How To Evaluate Strategic Marketing Inititatives

What is the best way to do marketing online?

Email MarketingAccording to The Radicati Group Inc. over one-third of the worldwide population will be using email by the end of 2019. Email is here to stay.Savvy marketers know the value of email marketing, it promises great profit and reach. And consumers themselves actually want to receive email newsletters from brands. In multiple studies conducted by among others Marketing Sherpa or Adobe, email emerges as the most preferred way to receive updates and promotional content.Image source: Creative, marketing and document management solutionsBuilding your own email list should be at the top of your priority list. Email, unlike social media profiles, is a platform you can manage and control yourself. And your email list is something you own and will not be taken away from you because some CEO of one huge social media platform decides to cut the reach of organic posts on his platform’s newsfeed.You can make email marketing profitable in 2018. And I encourage you to read this post and find out how.Content MarketingContent marketing is, according to SmartInsights, the 'engagement' fuel that powers all digital communications from search to social to email marketing to creating website experiences which convert.Businesses will focus in 2018 on effective content production and distribution, it’s their number one priority in effective customer acquisition. The question is:with so much content being produced every minute,and with decreasing online users attention span,What content formats will be the most engaging?“Video will be a much bigger driver of what we’ll do over the next 2-3 years than Messenger and WhatsApp.”– Mark Zuckerberg , July of 2017When planning the elements of your digital strategy, video is a must. Consumers want to see more video content.Influencer MarketingIn the last 5 years alone, TV viewership has fallen by nearly 40%among 18- to 24-year-olds, while time spent on social media platforms has climbed to 1 hour 43 minutes among U.S. internet users.By developing sponsored social media content with today’s most influential digital stars, marketing professionals have found an effective new way to target tech-savvy consumers where they go for entertainment, information, and purchasing advice.A recent study found that 82% of consumers would follow the recommendations of a social media influencer. Social influencers were even considered more trustworthy than average people!Check here how to get started with influencer marketing.

How can you use content marketing strategies to build a community around your customers?

Listen to the consumer. Listen to their questions, concerns, and struggles. As you listen, have conversations with more probing questions.As you start having those discussions, your community will begin to build itself.Remembers, don’t try to sell to the community, rather help, entertain and educate them.When listening to the consumers, also listen not only to what, yet how they are asking it. This will allow you to respond in kind. But remember don’t try to over-do-it or be something you are not. They will see right through you.

How do I start a marketing plan?

Hi there,To write an effective marketing plan, you need discipline, time, and focus.And?You have to be honest. Brutally honest. Find your strengths, your competitive advantage, your target market. Admit your weaknesses.How to create your marketing planI’ve a guide, that will answer your question, and then some – From marketing strategy to marketing plan.It walks you through developing your marketing strategy. Then, I’ll explain the five steps to creating your marketing plan. You’ll find practical and actionable steps, working templates, check lists, real-life examples, and there’s an eBook you can download for free, packed with even more valuable information – Digital Marketing Strategy Guide 2019.Your marketing strategyIf after reading my guide, you create a fantastic marketing strategy, that then sits in your bottom drawer for 12 months, you’ve wasted your time. You have to refer to it on a regular basis. Every time you plan a campaign, launch a new product, work with an influencer.It’s your long term game plan. How you’re going to reach out to your target audience. How you’re going to turn those people into customers. How you’re going to create a winning marketing plan.Your marketing strategy is the foundation on which you’ll build your marketing plan.In my guide, I’ll explain why you need a marketing strategy and how to develop it. Also, how to present it to your bosses.Marketing strategy => marketing plan in 5 stepsI cover five tried and tested steps that will help you create your next marketing plan:Reporting on last year’s marketing planGenerating ideasStrategySetting your goalsPlanning next year’s marketing planYou need to understand your current position, before you can move forward. Reporting on last year’s marketing plan is where you start. You’re looking for what worked and what didn’t. Ask questions. Analyze. Did your customer base shift?Do SWOT and TOWS analysis. Find out what your competitors are doing and whether it’s working.You’ll find brainstorming best practices, finding customer insights with real value. How to create your vision and mission statements, and find your SMART goals.Check out the guide - From marketing strategy to marketing plan. Download the eBook - Digital Marketing Strategy Guide 2019.Only then, will you be fully equipped.

What is the relationship between corporate strategy and functional strategy?

Corporate strategy determines the industries / markets in which the parent organization will compete. In other words, this is the strategy that drives which businesses the corporation will own and why. Part of a sound corporate strategy analysis includes why these businesses are worth more together than apart — why are they owned by the same entity instead of competing independently and in a focused manner.You didn’t mention the Strategic Business Unit (SBU) level strategy. These are the various businesses owned by the parent company. At Disney, for example, there are Theme Parks, TV, Movies, Distribution, Licensing, etc. The Disney corporate strategy includes determining that it should own/operate these businesses. As part of this, Disney buys intellectual property such as Star Wars then requires the SBUs to leverage this asset when they develop their own competitive market strategies.Functional strategy is typically the application of corporate (or SBU) strategy by function — for example, the marketing strategy, operations strategy, R&D strategy, etc., within the SBU. It’s important for these functional strategies to be aligned, working towards a common purpose and not independent of each other. It’s also possible for the parent company to have a functional strategy, especially if all businesses share an umbrella brand.

How do you define the success of content marketing efforts?

Here’s the thing—success means a lot of different things to a lot of different people, even if they belong to the same company.To make sure that all key stakeholders are on the same page when measuring the success or effectiveness of content marketing efforts, it’s very important to set clear goals, targets and metrics even before you start planning and creating a content strategy. Doing so will ensure that you’re able to monitor, assess, and if necessary, revise your content strategy and tactics.It may sound overly-simplistic, but the fastest way to measure the success of your content marketing efforts is by comparing the results to your goals and targets, using the pre-determined metrics agreed upon by all stakeholders.I agree with Eric, if your content marketing campaign met or exceeded its goals and targets according to predetermined metrics, then yes, it is considered successful.When selecting specific metrics to measure the effectiveness of your content marketing initiatives, take care not to rely on so-called “vanity” metrics (such as page views, total downloads, social shares or likes).While these performance metrics can be useful in monitoring engagement, predicting industry trends, or developing a content mix, these fall short in demonstrating content marketing’s contribution to revenue, pipeline and growth.Instead, combine these performance metrics with cost and revenue metrics, which show content’s overall impact on the company’s bottomline. Examples of cost and revenue metrics include production costs per piece, % of pipeline / revenue influenced by content, amount of pipeline / revenue generated by content, and return on investment (ROI).If you’re on the lookout for more insights and updates on the marketing industry, I suggest following some of the top marketing influencers listed in this free eBook.