In a recent report surveying 82 Australian marketers it was revealed, “77% of Australian marketers don’t have a digital marketing strategy” – of the lucky few that did, “almost all lacked measureable objectives” and “are under pressure to tackle digital strategically”.

Digital Strategy, at least for us, addresses the whole of the digital channel – it’s the practice of defining digital marketing objectives and determining how to best use the channel to assist you in obtaining measurable business results that positively impacts your bottom line.

Without a digital strategy, major opportunities may be missed and almost certainly more “digital savvy competitors will be eating your lunch”.

To treat digital like other channels is a missed opportunity – sure, there are similarities, but to be successful assisting you to take advantage of the differences is vital.

10 reasons why you may need a digital channel strategy:

1. You’re directionless and without clear strategic goals and outcomes
2. You don’t know your online customers well enough
3. You don’t have a powerful online value proposition for your customers
4. You don’t know your online market share
5. Existing and start-up competitors are gaining market share
6. You’re not agile enough to catch or stay ahead of your competitors
7. You’re not integrated (“disintegrated”) with other marketing channels
8. Digital doesn’t have enough people or budget given it’s importance to your brand
9. You’re not optimising and learning through continuous improvement
10. You’re wasting your budget and time through duplication without return

“External agencies fail to understand digital in the context of their clients’ business.”

Ad agencies still approach digital marketing (let alone strategy) as a last minute advertising or campaign add-on, despite their promises of integration. Digital agencies on the other hand, continue to focus on aesthetic website beauty and ‘cutting edge’ gadgetry – often technology for technology’s sake. True strategy is nowhere to be seen from either agency model regardless of what they boast or preach.

“Australian marketers have difficulty in finding a trusted digital strategist.”

Many so-called digital strategists deliberately mix up strategy and tactics. To dispel some of this misinformation, let’s be clear that digital strategy is not:

• Project management
• Functional specifications
• Email campaigns
• Search and banner advertising
• Content management systems
• Facebook or even Twitter

Of course it takes into account all of the above, and more. It defines the needs of your digital customers and how to most effectively and efficiently engage with them. But most importantly, a digital strategy needs to deliver an uncompromised roadmap on how to invest your budget to maximise return based on your needs – not that of your agency that service and sell based on resourcing availability and internal drivers.