Joining The DotsAchieving a successful

integrated digital strategy

Tracey Brown• 15 years working in online• Client side:

– Westpac eBusiness– Schroders– Vodafone Group

• Agency side:– XT3– Co-founded Tipping Point

• Digital Strategy, Content Management, Email Marketing, UX, Social Media Strategy

• Co-founded eMarketingConnected in 2011– Web, social media, email marketing, mobile– Services, training & member-based website for online

marketers (case studies, industry research, best practice information)

Joining the Dots• Overview

• Strategic Planning

• Getting Buy-in

• Implementing your Strategy

• Measuring the results

Overview• The challenges of delivering a co-ordinated digital strategy• Complexity of business, the organisation itself can be a lot to overcome• Add in the complexity of digital channels, and technical difficulties as

well as fast pace of change – there’s a lot to consider• Working out where digital ‘fits’ in the organisation can differ, depending

on the nature of business, departments involved etc• The strategy will be a living document• Following tips are based on my experience in digital over 15 years

Strategic Planning: Aligning Digital with Business Objectives

Business Objective Digital Objective Metrics

Reduce Costs Increase customer service online (as a cheaper alternative to call centre)

Volume of queries resolved online

Create differentiated brand experience

Engage customers online through lifecycle

Increased interactions in online vs offline channels

Increase sales volume Online contribution to revenue per product

Sales volume, sales conversion rates, average order value

• Business Objectives and Digital Objectives need to be aligned to make sure the Digital Strategy will get support and deliver to the business

• Understand how they relate to each other - understand the importance of Digital to the business and how to prioritise components of Digital strategy

Strategic Planning: Aligning Digital with Business Objectives

Business Objective Digital Objective Metrics

Reduce Costs Increase customer service online (as a cheaper alternative to call centre)

Volume of queries resolved online

Create differentiated brand experience

Engage customers online through lifecycle

Increased interactions in online vs offline channels

Increase sales volume Online contribution to revenue per product

Sales volume, sales conversion rates, average order value

• Business Objectives and Digital Objectives need to be aligned to make sure the Digital Strategy will get support and deliver to the business

• Understand how they relate to each other - understand the importance of Digital to the business and how to prioritise components of Digital strategyTips:

Look for a Digital objective that correlates to each business objective

Outline the link – how the business needs Digital in order to deliver the overall objectives (helps you at budget time!)

Start thinking about how to measure the objectives - KPI setting and what metrics will need to be tracked

Strategic Planning: Consider Strategy Holistically before looking at ‘Channels’• What are the business goals• Where does Digital support those

goals• What are the strengths of each

channel - awareness, direct sales, re-activation.

• What are the component parts - Email, social media, website,

advertising, search

• Who owns what (and is that clear?)

• How can the channels work together?

Strategic Planning: Consider Strategy Holistically before looking at ‘Channels’• What are the business goals• Where does Digital support those

goals• What are the strengths of each

channel - awareness, direct sales, re-activation.

• What are the component parts - Email, social media, website,

advertising, search

• Who owns what (and is that clear?)

• How can the channels work together?

Tips: Map your objectives before looking at channels

Understand the strengths of channelsBe clear on who owns each channel – remove ambiguity and agree

ownership, as well as rules for contacting customersBe clear on how your strategy will be determined a success – what

will you measure, how will you attribute activity

Strategic Planning: Understand your business in a local/global landscape

Look at your competitors – global/local in specific areas eg - Website- Social Media- Email Marketing

Determine where you compare to them

Look for research/insights

Understand your organisational capability/readiness

Use a framework to pull this together

Strategic Planning: Understand your business in a local/global landscape

Look at your competitors – global/local in specific areas: - Website- Social Media- Email Marketing

Determine where you compare to them

Look for research/insights

Understand your organisational capability/readiness

Use a framework to pull this together

Tips: Define the core areas you’re interested in understanding – focus

on areas that are important eg social media, email marketingLook at competitors

Look at yourself – compare the results to your own capabilitiesLook for formal research (to backup your plans)

