Here are five simple steps you can use to start developing your digital strategy. They are easy to implement and shouldn't be too overwhelming. But if you feel like you need some help creating a kick-ass digital strategy fast, I have a solution for you at the end of this article.

1. Focus on being customer-centric

It doesn't matter what you produce or the service you supply; you need to know that what you offer actually meets your customer's needs. You need to know your solution delivers what they want or solves their problem. So how do you do that? You ask them. 

Reach out to them through surveys, personal emails, but best of all, call them. I did this recently, and it changed how I looked at my services. It revealed a massive change in my client's needs and left me what I could do about it. It took me a little while to figure out how I would do it, but once I did, it revitalised my business and gave me a greater sense of purpose.

It also gave me a better understanding of my ideal client's needs so that I could be more effective when I started reaching out to them.

2. Be clear about who you are

Every time you go online, brands bombard you with their messages. A study back in 2014 said it was around 3000-20,000 every day. I can't imagine what that number would be today. But let's just say it has to be a ton more! Out of that brand overload, around 12 leave an impression.

To compete, you will need to be crystal clear about your brand story and state it so that your audience gets it and it resonates with them. Once you know your customers, I promise you, the rest of your strategy becomes a doddle.

Take a look at GoPro's brand story – to inspire their users to appreciate all of life's adventures and live in the moment.

They knew their customer's wants and needs and very clearly addressed that in their brand's promise.

If you have a clear brand promise, you will be memorable. And that's your goal.

3. What is your goal?

What would you say if I were to ask you what your top three objectives were for your business? 

Do you want to grow revenue by 20% to decrease production costs and improve the manufacturing process?

All great objectives, but how are you going to achieve them through digital marketing? 

You will need to develop specific goals like driving 2,000 people to your website, get 500 clients on calls, or grow your email database to 10,000. Those clear goals will then allow you to measure whether your clever digital marketing campaign delivered results.

That means you will need to base your objectives on clear, measurable and time-driven goals. Then, if you aren't meeting your goals in the time you allotted, you know you will have to tweak your digital marketing to achieve your goals.

4. Picking your battles

It's time to pick which platforms your clients are hanging out on. It seems pretty obvious that if you have a mature client, you wouldn't be posting content to Snapchat. So only target the platforms where they hang out, but make sure you monitor which platforms bring the best results. If one isn't delivering results, drop it and put your energy into the others.

5. Content needs to be king

Gone are the days that you post whatever you want. That's the kind of digital chaos that will ensure you don't get results.

What you need to do is post content that will interest your ideal customer. That's why knowing your customers is so very, very important. Next, you need to make sure all your content should creatively meet their needs and interests. After that, it's a simple task to post quality content consistently and measure your results against your goals.

There you have it, your top five steps to creating a digital strategy for your business.

If you want 2022 to be bigger and better, then it's time to harness your digital chaos and make it work for you.