4 ways to make your 2020 digital plan kick butt
With 2020 approaching, many organizations are worried about what the new decade will hold for their digital strategies. While it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by all the unknowns, planning for the new year doesn’t have to be a huge stressor – you’ve just got to go back to the basics.
That’s why we love the P.O.S.T. (people, objectives, strategy, technology) model. It covers all the broad strokes of a solid digital strategy – things that can be easily overlooked when you’re caught up in the day-to-day hustle. By taking time to rethink the big pieces of your strategy, you can get a better sense of how to move forward in 2020 and beyond.
1. People. All effective digital strategies start with one thing: a target audience. Who does your organization want to connect with online? What do they like? What do they need? Once you truly know your audience, you can start creating relevant, impactful content that will make them sit up and pay attention.
Task list:
- Conduct market research
- Create target audience personas
2. Objectives. What do you want to get out of your online efforts? You can’t move forward if you don’t know where you’re going. Make sure your goal is realistic – like reaching a wider audience, spreading a message about your industry, improving your HR efforts, or encouraging policy changes – and then ensure your content and messaging both serve that objective.
Task list:
- Clearly define your digital marketing objectives
3. Strategy. Once you know your target audience and what you wish to achieve (with their help), you can start structuring your strategy. What kind of content are you going to post, and how often? Are you going to focus on email marketing, or is video content more appealing to your audience? What kind of tone are you going for? What issues are you going to focus on? It’s easy to thoughtlessly post off-the-cuff content on social media, but it won’t necessarily help you reach your goals. In 2020, try being a little more intentional.
Task list:
- Create content and blog editorial calendars
- Come up with quarterly objectives that fit into your larger, overall objective
- Decide on your brand’s tone and persona
- Don’t forget about crisis planning
4. Technology. Finally, you need the right tools in your toolbox – think social media software, email marketing services, digital design apps, analytics and more. If you don’t have the budget or the bandwidth to manage all of these tools, you can find a digital agency to help your organization out (Communicatto’s been known to do that sort of thing.) Also, take time to decide which social media channels to focus on – chances are, your audience has a few favourites.
Task list:
- Get the right digital tools
- Pick the right social media channels for your audience
Need more help planning for 2020? We’ve got you covered:
- 7 tricks for building digital capacity in your communications team
- Get your money’s worth in 2020 with this digital marketing budget plan
- 7 habits of highly successful social media marketers
Or drop us a line to find out how Communicatto can work with your organization to develop a customized digital plan that will take you to new heights in 2020!