Take your managers through the journey

Getting Buy-in: Stakeholder Engagement

• Identify the ‘right’ stakeholders – may be people you don’t immediately expect

• Think about the competing priorities and objectives• Understand where the conflicts and overlapping activities might

be – eg multiple depts wanting to email the same customers

• Your stakeholders can champion your Digital cause throughout the organisation

• Having eyes and ears in other areas of the business helps you become more aware.– eg an HR committee working on a new recruitment portal might not think to

include you, but your HR stakeholders should

Getting Buy-in: Stakeholder Engagement

• Identify the ‘right’ stakeholders – may be people you don’t immediately expect

• Think about the competing priorities and objectives• Understand where the conflicts and overlapping activities might

be – eg multiple depts wanting to email the same customers

• Your stakeholders can champion your Digital cause throughout the organisation

• Having eyes and ears in other areas of the business helps you become more aware.– eg an HR committee working on a new recruitment portal might not think to

include you, but your HR stakeholders should

Tips: Spend time developing a stakeholder map

Make time to speak to stakeholders regularlyStructure meetings with them and consider formalised structures

eg a working party, a Digital steering committeeDon’t forget technology and finance are important stakeholders

Getting Buy-in: Budget Planning & Allocation• Your budget will never seem enough – a big part of your success can be

influencing others to spend their budget online• Think about those stakeholders and who wanted to “own” elements of

digital– They might need to co-fund some items

• Be clear about the link between budget and objectives– If you have to sacrifice budget be clear what deliverables will be impacted

Getting Buy-in: Budget Planning & Allocation• Your budget will never seem enough – a big part of your success can be

influencing others to spend their budget online• Think about those stakeholders and who wanted to “own” elements of

digital– They might need to co-fund some items

• Be clear about the link between budget and objectives– If you have to sacrifice budget be clear what deliverables will be impacted

Tips: Cost the components of the desired digital strategy

Influence others to spend budget onlineBe aware of what you will have to compromise if your budget is

trimmedTrack your budget carefully & expect to revisit budget at any time

during the yearMake sure you’ve included all elements eg creative, email

deployment, hosting fees

Strategic Planning: Create & Deliver the Strategy• Outline the goals• Outline the approach• Assign ownership, dependencies• Get signoff• Communicate the strategy to the business

Strategic Planning: Create & Deliver the Strategy• Outline the goals• Outline the approach• Assign ownership, dependencies• Get signoff• Communicate the strategy to the business

Tips: Create a document that defines the strategy

Be clear how it will be measuredBe clear on ownership

Communicate the strategy to the businessSell the vision

Implementing Your Strategy – Making Action Plans

• Planning for success – be pragmatic and structured• Priorities and timeframes need to be clear• Raise awareness of dependencies, particularly if you are downstream

of projects outside your control • Be aware of other Roadmaps within the organisation, particularly

Technology

Implementing Your Strategy – Making Action Plans

• Planning for success – be pragmatic and structured• Priorities and timeframes need to be clear• Raise awareness of dependencies, particularly if you are downstream

of projects outside your control • Be aware of other Roadmaps within the organisation, particularly

Technology

Tips: Ensure you are aware of other projects, interdependencies

Make sure you have visibility of status of other projectsClearly communicate status of your projects and how this

impacts the strategy

Implementing your Strategy: Engaging Suppliers• Depending on complexity you might require an RFP/I/Q

– Can be difficult & challenging

• Put measures in place to ensure a transparent relationship. Make your expectations clear

• Share KPI’s/business objectives eg increase online sales, so the vendor knows what you are being measured on

• Raise and manage any issues proactively

Implementing your Strategy: Engaging Suppliers• Depending on complexity you might require an RFP/I/Q

– Can be difficult & challenging

• Put measures in place to ensure a transparent relationship. Make your expectations clear

• Share KPI’s/business objectives eg increase online sales, so the vendor knows what you are being measured on

• Raise and manage any issues proactively

Tips: Get support for RFI/P/Q

Make your expectations clear, document themShare the vision – help them know where their product/service fits

into the overall goalsPut regular reviews in place eg monthly meeting and annual

performance reviewsMeet and document agreed actions, particularly if any issues

Create issues logs for ongoing issue management

Implementing your Strategy: Tools

• Many tools to consider, remember to consider the strengths of each and how it relates to the strategy & objectives

• Some tools combine multiple platforms eg email marketing tools that also allow social media monitoring & management & have embedded analytics – can be costly

• Dedicated tools are likely to have deeper capabilities

• Getting tools to work together is challenge, but you can also over-complicate things by trying to get tools that do ‘everything’

Implementing your Strategy: Tools

• Many tools to consider, remember to consider the strengths of each and how it relates to the strategy & objectives

• Some tools combine multiple platforms eg email marketing tools that also allow social media monitoring & management & have embedded analytics – can be costly

• Dedicated tools are likely to have deeper capabilities

• Getting tools to work together is challenge, but you can also over-complicate things by trying to get tools that do ‘everything’

Tips: Define the business requirements before looking at available tools

– otherwise you risk comparing tools rather than seeing what matches your requirement

Be clear on what you can afford to compromise – don’t compromise on things that are key to the strategy

Implementing your Strategy: Processes and Structures

• Processes & structures are important (if not glamorous)• Are there limitations in processes or structure that hinder your ability to

deliver the strategy?• Look at key areas of your digital strategy eg how long does it take to add

pages to sites, deploy email campaigns?• If these processes take longer than desired, that is an obstacle to a

successful strategy.

