March 21, 2025
Digital marketing occupies a lot of space in the modern business world. Some start-ups and young businesses might need to spend up to 20% of their revenue on their overall marketing budget – a massive proportion of which will be focused on digital channels. However, with so many different approaches to making an impact online, it can be hard to know what your overarching digital marketing focus should be.
Are you going to take the route of quirky influencer marketing, or is your approach going to focus on more traditional digital marketing channels like PPC? This article will offer some guidance on how digital marketing experts determine the angles that will be the most successful guides towards their goals.
A successful digital marketing strategy focuses on the goals of the business as a whole. Are you looking to generate sales, build up a good docket of leads, maximise brand awareness or increase favour with an existing customer base? Being hyper-aware of what you’re trying to achieve overall will make it easier to land on a consistent digital marketing focus.
Marketing materials are only as effective as their connection with a target audience. And it’s not just about proper tone of voice or imagery, it’s also about understanding where and how your audience is most likely to come across the promotional material. A good practice is to create detailed, semi-fictional profiles for your ideal customers, then to model your market efforts around this perfect candidate. If relevant, it’s also important to consider any of your current customers and how they align with what you’re trying to do.
Once you’ve determined your ideal customer, it’s important to tailor your approach to them, for example:
Create the content you think your audience will respond to and display it on the channels of digital marketing that they’re most likely to land on naturally.
Studying your competitors is important in product development, service offerings and marketing strategy. Seeing the successes of people in your industry is a surefire way to find inspiration. It’s not about imitation; it’s about understanding how they’ve locked into an audience mindset and figuring out how to replicate the success.
Some important elements to consider include:
In the same vein, it’s important to consider where they’re not doing quite as well, or how other competitors seem to be failing. Cautionary tales can be just as useful as something that inspires you.
Your digital marketing focus needs to be guided by the resources at your disposal. Consider your budget, how much time you’re able to spend marketing, and how many people are in your team. For example, do you have the financial resources to run a paid ad campaign? If not, you might be better off trying to generate traffic with SEO and organic social media content. Similarly, if your team is smaller, you might not be able to run the same level of complex PPC campaigns. Don’t let your reach extend beyond your grasp.
Make your impact however you can, focusing on things that are budget and time-friendly alongside your general operations. With a considerate approach that considers your overarching goals, target audience, competition and resources, you should be able to focus in a way that generates real results.
Some start-ups and new businesses might allocate up to 20% of their revenue to their overall marketing budget, with a significant portion dedicated to digital channels.
Your digital marketing strategy should always support your main business goals. This ensures your efforts are consistent and effective, whether you're aiming for sales, leads, or brand recognition.
Creating detailed, semi-fictional profiles for your ideal customers is a good practice. This helps you model your marketing around their likely behaviours and preferences.
Studying your competitors helps you find inspiration and understand how they connect with their audience. It's also useful to see where they might be struggling, offering cautionary lessons.
Your budget, available time, and team size should guide your digital marketing focus. For instance, if funds are limited, you might prioritise SEO and organic social media over paid ad campaigns.
