Fancy a Slice of the Digital Marketing Pie?

It’s British Pie Week this week, and we’re having to tear ourselves away from social media feeds full of crisp buttery pastry, succulent chunks of meat and rich, tasty gravy to come up with this week’s blog. When you think about it though, creating a digital marketing strategy is a bit like baking the perfect pie, so sit down and allow us to serve up a slice.
Find a (digital marketing) recipe that works…
The perfect pie takes time to get just right. You can read through hundreds of different recipes, flavour and topping combinations before hitting on what will work for you. In the digital marketing world, it’s not so different. The internet is full of advice as to what should be in your online marketing strategy: SEO, social media, organic growth, pay per click advertising – but one size doesn’t fit all. You’ll need to analyse your business and your customer base, assess how much time you have to devote to digital marketing and the predicted ROI and how you will roll out the strategy over time.

Another kind of pie useful for digital marketing... But that's for another analogy...

Another kind of pie used for digital marketing. But that’s for another analogy…

– then tweak it
And just when you think you’ve cracked it, you may need to tweak the recipe to take account of changing situations. Just as you may need to switch from beef to some chunky vegetables when your teenage daughter decides she’s turning vegetarian (for example), so the recipe for your digital marketing strategy will change with the aims and objectives of your overall marketing strategy and those of your business over time.
A complete – and structured digital package
A pie isn’t a pie without a lid; and while some would argue that there can only be puff pastry, there are other options – mashed potato, filo pastry – you get the idea. The pastry – and the pie dish offers structure to your pie, making it more than just the component parts sitting on a plate. Similarly, you need a structure around your digital marketing efforts. Once you’ve determined the ingredients for your online marketing pie, you need to make sure you can bring it all together in a coherent manner. Planning, scheduling and reviewing your online activities will all help to keep your digital marketing structured and on track.

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Choose quality ingredients
A good pie needs to be packaged well and be bursting with top quality ingredients. Gravy is important too. Apply this to your digital marketing strategy and you know it makes sense. The channels you choose, the filling, how you serve it – bring it together and you’ll have a satisfying whole. Something that brings your business great ROI and leaves your customers happy. Think of your content as the filling: satisfying, meeting the needs of your customers and work from there – don’t leave them feeling disappointed and empty after biting into your digital marketing pie.
Serve it up to the right people and on the right platforms
Where do your customers like to eat their pie? If you’re serving up to people who like to eat on the go, perhaps you need to offer pasties – or, digitally speaking – make sure your website and related online marketing is mobile friendly. You might find that your customer base prefers to sit down at the table and dig in with a knife and fork – in which case, make sure your website is functional and easy to use. And make sure there’s no digital marketing gristle hi9ding in among the content – a broken link, a page that doesn’t load will put people off very quickly.
And finally – it’s fine to buy!
Sometimes the need for a pie is overwhelming, but without help, you know it won’t happen. Some people know they just can’t make pastry. Some don’t have the time, others the inclination to make one. Never fear. Just as you can buy some outstanding pies – think local butchers as a good place to start – you can buy in outstanding digital marketing services and work with teams on an outsource basis. Here at Web Adept, we have been creating perfectly formed digital marketing pies for a wide variety of clients across the UK and beyond since 1997. If you need a slice, give us a call 01437 720033.