6-Part

Digital Marketing
Strategic Plan

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How to Use This Template?
To work on this template, you will need to retrieve digital marketing analytics data from an established company who has been running
digital marketing campaigns for at least one year.

Complete and pass the assessments for all 6 core modules of the Certified Digital Marketing Strategist (CDMS) Programme:
1. Digital Marketing Strategy
2. Content Marketing
3. Search Engine Optimisation
4. Digital Advertising
5. Social Media Marketing
6. Digital Marketing Analytics

There are 6 sections in this digital marketing strategic plan:

1. Executive summary
2. Digital marketing audit
3. Market research and analysis
4. Marketing objectives and KPIs
5. Digital marketing campaign plans
6. Digital marketing analytics and optimisation plan

The executive summary is to be completed after sections 2 – 6 have been completed. In section 5, select at least 2 digital marketing
channels to develop campaign plans on.

Estimate time to complete: ~ 1 - 3 months

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Table of Contents
1. Executive Summary................................................................................................................................................................................ 4
2. Digital Marketing Audit.......................................................................................................................................................................... 5
2.1. Audit of Available Resources........................................................................................................................................................... 5
2.2. Audit of Current Performance of Digital Channels..........................................................................................................................6
3. Market Research and Analysis................................................................................................................................................................9
3.1. Customer Personas........................................................................................................................................................................... 9
3.2. Market Analysis (Digital)...............................................................................................................................................................11
3.3. Competitive Benchmarking............................................................................................................................................................ 11
3.4. SWOT Analysis............................................................................................................................................................................. 13
4. Marketing Objectives and SMART KPIs..............................................................................................................................................14
5. Digital Marketing Campaign Plan.........................................................................................................................................................15
5.1. Customer Journey Map.................................................................................................................................................................. 18
5.2. SEO Plan........................................................................................................................................................................................ 19
5.3. Digital Advertising Plan................................................................................................................................................................. 19
5.4. Social Media Plan........................................................................................................................................................................... 19
5.5. Content Marketing Plan.................................................................................................................................................................. 19
5.6. Other Marketing Plans.................................................................................................................................................................... 19
6. Digital Marketing Analytics and Optimisation Plan..............................................................................................................................20
6.1. UTM Tracking Organisation..........................................................................................................................................................20
6.2. Custom KPI Dashboard Creation...................................................................................................................................................20
6.3. Optimisation Plan........................................................................................................................................................................... 21
6.3.1. Website user journey and digital experience............................................................................................................................21
6.3.2. SEO......................................................................................................................................................................................... 21
6.3.3. Social Media Marketing (SMM)..............................................................................................................................................22
6.3.4. Digital Advertising.................................................................................................................................................................. 23
6.3.5. Content Marketing................................................................................................................................................................... 24

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1. Executive Summary
[Text here]

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2. Digital Marketing Audit
What is a digital marketing audit?

A digital marketing audit is an examination of the performance of digital channels and current resources utilised to achieve a business’s
marketing objectives, with the goal of reassessing and improving the existing strategies.

It consists of 2 parts:
1. Audit of available resources
2. Audit of current performance of digital channels

2.1. Audit of Available Resources

A digital marketing resource audit can help you identify gaps which may hinder your campaigns’ success. Once you have identified
crucial gaps, you can then recommend steps to rectify any issues.

Resources Checklist Summary of findings and notes for

improvement

Human Resource Capability ☐ Sufficient employees to execute digital [List all human resources e.g. Marketing Manager x
marketing strategies 2, Marketing Executive x 6, Content Writers x 2,
SEO Specialist x 1, Digital Marketing Analyst x 1,
☐ Marketing personnel are competent in their
etc.]
job functions and assigned tasks

External Agencies/Consultants ☐ External agencies/consultants have the [List all marketing agencies and their respective
relevant required competencies roles]

Website ☐ Website is user-friendly and well-designed [Enter website URL here]

to serve its intended purposes (e.g. as a lead
generation tool, branding, content hub, etc.)

