Have you ever wondered why digital often costs so much without any tangible return. Digital projects are often seen as ‘need to haves’ and ‘money pits’. The opposite is in fact the case when starting with a sound digital strategy.
Start with a business plan. Yes, an actual business plan. Any project or campaign will need to be designed to deliver a return on investment. No matter what the project or campaign is. The return can be revenue, or it can be a marketing goal. The best way of thinking about it is to start with the end in mind.
Define what your desired outcomes need to be. Don’t get sucked in to focussing on all the shiny new tech toys. I know this can be very tempting, but DON’T DO IT. Once you have defined your desired outcomes, then think about the possible solutions which could deliver that outcome. Then choose the best solution.
Once you have defined a solution, dry test it before starting to develop or implement. How do we do that? Talk to people and get their input. If you don’t have the right people to talk to, then step back and double check your potential solution. By doing this there will be no “holes” in your thinking and no openings for extending the scope.
Stick to the plan. I have yet to come across a digital project which has not had scope creep pressure brought to bear on it. Don’t give in. Deliver the plan as is and implement.
Action the plan. Part of the planning process should include the time scale for running the solution once built or deployed. Don’t wait, just do it.
Analyse. Probably the most important part of the process. By analysing the results, you will find out what is working well and what is not. Only at this point are you in a position to think about adding to the project, because you can demonstrate actual results. i.e. you have invested in a digital campaign and had some assets developed. Once you have a measured all of the outcomes and compared them to the desired outcomes, you are in a better place to tweak or add to the campaign. Do more of what is working and less of what is not. Simples.
Close the campaign. I see so many campaigns that don’t have a definite end. Close the campaign when you planned to, or extend it should the analytics tell you it’s still working.
So what’s this all got to do with digital? Everything. Designing and implementing a digital strategy has to be run from a business perspective, not a creative to tech viewpoint. Good design and quality development are essential to delivering the outcome, but the outcome is defined from a business perspective.
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