When it comes to developing a company's reputation, the world of digital seems inescapable. Spoiler Alert: it is! Indeed, a strong presence on the Internet has become essential for any company wishing to grow and reach a wider audience. But what exactly is a digital strategy? How can you optimize your digital presence? How do you implement an effective digital strategy tailored to your business? That's what we're going to look at together in this article.
Digital strategy - Definition
Digital strategy covers all the actions taken on the Internet to develop your business. It can encompass various aspects such as :
- website ;
- social networks ;
- influencer marketing
- press relations
- online advertising
- search engine optimization (SEO);
- and much more.
Every organization has its own digital strategy. In fact, depending on the sector of activity, objectives and available resources, the company can define a precise strategy adapted to its evolution. Keep in mind that an effective digital strategy includes objectives, performance indicators and the resources needed to implement this vision.
Analysis of current digital presence
Before implementing a digital strategy, it’s essential to analyze your company’s digital presence. This enables us to determine its strengths and weaknesses, so that we can adapt our strategy in the most appropriate direction.
Evaluating your website
The website is often the first point of contact between a company and its potential customers. So it’s essential to assess the quality of your site. Is it easy to navigate? Is the information clear and precise? Is it adapted to the needs of its customers?
The website is the cornerstone of your digital strategy. Traffic generated by all means of communication redirects to the site’s pages. If it’s not up to scratch, it’s imperative to revise it to offer visitors a quality experience. These tips also apply to mobile applications.
Social network analysis
Social networks are a powerful tool for developing your online visibility.
To define relevant objectives, start by analyzing your presence on the various channels. Then ask yourself a few questions:
- Which social networks are best suited to your business?
- How do you interact with your audience?
- If you already publish content on social networks, is it optimized for each platform?
B2B companies generally turn to platforms such as LinkedIn or Twitter.
B2C companies, on the other hand, prefer Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest or TikTok, depending on their target audience.
Create a relevant and effective digital strategy
Once you’ve analyzed your current digital presence, it’s time to develop a personalized digital strategy tailored to your company’s objectives. A common mistake is to think directly in terms of means of communication, without setting objectives or performance indicators.
Definition of objectives and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Before you start implementing your digital strategy, it’s important to determine what your objectives are.
Do you want to increase your online visibility? Generate more leads? Sell more products on your website?
By clearly defining your objectives, you can put in place the right strategy to achieve them.
It’s also important to bear in mind that your objectives may change over time, depending on the results you achieve.
Regularly measure the performance of your digital strategy and adjust your approach accordingly. To do this, note the key KPIs that demonstrate whether or not your objectives are being met.
For lead generation, this could be your conversion rate, number of visitors to your capture page, click-through rate, or other parameters depending on your business and sales funnel.
Define your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP)
Your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP), also known as persona or customer avatar, is the description of the perfect customer for your company.
These are the people most likely to buy your products, remain loyal to your company and promote it to their friends and family.
Creating your KPI could require an entire article. In short, the key points for creating your own are :
- geographical and socio-demographic data (age, gender, place of residence, socio-professional category, place of work…) ;
- the emotional aspect (your prospect’s state before buying your product, their precise needs, how they experience the situation you’re solving with your products or services…);
- their means of communication (what networks are they present on, do they use Google to search for answers or social media instead, do they belong to communities…)
their budget; - their level of awareness (do they know your solution, your brand, do they know how to put into words the problem you’re solving…).
Some start-ups print out their personas and display them around the company premises, so that they always keep in mind who they’re talking to. Define one or two KPIs before moving on to the next step.
Choice of communication channels
The choice of communication channels is crucial to an effective digital strategy. Based on your KPI and objectives defined beforehand, determine which channels are best suited to your company and your audience. For example, if you’re targeting a rather young audience, social networks like TikTok or SnapChat will surely be a preferred channel.
We’re only talking about inbound marketing here, since it’s the best way to establish an online presence. But you can also opt for a digital marketing, marketing automation or online prospecting strategy if this suits your business and your KPI.
Creating content tailored to your audience
Once your digital communication strategy is in place, it’s time to create content and set up the communication system.
Adapt the volume of content to your objectives and the platforms you choose.
To improve your productivity, consider recycling your content: use the same publications in a different format (carousel, video, post text, newsletter) or with new hooks.
Conclusion
In short, digital strategy is the means by which you establish your online presence. To create your overall strategy, start by attesting to your current performance and then create a KPI. From this customer avatar, you select the most appropriate means of communication to achieve your objectives.