Tools and platforms ☐ Tools and platforms are well-utilised, [List all existing tools e.g. Google Search Console,
performing to expectations Google Analytics, Buffer, Semrush, BuzzSumo,
Infusionsoft, MailChimp, etc.]
☐ Tools and platforms are able to meet
organisational requirements
☐ Sufficient budget is allocated to necessary
tools and platforms

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 Brand and Online Reputation ☐ Brand has presence on social media [List social media assets e.g. Facebook Page,
platforms where target audiences are present Instagram Business account, YouTube, etc.]
☐ Brand messaging is consistent

Budget ☐ Budget is sufficient to execute digital [Enter marketing budget here]

marketing plan

2.2. Audit of Current Performance of Digital Channels

An audit of the current performance of various digital channels can help you determine which campaigns are the better-performing ones.
This can help you direct your focus to the appropriate marketing campaigns/channels.

For example, if the conversion rate of a particular marketing campaign is determined, we can use it to predict the profitability of the
marketing campaign, set appropriate budgets and allocate the necessary resources to boost return on investment.

The table below provides a guide on the definition of the terms used and where you can retrieve the information from.

Terms Definition Where can you get this information?

Channel According to Google Analytics, a channel is a Web analytics platforms such as Google
group of traffic sources (e.g. Google, Bing, Analytics
Yahoo) within the same medium (e.g.
organic). Therefore, ‘organic search’ would be
the channel which could include traffic
sources within the same medium such as
Google, Bing, Yahoo. Other examples of
channels include:
 Paid Search
 Social
 Display
 Email
 Direct
 Referral
Traffic A metric which measures the total number of Web analytics platforms such as Google
visits to a website. Analytics
Conversions A metric which measures the number of Web analytics platforms such as Google
important actions taken by a website user. Analytics.
Examples of important actions include filling
out a contact form, spending X amount of time In Google Analytics, you can set up goal
on a website, watching a video till the end, tracking to define your conversion actions.
and completing a purchase on a website.
Conversion Rate A metric expressed as a percentage, calculated Web analytics platforms such as Google
by dividing the total number of users who Analytics
took an important action by the total number
of users who visited a website.

Example calculation:

Total number of users: 100

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 Total number of important actions taken: 5
Conversion rate: 5/100 X 100 = 5%
Cost The total amount spent for a channel. This can be calculated internally within an
organisation.
Cost Per Acquisition (CPA) The total cost of acquiring a customer. Advertising platforms or calculated internally
within an organisation.
Example calculation:

Total $ spent for paid search: $10,000

Total number of customers acquired: 100
Cost per acquisition: $10,000/100 = $100
CPA
Value The total amount of revenue or profit brought This can be calculated internally within an
in by a channel. Formulas used to calculate the organisation and reported within a digital
average order value or customer lifetime value marketing analytics platform such as Google
varies from organisation to organisation. Analytics.

Example calculation: In Google Analytics, you may set a goal value

i.e. $300 for every lead, assuming it takes 10
Average order value/Customer lifetime value: leads to close one sale with a customer lifetime
$1000 value of $3,000.
Total number of completed purchases from
website: 1000
Value: $1000 x 1000 = $1,000,000
Return on Investment (ROI) The value gotten back for the total expenditure This can be calculated internally within an
of a channel, expressed as a percentage. organisation.

(Value – Total amount spent) / Total amount

spent X 100% = ROI

Example calculation:

Total amount spent: $100,000

Value: $200,000
ROI: ($200,000 - $100,000) / $100,000 =
100%

Access your digital marketing analytics platform e.g. Google Analytics to retrieve the following data.

Conversion Cost Per Return on

Channel Traffic Conversions Cost Value
Rate Acquisition Investment

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Summary of Findings:

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3. Market Research and Analysis
Related Course Module: Digital Marketing Strategy

The research and findings from this section will influence the next sections where you define your marketing objectives, KPIs, select
appropriate digital marketing channels, and plan your campaigns.

