency
planning
Staff motivation
Staff training for new tools and software use
• Brainstorming a list of all the significant things that
could go wrong
• Assessing their impact and likelihood
• Creating contingency plans for the highest impact
and most probable risks
• Continuous review, revising and refining during
campaign execution
• Post-implementation reviews to learn from the
successes and failures of the next project
16
10.7 Control
• KPIs need to be measured
• Who measures what
• How often
• To whom (who takes appropriate actions arising?)
17
10.7 Control
18
10.7 Control
19
10.7 Control
Corrective action
Used to revise strategies and tactics to ensure that the objectives are
achieved.
20
10.7 Control
Corrective action
Used to revise strategies and tactics to ensure that the objectives are
achieved.
21
10.8 The 3Ms resources: Men, Money and Minutes
Men (and women)
Human resource allocation
Outsourcing or insourcing
Money
Calculating the ROI
Minutes
Allowing time for regular and systematic pilot
testing, beta testing and constant split testing
22
Chapter summary
•
Digital marketing must support and be integrated with corporate or business plans and marketing plans. SOSTAC –
Situation Analysis, Objectives and Strategy, Tactics, Actions and Control.
•
Situation analysis – where we are now. It reviews internal resources and digital marketing performance, and
external factors such as customer, competitor and intermediary activity.
•
Objectives – where we want to go. There are several approaches including marketing and MarComms KPIs, the
5Ss, and the Big 4. Objectives must be quantified and checked to ensure they are SMART.
•
Strategy – how do we get there. The key components are TOPPP SITE.
•
Tactics are driven by strategy. They describe the e-tools used and how they will be sequenced through time.
•
Action equals implementation of plans. How can you ensure excellent execution of your plan? Clearly define
processes, systems and even checklists can help. Internal marketing needs to be in your plan and requires
resources.
• Controls gives a feedback loop, starting with monitoring whether the objectives are achieved,
assessing what the problems are and then revising the strategies, tactics and actions as appropriate.
• Resources can be planned through the 3Ms of Men (and women), Money and Minutes.
23