{"id":628733,"date":"2024-07-25T15:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-07-25T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/how-to-start-building-a-modern-digital-marketing-plan\/"},"modified":"2024-07-25T15:00:00","modified_gmt":"2024-07-25T12:00:00","slug":"how-to-start-building-a-modern-digital-marketing-plan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-start-building-a-modern-digital-marketing-plan\/","title":{"rendered":"#How to START building a modern digital marketing plan"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a348e97546b4\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a348e97546b4\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-start-building-a-modern-digital-marketing-plan\/#Learn_how_to_craft_a_robust_digital_marketing_plan_using_the_START_framework_to_stay_focused_and_adaptable\" >Learn how to craft a robust digital marketing plan using the START framework to stay focused and adaptable.<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-start-building-a-modern-digital-marketing-plan\/#1_Strategy\" >1. Strategy<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-start-building-a-modern-digital-marketing-plan\/#2_Tactics\" >2. Tactics<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-start-building-a-modern-digital-marketing-plan\/#3_Application\" >3. Application<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-start-building-a-modern-digital-marketing-plan\/#4_Review\" >4. Review<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-start-building-a-modern-digital-marketing-plan\/#5_Transformation\" >5. Transformation<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-start-building-a-modern-digital-marketing-plan\/#START_your_way_to_digital_marketing_success\" >START your way to digital marketing success<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"subhead\" itemprop=\"alternativeHeadline\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Learn_how_to_craft_a_robust_digital_marketing_plan_using_the_START_framework_to_stay_focused_and_adaptable\"><\/span>Learn how to craft a robust digital marketing plan using the START framework to stay focused and adaptable.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<div class=\"bialty-container\">\nIt doesn\u2019t take a lot of sentences to cover the number of disruptions in search marketing in the season (or era?) that we\u2019re in.<\/p>\n<p>Right now, Google is rapidly changing organic and paid search, causing excitement and confusion. New AI Overviews, leaked information and potential OpenAI search engines are creating distractions in our careers. Additionally, changing privacy laws and attribution challenges add to the complexity.<\/p>\n<p>With so much h<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>ening, it can be overwhelming to keep up. It\u2019s crucial to have a clear plan linked to your strategy so you don\u2019t get distracted by new trends like AI or ignore changes and fall behind. While \u201cplan\u201d may sound boring, it\u2019s essential for a solid digital strategy.<\/p>\n<p>To help with the topic, I recently published my first book, \u201c<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/thedmsp.com\/\">The Digital Marketing Success Plan<\/a>.\u201d In it, I go into granular detail with personal stories, processes and \u201chow to\u201d content centered on what I call the \u201cSTART\u201d planning process, and I will unpack those five steps to follow.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-1-strategy\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_Strategy\"><\/span>1. Strategy<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The first phase of START planning is strategy. This is where you understand the business\u2019s current state and what goals to reasonably set and achieve with digital marketing.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Here, you\u2019ll tackle everything, including setting goals, mapping marketing metrics to business outcomes and reviewing all past marketing efforts and our expectations before proceeding to the subsequent phases of the planning process.<\/p>\n<p>In some companies, this step is completed with exhaustive research, business intelligence data and financial information backed up end-to-end through CRM or other platforms.<\/p>\n<p>In other cases, businesses started adding digital marketing channels to the mix over the years (with good intentions) but don\u2019t have all the dots connected for attribution and ROI.<\/p>\n<p>Regardless of where your company is on the scale, there\u2019s never a better time to ensure that all levels, teams and stakeholders are aligned on the end goals for digital marketing (and maybe marketing more broadly). <\/p>\n<p>Then, you can work backward from there when you explore all possible tactics and ways to achieve your defined goals and strategy overall.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-2-tactics\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_Tactics\"><\/span>2. Tactics<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The next phase is tactics. This is where you explore all potential avenues to reach goals, map out business outcomes and be open-minded about how to achieve them.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>You\u2019ll evaluate all potential channels and networks (e.g., SEO, Google Ads, LinkedIn sponsored content) you can leverage using leading research and estimation tools to uncover opportunities to reach our target audiences.<\/p>\n<p>This is how the strategy comes to life. You never want tactics to \u201cbe\u201d the strategy or be more important than the strategy. These are the actions that drive us toward meeting and exceeding our goals.