3.1. Customer Personas

You may develop as many customer personas as you see fit based on your business and industry. You can retrieve demographic data
from tools such as Google Analytics and Facebook Audience Insights. For a more detailed guide on developing customer personas,
check out our How to Develop Buyer Personas Ebook.

Customer Persona 1:

Profile Picture: Name:

Age:

Gender:

Location:

Interests:

[Add new field]:

[Add new field]:

[Add new field]:

[Add new field]:

[Add new field]:

[Add new field]:

Summary of Customer Persona 1:

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Customer Persona 2:

Profile Picture: Name:

Age:

Gender:

Location:

Interests:

[Add new field]:

[Add new field]:

[Add new field]:

[Add new field]:

[Add new field]:

[Add new field]:

Summary of Customer Persona 2:

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3.2. Market Analysis (Digital)
Market size:

Having an idea of the market size can help you estimate your reach potential, marketing budget amount required, and determine
appropriate marketing channels to reach your audiences.

Useful tools:
 Facebook Audience Insights
 Google Keyword Planner
 Research papers/reports on a national level

Summary of Findings:

Market trends:

Understanding the market trends can help you understand your customers better (in terms of consumer behaviour, purchasing power,
etc.), plan seasonal marketing campaigns, and select the right marketing channels, creatives, and promotions.

Useful tools:
 Google Trends
 Google Keyword Planner
 Trends reports

Summary of Findings:

3.3. Competitive Benchmarking

Competitive benchmarking can measure your company’s performance against your competitors’ and industry benchmarks. This can also
help you to question your current modus operandi, adopt new practices, and develop innovative marketing strategies to remain
competitive.

Useful tools for competitive benchmarking:

 Google Analytics Benchmarking reports
 Semrush
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  SimilarWeb
 SocialBakers
 Industry reports such as the 2019 Social Media Industry Benchmark Report

Provide your research findings and rate each capability on a Likert scale of 1 – 5. 1 being the least capable and 5 being the most capable
in the table below.

Digital Marketing Review of Competitor Review of Competitor

Review of Company Industry Benchmarks
Capabilities 1 2

Website engagement

Social media

Organic search

Paid search

Email

Referral

Display

[Add new benchmark]

[Add new benchmark]

[Add new benchmark]

[Add new benchmark]

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 [Add new benchmark]

Summary of findings and recommended strategies for market domination:

3.4. SWOT Analysis

Conducting a SWOT analysis on your company can provide you with insights on the strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats in
the market your company is competing in. By analysing your company and competitors’ SWOTs, you can strategise how to amplify
your strengths, diminish weaknesses, tap on lucrative opportunities, and mitigate threats. You can then develop powerful strategies to
remain relevant and competitive in the market.

Strengths Weaknesses

Opportunities Threats

Summary of findings and strategies to tackle these issues:

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4. Marketing Objectives and SMART KPIs
Marketing objectives are goals that specify the intentions of the marketing department . Examples of marketing objectives include:
 Amplifying brand awareness
 Lead generation
 Increasing sales

SMART KPIs are Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Realistic, Time-bound Key Performance Indicators that are more detailed than your
marketing objectives. They help you keep track of the progress of your marketing campaigns and provide you with performance
benchmarks to improve your efforts.

Marketing Objectives SMART KPIs

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5. Digital Marketing Campaign Plan
Related course module: Digital Marketing Strategy

What is a digital marketing campaign plan?

A digital marketing campaign is different from a digital marketing strategy. When talking about digital marketing strategy, we are
referring to a master plan or a blueprint to achieve a long-term or macro goal. Campaigns on the other hand are the specific tactics used
to achieve more micro, short-term goals within the digital marketing strategy.

In this section, you may map your digital marketing campaigns (tactics) to the ACPA (Awareness, Consideration, Purchase, Advocacy)
buying funnel. You may also use alternative funnels depending on your industry.

