Module 5: Planning
Connect
1. Answer the following question:
How many KPIs do you think should be accountable for the success of any given digital marketing campaign?
a. 1
b. 2
c. 3
d. 4
e. 5
f. None, wing it!
2. Check your answer: Module 5: Answer, opens in a new tab
Learning Materials
By the end of this module, you should be able to:
• evaluate business objectives to determine a strategic focus,
• identify key performance indicators and conversions for a digital strategy and
• identify the resource requirements to execute a digital strategy.
Planning
The course textbook covers effective planning processes and systems as it relates to digital strategy. Make sure you review Figure 4.1 because it provides an excellent high-level overview of the planning process and it will serve as a visual guide while you are reading about each stage of the planning process.
Study
• Digital Marketing Strategy: An Integrated Approach to Online Marketing
Read Chapter 07: Planning your digital marketing strategy – Objectives, teams and budgeting (24 pages, pp. 95-118)
Business Goals and Objective Setting
A company’s business goals are at the highest level of strategy formation and should not be ignored in the process of defining a digital strategy (Kingsnorth, 2016). If you choose the wrong mix of campaign types that do not support a business’s overall goals, then that will create a misalignment in goals. Furthermore, objectives must tie to the overall business goals to allow for successful implementation.
Study
• Business Goals and Objective Setting, opens in a new tab (2 pages)
• 7 Popular Goal-Setting Strategies That Will Help You Achieve Great Things on Social Media, opens in a new tab (15 pages)
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and Measurement
KPIs and the way they are measured will define the future success of your digital marketing campaigns. Therefore, aligning business objectives and campaign objectives with KPIs and measurement will be the building blocks for a successful digital strategy.
Study
• KPIs and Measurement, opens in a new tab (2 pages)
• KPI Examples and Templates, opens in a new tab (6 pages)
Budget and Resource Requirements
In order to plan your digital marketing campaign, you need to allocate the correct amount of resources (i.e. both people and financial) to achieve your objectives. Most underestimate the amount of money required and underestimate the amount of specialization needed to create an effective digital marketing campaign. The diversity of skills is key because of the numerous tasks required to come together to form an effective digital marketing campaign.
Study
• Budget and Resource Requirements, opens in a new tab (2 pages)
Practice
This practice activity is an opportunity for you to reflect on the objectives that you created in your business profile assignment.
Consider the following questions as you review your objectives:
• Is there a strong connection between your business objectives and campaign objectives?
• Based on what you know now, would you change your objectives? If so, how would they change? Rewrite your answers for your own reflection.