<\/p>\n<p>You also have to consider your own biases toward certain channels based on your experiences, expertise or personal feelings about them.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In some cases, LinkedIn may beat Google Ads. Or, programmatic display is required to support the customer journey in a hidden way you don\u2019t realize.<\/p>\n<p>Be open to exploring all channels and opportunities, and do the necessary research and projections to ensure they align with your strategy and goals.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-3-application\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_Application\"><\/span>3. Application<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The third phase of the START planning approach is application. This is the time to map out the assets, large and small, that you need to get our house in order \u2013 or to build it.<\/p>\n<p>Develop the inventory list you\u2019ll need for all desired or defined tactics. This includes creating ads, graphics, webpages, copy and other necessary assets for a successful campaign.<\/p>\n<p>At this point, it is tempting to start creating new ads or landing pages or examining your creative with a defined strategy and set of tactics.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>I will warn you to stick with identifying things at this stage and not start creating new things. This is where many great strategies get stalled out, and plans don\u2019t come to fruition.<\/p>\n<p>Getting the assets you need to launch or amplify your plan requires time and money. Suppose you dive right into designing or creating new things without properly identifying what you\u2019re doing and connecting back to the \u201cwhy\u201d (Strategy and Tactics phases). In that case, you can do some expensive things quickly or push out the launch of your plan indefinitely.<\/p>\n<p><!-- START INLINE FORM --><\/p>\n<p><!-- END INLINE FORM --><\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-cyan-bluish-gray-color has-css-opacity has-cyan-bluish-gray-background-color has-background\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-4-review\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4_Review\"><\/span>4. Review<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The fourth phase is review. Here, you\u2019ll define the aspects needed to manage and measure the successes and provide accountability for the plan.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>That means creating performance measurement dashboards and systems tied to the ultimate ROI equation, roll-up performance, channel performance and resource measurement.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>At this phase, you\u2019re also setting up our project management system or aligning resource planning platforms to manage the work. Ultimately, you\u2019re arriving at the benchmarks, budgets, reports and roles overall.<\/p>\n<p>This phase may seem obvious, but I have seen a number of systems over the years, including dashboards and resource managers. Some are totally custom, and others are right out of the box.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>No matter what, they often miss out on tracking a full picture of digital marketing ROI and leave gaps that have to be filled with assumptions or cross-checking investment numbers by a CFO.<\/p>\n<p>You don\u2019t want gaps and want to make sure that our systems account for the full cost of digital marketing. That includes internal people, contractors, agencies, software, advertising spends and possibly more.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>If you aren\u2019t accounting for those, then you could have rough meetings with the C-suite or investors down the road when they don\u2019t see the full ROI that you might be calculating.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-5-transformation\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"5_Transformation\"><\/span>5. Transformation<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The last phase of START planning is transformation. In this final phase, you schedule the tactics so they stay subordinate to the overall strategy.<\/p>\n<p>You\u2019ll craft a comprehensive calendar of tactics, optimization processes, agile strategy and reporting cycles. You will also map out the milestones, flights and content pushes, experiments, tasks and assignments overall.<\/p>\n<p>Again, you might have a long history of SEO, Google Ads, <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">social media<\/a> marketing, email marketing, programmatic and more. You might have some great success stories in them or even with integrated, cohesive results. I love hearing those stories!<\/p>\n<p>However, I would challenge you to consider that if you\u2019re seeing positive results, they have likely come from focused efforts and not sporadic drop-ins to manage and see it through.<\/p>\n<p>Regardless of your position, make sure you have resources planned, tactics and action plans scheduled and control of the plan.<\/p>\n<p>Things will happen in your company, like new products\/services, new audience focuses and new competitors. Things will also happen, such as new industry tech, changes in search engines, AI emergence and more.<\/p>\n<p>Have a documented plan that also allows for agility and enough flexibility to be revisited and adapted at multiple levels so it doesn\u2019t get obsolete or abandoned just a few months into the effort.