Awareness:

Tactics Human
KPIs Campaign Metrics Budget Timeline
(Details) Resource

Consideration:

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 Tactics Human
KPIs Campaign Metrics Budget Timeline
(Details) Resource

Purchase:

Tactics Human
KPIs Campaign Metrics Budget Timeline
(Details) Resource

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Advocacy:

Tactics Human
KPIs Campaign Metrics Budget Timeline
(Details) Resource

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5.1. Customer Journey Map
Map the overarching customer journey here (from marketing channels to website browsing, to conversions to advocacy channels).

Use a tool like Funnelytics.io to illustrate the journey.

[Insert customer journey map illustration here]

Document the customer journey below:

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5.2. SEO Plan
Related course module: Search Engine Optimisation

Access the SEO strategy and planning templates via the SEO course resource library on the learning portal.

5.3. Digital Advertising Plan

Related course module: Digital Advertising

Access the Digital Advertising strategy and planning templates via the Digital Advertising course resource library on the learning portal.

5.4. Social Media Plan

Related course module: Social Media Marketing

Access the Social Media Marketing strategy and planning templates via the Social Media Marketing course resource library on the
learning portal.

5.5. Content Marketing Plan

Related course module: Content Marketing

Access the Social Media Marketing strategy and planning templates via the Content Marketing course resource library on the learning
portal.

5.6. Other Marketing Plans

Include other marketing strategies that are relevant to your business here such as:
 Facebook Advertising
 Google Ads
 Email Marketing
 Marketing Automation
 Digital PR
 Partners
 Affiliate Marketing
 Conversion Rate Optimisation

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6. Digital Marketing Analytics and Optimisation Plan
Related course module: Digital Marketing Analytics

In this section, you will create a digital marketing analytics and optimisation plan to improve your digital marketing performance.

6.1. UTM Tracking Organisation

Use the UTM tracking template to organise all your tracking URLs in one place:

Step 1: Head over to

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Tiloe_ubbDVEPK-z9r83XgXXTqflg20EHgNUWDC8jYk/edit#gid=1

Step 2: Click “File” => “Make a copy”

Step 3: Create at least 3 UTM tracking URLs with the Campaign URL Builder https://ga-dev-tools.appspot.com/campaign-url-builder/

UTM Tracking Organiser:

[Insert link to UTM Tracking Organiser here]

6.2. Custom KPI Dashboard Creation

Create a custom dashboard with Google Analytics or an alternative digital marketing analytics software/platform and paste the
screenshot(s) below:

[Insert screenshot(s) here]

6.3. Optimisation Plan

6.3.1. Website user journey and digital experience

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Analyse website and offer any suggestions to improve the website’s conversions and conversion rates.

Optimal Performance Optimised? (Y / N) Recommendations for Improvement

Website is user-friendly (i.e. easy to navigate N Propose a user-experience/conversion rate

around. Information is easy to find.) optimisation specialist to consult web design
team and propose improvement plans.

Conduct usability testing and reporting to

identify friction areas and improve UX
design.

6.3.2. SEO
Audit the SEO campaign metrics and offer suggestions for improvements.

Current SEO Metrics New SEO KPIs Recommendations for Improvement

Overall organic search engine click through Increase overall organic search engine click Optimise titles with target keywords closer to
rates at 10% through rates from 10% to 12% the front of the title.

Ensure organic search result snippet is ultra-

relevant to search queries.

Increase organic search engine rankings by

building more backlinks and domain
authority.

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6.3.3. Social Media Marketing (SMM)
Audit the SMM campaign metrics and offer suggestions for improvements.

Current SMM Metrics New SMM KPIs Recommendations for Improvement

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6.3.4. Digital Advertising
Audit the digital advertising campaign metrics and offer suggestions for improvements.

Current Digital Advertising Metrics New Digital Advertising KPIs Recommendations for Improvement

6.3.5. Content Marketing

Audit the content marketing campaign metrics and offer suggestions for improvements.

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 Current Content Marketing Metrics New Content Marketing KPIs Recommendations for Improvement

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