The digital marketing sphere is dynamic and ever changing. The advent of social media, mobile platforms and the traditional web have all created new opportunities for companies looking to reach customers online. It’s not surprising that new tools and metrics are emerging daily. With so many tools competing for your attention and trying to shape your strategy, it’s extremely helpful for every digital marketer to have a framework in place to use as a guide for planning.
In this blog, we explore three key fundamental digital marketing frameworks every business should follow for effective campaign planning. First, let’s look into what a digital marketing strategy framework is.
What is a digital marketing strategy framework?
A digital marketing strategy framework is a comprehensive plan that outlines how a business uses different types of technology to achieve its goals. It’s a system that helps companies develop ways to use digital technologies to compete, innovate, and grow. This is especially crucial in an era where technology is fast changing. Below are three key digital marketing frameworks you can apply to your strategy.
1. RACE Planning Framework
The RACE planning framework is centred on growing customers’ engagement with your brand across four key stages: Reach, Act, Convert, and Engage. Together, these form an acronym (R-A-C-E) that gives marketers a helpful way to think about the entire customer life cycle and how they can grow it over time. Let’s look at each stage in more detail.
Reach
The first stage of the RACE planning framework is about expanding your presence and making your brand known to more people. You can accomplish this by optimising your website for various search results, engaging on social media, or leveraging advertising or paid promotion for example.
Act
The second stage is where you want your audience to do something that will drive them further into your marketing funnel. You’ll focus on getting people to perform specific actions related to your brand and goals. This could be anything from signing up to your newsletter to clicking through to a specific landing page.
Convert
This stage is where you focus on trying to get people to become paying customers or leads. You can achieve this through various means including offering free trials of your products or services, sharing discounts, and any other types of offers.
Engage
The final step of the RACE planning framework involves nurturing the loyalty among your existing customers and to encourage repeat purchases. You want your customers to keep coming back for more instead of leaving for a competitor’s offer.
2. Marketing Funnel Framework
The marketing funnel framework is one of the most common digital marketing strategy frameworks. It’s a great way to illustrate the path a potential customer takes from being unaware of your products or services, to making a purchase. The marketing funnel consists of four levels: Awareness, Interest, Consideration, and Action. Here’s a breakdown of each level.
Awareness
The first step in the marketing funnel framework is awareness – the consumer becomes aware of your product or service. Usually, this occurs when they are exposed to an online ad about your offering, so it’s a good idea to utilise paid ads or a social media campaign to spread as much awareness as you can.
Interest
After the consumer becomes aware of your products or services, they start to develop an interest in it. This might happen by reading more detailed information about your offering on your website or by visiting your social media pages and commenting on your company’s posts. It’s important to keep engaging with them at this point so you don’t lose their attention!
Consideration
The consideration stage is when your prospects start considering their options with regard to solving their problem. They’ve narrowed down their options to a few companies and are now deciding which one will best meet their needs and solve their problems. Your job here is to convince them that you’re the best choice among their options.
Action
In the final stage of the marketing funnel framework, your prospects have decided that you are their best option for solving their problem, and now it’s time for them to make a purchase or sign up for your services.
3. Flywheel Model Framework
The flywheel model framework is an excellent framework for those just getting started with digital marketing. It helps marketers with planning by focusing on the customer experience beyond the point of purchase. The model consists of three parts which are Attract, Engage, and Delight. Let’s explore these stages in more detail.
Attract
In the attract stage of the flywheel model framework, your goal is to attract customers interested in what you have to offer. You can attract customers by creating content that’s useful to them like blogs or articles, or by offering them an exclusive discount on your products or services for example.
Engage
The engage stage is your opportunity to give customers a reason to return. This can be done through social media, email campaigns, or personalised messaging via chat tools. When customers feel like they are being listened to and cared for, they will return to your business and continue to invest in your products or services.
Delight
The final stage of the flywheel model framework is delight. Delighting your customers means you’re going above and beyond to give them a fantastic experience. This could be offering free samples of your products, providing coupons for future purchases or by simply giving them an outstanding service.
Let us help with your digital marketing strategy
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to effective digital marketing planning. It’s a process that changes as your organisation’s needs change. Your strategic goals should dictate what processes are effective and which ones might need some improvement.
If you need help with your digital marketing planning, speak to our experts today. We’ll work closely with you to understand your strategic goals and we’ll use an appropriate digital marketing strategy framework that works for you and your business and devise an effective digital marketing strategy. Be sure to get in touch with us today to learn more about how we can help.