Digital Marketing Planning

This year's Digital Marketing Planning

If you haven't done so already, now's the perfect time to reflect on the past year, look at what went well and what could be improved for the year ahead.

Whatever business you're in, it's important to build your plan around the customer that will buy your products or services. Remind yourself of your company's vision and how this meets your customers' needs.

To help you understand what has worked for other businesses, Ascend2 surveyed nearly 300 marketing professionals, reviewing their company marketing and their digital marketing plans for 2020.

Those surveyed were almost an even split between B2B and B2C with B2B at 43%, B2C 38% and B2B and B2C equally 17%.

Their companies had a mixed number of employees, with more than 500 employees at 18%, 50 to 500 23% and fewer than 50 59%.

So what does their digital marketing plans look like for 2020?

1) Primary Marketing Objectives for 2020

What are their top primary objectives to achieve in their digital marketing plan for 2020?  54% of those surveyed said increasing sales leads generated and 49% said increasing customer acquisition...

Primary Objectives to achieve in 2020 Digital Marketing plan

2) Digital Versus Traditional Media

When surveyed about which marketing channels were more effective for their business, 87% felt that digital, online, web and social media were more effective than the traditional print and broadcast media in their marketing plan.

Digital, online, web and social media vrs traditional print and broadcast

3) What are the critical challenges for their digital marketing plan to achieve in 2020?

Increasing customer acquisition and increasing sales leads generated was not only the top primary objectives but also ranked as the most difficult challenges to overcome say 48% of the marketing professionals surveyed. 

Digital marketing plan challenges for 2020

4) Most Effective Digital Marketing Tactics

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), social media marketing, blog posting, content marketing and email marketing are considered the most effective digital marketing tactics used to achieve their overall marketing objectives according to 49%, 47%, 43% and 42%  of marketers, respectively.

Effective digital marketing tactics

4) Investment in Marketing Technology

80% of those marketing professionals surveyed say they are and will continue to invest in marketing technology, with 15% saying they are planning to invest, which shows the importance of this tactic within an effective marketing strategy. 

Only 4% stated they are not planning to invest.

Investment in marketing technology

5) Metrics Used to Measure Success

What marketing metrics do these professionals use to measure the success of their marketing?

50%, half of those surveyed said cost per customer acquired was an important metric, closely followed by conversion rate and then engagement rate at 46% and 45% respectively.

Digital marketing metrics

6) Strategic Success

So have these digital marketing strategies paid off?  Were they successful in helping them achieve their objectives previously?

96% said yes, their digital marketing tactics have been seen as successful in some form or other, with 39% saying very successful. 

Digital marketing success?

2020 Digital Marketing plan

Looking at the Ascend2 survey, the trusted digital marketing tactics like search engine marketing, content marketing, email marketing and social media marketing are shown to be effective in meeting the primary objectives of increasing both sales leads and new customer acquisition, for both B2B and B2C businesses.

How much does this digital marketing survey relate to your own business?

What are your primary objectives and challenges for this year, and what do you see in your digital marketing plan for 2020?

If you would like help and support to review where you currently are and what digital marketing tactics to employ for your own business, then get in touch with us today on 0117 405 8919 or contact Electric Media Bristol.