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-start-your-way-to-digital-marketing-success\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"START_your_way_to_digital_marketing_success\"><\/span>START your way to digital marketing success<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Whether you follow the steps in START planning or adapt them to your own strategy and planning process, I strongly encourage you to revisit your current plan. Make sure that it is objective, specific, actionable and accountable.<\/p>\n<p>A plan isn\u2019t a plan if it is in one person\u2019s head or if it is understood differently by multiple people. Things are changing really fast. Have a plan that can keep you on track, adaptable and up to date with changes.<\/p>\n<p>My key goal is to ensure that you make wise, ROI-driven and accountable investments, whether you\u2019re a business doing digital marketing or an agency doing it on behalf of your clients.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Google, software, agencies and employees will get paid or take your money whether your digital marketing is working or not, and I hope that you see success in your digital marketing driven by a solid plan.<\/p>\n<p><!-- START INLINE FORM --><\/p>\n<p><!-- END INLINE FORM --><\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-cyan-bluish-gray-color has-css-opacity has-cyan-bluish-gray-background-color has-background\">\n<\/div>\n<p><\/p>\n<div class=\"about-author\">\n    About the author<\/p>\n<div class=\"information\">\n<div class=\"author-module\">\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"col-12 col-lg-3 text-center\">\n<div class=\"avatar\">\n                        <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-fluid rounded-circle avatar-border\" alt=\"Corey Morris\" width=\"140\" height=\"140\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/01\/Corey-Morris.jpeg.webp\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-fluid rounded-circle avatar-border\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/01\/Corey-Morris.jpeg.webp\" alt=\"Corey Morris\" width=\"140\" height=\"140\">\n                                            <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"col-12 col-lg-9\">\n<div class=\"about\">\n<div class=\"name\">\n                            <strong>Corey Morris<\/strong>\n                        <\/div>\n<div class=\"row g-2 pt-2\">\n<div class=\"col-auto twitter\">\n                                    <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/follow?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fsearchengineland.com%2F&amp;region=follow_link&amp;screen_name=coreydmorris&amp;tw_p=followbutton&amp;variant=2.0\" aria-label=\"opens in a new tab\"><i class=\"fab fa-x-twitter\"><\/i><\/a>\n                            <\/div>\n<div class=\"col-auto\">\n                                    <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/coreymorris\/\" aria-label=\"opens in a new tab\"><i class=\"fab fa-linkedin\"><\/i><\/a>\n                                <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/coreymorris.com\/\">Corey Morris<\/a> is the owner and President\/CEO of <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/voltage.digital\">Voltage<\/a>. He has spent 18 years working in strategic and leadership roles focused on growing national and local client brands with award-winning, ROI-generating digital strategies. He&#8217;s a recent recipient of the KCDMA 2019 Marketer of the Year award.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to leading Voltage, he has served as an officer on the global board of SEMPO (now part of DAA). He also previously led a local initiative in Kansas City founding the KC Search Marketing Conference and prior to that co-hosted a local marketing and tech radio show.<\/p>\n<p>He is currently a VIP contributor to Search Engine Journal, subject matter expert contributor to Search Engine Land, and a contributor to Forbes, among other publications. He speaks locally and through North America on SEO and digital marketing topics including at SMX and Digital Summit events.<\/p>\n<p>Corey&#8217;s first book is due out in 2024 titled The Digital Marketing Success Plan and you can find out more at <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/thedmsp.com\/\">thedmsp.com<\/a>.<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMN63nwsw68G3Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Technology<\/a><\/span> category.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/build-modern-digital-marketing-plan-444367\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Learn how to craft a robust digital marketing plan using the START framework to stay focused and adaptable. It doesn\u2019t take a lot of sentences to cover the number of disruptions in search marketing in the season (or era?) that we\u2019re in. Right now, Google is rapidly changing organic and paid search, causing excitement and&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":628734,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2024\/07\/START-building-a-modern-digital-marketing-plan-800x450.png","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[107942,78070],"class_list":["post-628733","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology","tag-ppc","tag-seo"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/628733","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=628733"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/628733\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/628734"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=628733"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=628733"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=628733"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}