I was watching a video that appeared in my Facebook feed and suddenly realised there was a very clever digital strategy driving it. I had never heard of the company that had posted this video, which meant that they were targeting me. This was the best use of targeted Facebook advertising I had seen. The messaging was perfect; the delivery was earnest and totally on-point. I was so intrigued I went to their website to check out what they offered.

THAT is the foundation of an effective digital strategy. First, they researched and understood my needs and created content focused on solving those problems. Then they created a paid ad using information that would have that content appear in front of their ideal customers.

They didn't just wake up one day and come up with this strategy. It required a great deal of work before they developed a single piece of content. And the fact that their video appeared in my Facebook stream and I opened it meant they had done their research and targeted me. Well, not me specifically, but my demographic.

I was super impressed because this content was ticking all the boxes of a well thought out digital campaign.

Read more: Key components of a digital strategy

So, I went to their website to see how effective they were at continuing this relationship and moving me down their sales funnel. Their website got a little shaky, because they had so many offers. I had to dig my way through their site to find a tie to what had initially driven me there.

I'm not sure many people would have gone that extra mile, and that may have been affecting their results. But I decided to download their pdf guide. Bear in mind, I am now a long way down the rabbit hole and a very long way from what had originally motivated me to take action. It was all starting to get a little loose.

But never say die, I decided to book a call with them. Now, this part of their digital strategy was very good. Before you could book a call you had to fill out a questionnaire that asked some well thought out questions. My answers would give them valuable information about my fears and desires around this topic. So, not only was it market research, my answers als allowed them to prepare for the call and help them close the deal. Very clever!

I then booked a time and received an email confirming my appointment, followed by one inviting me to check out more of their content.

Now that is a fabulous snapshot of a tight, digital strategy.

Read more: Five powerful reasons you need a digital strategy.

The rest of the process will depend on how well they handle the call and relationship building. Yes, closing rates are part of a digital strategy, but from here it's purely sales and relationship building.

I would give them a seven out of ten for this campaign. If they had created a landing page for this promotion, it would have had greater clarity, and I suspect, been more effective.

Now the question becomes, how do you build something like this for your own business, right?

Let me lay it on the line; it isn't something you can outsource. Before you throw your arms in the air and say, 'I can't be bothered.' You need to understand, 50% of the time you spend on your business, will be spent on marketing it. Yikes!

If you don't want to waste time creating content that isn't effective, you better get started on a digital strategy. I hope I've shown you that it's going to be crucial to the success of your business.

And that's where I can help...

Want a digital strategy, but don't know where to start?

I built a step-by-step program where I will personally guide you in developing a digital strategy that will drive your digital marketing and ensure your efforts are focused on growing your business, revenue and impact.

This is a jam-packed masterclass explicitly built to give you everything you need to bring clarity and purpose to your digital marketing.

If this sounds like a solution you need, let's hop on a call to see if your business is a good fit. 

Antonia Grimard

About the author

Hi, I'm Antonia, and I know that through a compelling business strategy and effective messaging, you can inspire people to take action to buy your product or invest in your idea. So getting it right is crucial. My job is to powerfully communicate who you are to your customers, employees and equity partners through a clear business vision.

Whether your business vision includes traditional or digital marketing, I will ensure your message is compelling and clear.