Implementing your Strategy: Processes and Structures

• Processes & structures are important (if not glamorous)• Are there limitations in processes or structure that hinder your ability to

deliver the strategy?• Look at key areas of your digital strategy eg how long does it take to add

pages to sites, deploy email campaigns?• If these processes take longer than desired, that is an obstacle to a

successful strategy.

Tips: Document processes – focus on any you suspect are problem areas

eg time to deploy a campaign, time to create a templateAssign ownership and timeframes to each step

Implementing your Strategy: Competence Development

• Common to find areas that need to increase awareness and competence in Digital

• Could be specific training, coaching

• Maybe opportunities to increase management awareness of digital strategy or areas of opportunity

Implementing your Strategy: Competence Development

• Common to find areas that need to increase awareness and competence in Digital

• Could be specific training, coaching

• Maybe opportunities to increase management awareness of digital strategy or areas of opportunity

Tips: Look at your own team, and yourself – any areas that need

training/coachingLook for innovative ways to make others in the business interested

in Digital – eg Learning LunchesRaise your own personal brand – become the ‘go to’ person about

anything Digital

Measurement and Optimisation: Setting metrics & measurement

• Online is one of the most measurable areas of marketing• Metrics will be determined by the business & online objectives• Set clear KPI’s and put regular reporting in place• What matters to you will be different from what matters to management• Metrics might be coming from other areas of the business

Measurement and Optimisation: Setting metrics & measurement

• Online is one of the most measurable areas of marketing• Metrics will be determined by the business & online objectives• Set clear KPI’s and put regular reporting in place• What matters to you will be different from what matters to management• Metrics might be coming from other areas of the business

Tips: Clear KPI’s as part of the Strategy

Make sure you have metrics included for everything you want to measure

Engage with other stakeholders if you need their numbers to make the overall picture

Right level of detail for the audience

Measurement and Optimisation: Reporting Success (and Challenges)

• Many systems can auto-send reports to stakeholders or provide dashboards

• Unlikely to read them unless there’s a business impact to them• Look for a way to update in person eg a brekky meeting once a month• Don’t forget to include what’s not working – some of your stakeholders

might have ideas on new approaches

Measurement and Optimisation: Reporting Success (and Challenges)

• Many systems can auto-send reports to stakeholders or provide dashboards

• Unlikely to read them unless there’s a business impact to them• Look for a way to update in person eg a brekky meeting once a month• Don’t forget to include what’s not working – some of your stakeholders

might have ideas on new approaches

Tips: Look for the insights – numbers on their own are meaningless

Find a way to share the information in a meaningful way – not just emailing a report each month

Share the results with interested stakeholders

Measurement and Optimisation: Finding time for Optimisation

• Look for insights that can inform the next iteration of the strategy• Look for ways to quickly and pragmatically prove/disprove theories• Biggest challenge of online – finding time to analyse & optimise• Static content and strategy can be the safe option, but finding the right

mix for your audience is the real insightful stuff – tapping into what works for your audience will deliver the real business benefits.

Measurement and Optimisation: Finding time for Optimisation

• Look for insights that can inform the next iteration of the strategy• Look for ways to quickly and pragmatically prove/disprove theories• Biggest challenge of online – finding time to analyse & optimise• Static content and strategy can be the safe option, but finding the right

mix for your audience is the real insightful stuff – tapping into what works for your audience will deliver the real business benefits.

Tips: Capture the data, analyse, optimise

Build time for analysis & optimisation into everything you doPlan for analysis & optimisation, including how, when and why

Find the insights on why optimisation has increased business benefits & share that to your engaged stakeholders

1. Align Digital Strategy with overall business strategy and objectives

2. Engage stakeholders; get buy-in, get budget, get going3. Measure, analyse & optimise

Always keep sharing, keep talking and become the Digital champion of your business

Wrap up

Keep in touchWeb: www.eMarketingConnected.com.au Email: tracey.brown@emarketingconnected.com.auPhone: 1300 366 385

http://au.linkedin.com/in/traceylbrown

@traceybrown74

www.facebook.com/pages/EMarketingConnected/