by Ofe Ivharue
The world is fastly becoming digitalized, and familiarizing yourself with the fundamentals of a digital strategy will help you in your business. With more than 80% of internet users using smartphones or some form of tech, having a digitalization plan for your business will keep you updated with the latest trends. It will also give you access to a plethora of digital channels to do business on.
However, without a plan to build on, your digitization efforts can crumble. That is why we created this digitalization guide to help you effectively digitize your business.
This article is the only guide you will need to develop your digital strategy. No matter the industry you are in, you can consider this article a cheat sheet to form the foundation of your digitalization strategy. But first, what exactly is a digital strategy?
A digital strategy is unlike a traditional business strategy that focuses on a long term plan and budget. This is because technology is an ever-evolving field, so creating a business strategy that spans over three years is unrealistic.
So, a digitalization strategy focuses less on a time frame and more on:
A digital strategy is not a one size fits all plan. There are various technology sectors and your strategy should take all of them into consideration. Here are a few scopes your digital strategy should cover:
These are just a few areas your digital strategy should cover. In each area, your strategy should;
The first step in creating your digital strategy is to identify why your organization exists in the first place. This will help you write a spot-on brand story with a strong message.
Next, using the SMART method (Specific, Measureable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-bound) define your digital strategy’s goals.
Knowing your customers, their likes and dislikes is a surefire way to sell your products/services effectively. Creating a buyer persona helps you learn more about your intended consumers and how best to sell to them. Here are the steps in creating your buyer persona:
Mapping out your consumers’ journey will help you better understand how they interact with your business. Here are a few questions you should be asking:
This next step references back to the scope we mentioned earlier. You only need to be on the digital platforms relevant to your brand. Therefore, do your research and find out where your target market is. Then, make sure your strategy focuses on those channels.
Creating your content strategy is a significant step in your digitalization strategy. Content is king, and by creating a plan to engage and convert your potential consumers on the critical channels identified in step five, you are ensuring you get your desired results.
A few tips in creating your content strategy:
Next, create a detailed plan on how you intend to use your available resources in your digitalization strategy. Resources like time, money, human resources, and others are crucial to the success of your plan. Creating a detailed plan on how you intend to use said resources would infuse clarity in your plan.
Finally, you need to use the data you will get once you execute your digitalization strategy to measure. Go through your goals and measure how well you achieved them. Then, recycle this data to create an even more effective strategy for your brand.
In conclusion
This guide is a step by step process, so following it as such will ensure you are on track to creating an effective digitized strategy for your brand. Remember, a plan is essential for any success. Creating a digitalization plan will ensure your business sees positive results.