MD

Digital Marketing Fudamentals: (Video 3) Strategy Implementation – Four-Step Note Set

Step 1 – Build Buyer Personas

  • Why it is first:
    • Every digital marketing decision must align with who you are trying to reach; otherwise, later steps drift off-course.
  • Definition
    • Buyer persona = semi-fictional portrait of an ideal customer, built from real research, surveys, interviews.
    • Must be grounded in data, not personal guesses, because wrong assumptions → wrong strategy direction.
  • Whom to research
    • Current customers (paying users, brand advocates).
    • Prospects already in your pipeline.
    • People outside your database but demographically/psychographically similar to targets.
  • Recommended tools & resources
    • Map My Persona (interactive web page) – quick, beginner-friendly generator from HubSpot.
    • HubSpot Persona Template – spreadsheet/worksheet to consolidate persona research for experienced teams.
    • HubSpot Buyer Persona Tool (in-app) – store, update, and share personas directly inside your marketing hub.
  • Data to collect (examples)
    • Demographics, firmographics, job role, pain points, goals, preferred content formats, decision triggers, objections.
    • Channel preferences (social platforms, email vs. SMS, etc.).
  • Significance
    • Sets messaging tone, content formats, channel mix, budget priorities, and UX decisions for every subsequent step.

Step 2 – Identify Marketing Goals & Required Tools

  • Golden rule: every marketing goal must tie directly to a business goal.
    • Ex: Business aims to raise online revenue by 20\% → Marketing could target 50\% more website leads.
  • SMART criteria implied
    • Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-bound.
  • Goal-setting aids
    • HubSpot Marketing Plan Template – annual high-level roadmap (priorities, initiatives, KPIs).
    • Inbound Goal Calculator (editable PDF) – used by HubSpot consultants to convert qualitative aims into quantitative targets.
  • Evaluating digital marketing tools before purchase
    • User Interface (UI)
    • Ask for a live demo; “intuitive” on marketing copy ≠ intuitive for you.
    • Features & Native Integrations
    • Check that the tool solves your specific use-cases and plugs into your existing tech stack (CRM, CMS, ad platforms).
    • Customer Support
    • Systems break; assess help channels (chat, phone, ticket SLA, dedicated rep).
    • Learning Resources
    • Presence of knowledge base, guides, how-to videos, webinars speeds onboarding & advanced usage.
    • User Base & Reviews
    • Seek case studies, testimonials, third-party review sites to see how peers achieve ROI.
  • Practical implication
    • Picking the wrong platform locks you into sunk costs and process friction; rigorous evaluation prevents that.

Step 3 – Evaluate Existing Digital Channels & Assets

  • Use the Owned / Earned / Paid Media Framework to avoid overwhelm.

Owned Media

  • Assets you fully control: website, blog, landing pages, email list, proprietary imagery, social profiles, off-site guest posts hosted on platforms like Medium that you authored.

Earned Media

  • Third-party exposure gained via word-of-mouth: PR placements, guest articles, influencer shout-outs, customer reviews, organic shares.

Paid Media

  • Any channel you pay for visibility: Google Ads, paid social, native advertising, sponsorships.

How the three interact (illustrative mini-case)

  • Owned: Lead-gen landing page.
  • Earned: Make page shareable → audience disseminates → traffic spike.
  • Paid: Boost the page via Facebook ads for additional reach.
  • Synergy not mandatory; choose mixes that serve goals (e.g., strong owned+earned may eliminate need for paid).

Audit process (for each media type)

  • List all existing assets per category.
  • For each item, pull performance metrics that map to your current goals.
    • Example metrics: leads, MQLs, sessions, conversion rate, CAC, ROAS.
  • Rank from most → least effective.
    • Tools: HubSpot Analytics, Google Analytics, ad platform dashboards.
  • Decision paths
    • Keep, refine, repurpose, or retire.
  • Gap detection: identify missing content/channel types relative to persona pain points.

Step 4 – Plan Your Campaigns & Content

  • Core principle: Content is the engine that converts visitors → leads → customers while simultaneously boosting SEO.

4-Step micro-workflow

  1. Perform a Content Audit (owned assets)
    • Inventory every blog post, ebook, webinar, video, landing page, etc.
    • Rank by past KPI performance (e.g., which items generated the most leads in the last year).
  2. Analyze Earned Media impact
    • Determine which guest posts, PR hits, influencer mentions drove qualified traffic/leads.
  3. Audit Paid Media efficiency
    • Assess spend vs. results on each platform; decide to continue, tweak, or halt.
  4. Map Gaps & Draft Content Creation Plan
    • Example: Math tutoring firm discovers no asset on “effective study techniques,” a top persona pain point → create new ebook.

Content Creation Plan – mandatory columns

  • Title/working title.
  • Format (blog, video, podcast, ebook, webinar, infographic, etc.).
  • Goal/KPI it supports (lead gen, MQLs, sales enablement, retention).
  • Promotional channels (owned, earned, paid specifics).
  • Rationale (why this piece matters, persona pain point it solves).
  • Priority (high/med/low) & timeline.
  • Budget (if outsourcing) or internal time estimate.
  • Hosting & SEO notes (keywords, metadata, interlinking targets).

Execution tips

  • Spreadsheet is sufficient; more advanced teams may use project-management tools (Asana, Trello, Monday.com).
  • Keep persona insight visible in the plan to ensure relevance.
  • Re-use high-performing formats (e.g., if ebooks on certain landing pages convert better than webinars, double down).

Ethical, Philosophical & Practical Touchpoints

  • Ethical use of data: build personas from consented information; respect privacy laws (GDPR, CCPA).
  • Continuous improvement mindset: audits are not one-off; schedule regular cadences (quarterly) to re-evaluate.
  • Technology ≠ strategy: fancy automation without clear goals or personas equals wasted budget.
  • Word-of-mouth power: Earned media often delivers higher trust; cultivate genuine customer experiences.
  • Lean experimentation: Don’t abandon new ideas merely because they lack history; test small, measure, scale if effective.

Numerical & Statistical References (LaTeX formatted)

  • Number of implementation steps: 4.
  • Example business goal uplift: 20\% online revenue increase.
  • Corresponding marketing lead goal: 50\% more website leads.

Key Takeaways Recap

  • Implementation framework: 1) Build personas → 2) Set goals & select tools → 3) Audit owned/earned/paid assets → 4) Plan content campaigns.
  • Content mix usually involves all three media types; success depends on auditing each before launching new work.
  • Supplementary resources (templates, calculators, persona generators) are available in the lesson’s resource tab.