Plenty of businesses have a website, an Instagram account and a LinkedIn page, but nobody is quite sure why those channels exist or what they're meant to deliver. Something gets posted when there's time. Occasionally an ad is bought. Six months later it's hard to say what worked.

That doesn't mean you're doing the wrong things. It means there's no plan. A digital strategy is that plan.

What a digital strategy is (and isn't)

A digital strategy isn't a forty-page document that ends up in a binder. It's a short, clear agreement about:

  • what you want to achieve with your digital presence,
  • who you want to reach,
  • what you want them to think and do,
  • and how you'll know whether it's working.

If it fits on one page and everyone in the company can explain it in their own words, it has done its job.

Three signs you need one

  • You do things because you "should". You're on a platform because competitors are, not because your customers are.
  • Your channels say different things. The website sounds one way, Instagram another and your quotes a third.
  • You can't say what an effort delivered. You know you've spent time and money, but not what came out of it.

Five questions that are the whole foundation

Set aside an afternoon, ideally with someone who knows your customers well, and answer these. Write the answers down.

1. What do we want to achieve?

Pick one or two goals you can follow up. "More enquiries through the contact form" is a better goal than "increase our visibility". A goal you can't count can't be evaluated.

2. Who do we want to reach?

Describe a real typical customer, not "everyone over 18". What do they need help with? What are they unsure about before buying? Where do they look for answers?

3. What do we promise, and why should they choose us?

What do you do better or differently? Put it so a customer understands it in ten seconds. It's the basis for everything you write and show, and it's the core of your brand.

4. Which channels fit this?

Choose few and do them properly. If your customers are businesses that look for suppliers through Google or LinkedIn, TikTok may not matter. If you're a local shop, your Google Business Profile may matter more than anything else. Doing three channels well beats doing seven halfway.

5. How do we measure it?

Decide in advance what you'll look at and how often. It might be the number of enquiries, calls from the website, or visits to a particular page. One simple measure you actually follow is better than ten nobody looks at.

Common mistakes

  • Starting with the tools. "We're going to run ads" is a tactic. Strategy is the answer to why and for whom.
  • Being everywhere. Resources spread across every platform aren't enough for any of them.
  • Never following up. A strategy that isn't revisited gets out of date fast. Look at it once a quarter and adjust.
  • Forgetting the website. Social platforms come and go. Your website is the one place you own, and most things should lead there.

How we do it at Incrane

When we start an assignment we follow four steps: we discover (listen and get to know the audience), develop a strategy based on what we find, create design, development and content, and launch and follow up. So strategy comes before design, because it decides what the design has to do. Read more on our digital strategy page.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to make a digital strategy?

A first version can be done in an afternoon using the questions above. A more thorough one, with audience research and channel choices, takes longer. We always tell you what's included before we begin.

Does a small business really need a strategy?

Yes, perhaps especially a small one, since there's less to waste. The strategy just has to be proportionate. One page is plenty.

What's the difference between digital strategy and digital marketing?

Strategy decides what you want to achieve and why. Marketing is what you do to get there: ads, content, social media, SEO.

Want help getting started?

Tell us what you do today and what you want to achieve, and we'll help you see what a sensible first step is. Book a free consultation.