Plenty of businesses do digital marketing, but few have a digital marketing strategy. They post on social media when there is time, launch a campaign when sales drop and rebuild the website every few years. The result is usually the same: a lot of effort, little control and the feeling that “marketing doesn’t work”. In this guide we explain how to build a strategy step by step, with a simple template you can fill in today.
What a digital marketing strategy is (and what it isn’t)
A digital marketing strategy is a plan that connects your business goals with the online actions you will take to achieve them: who you are targeting, what you will offer them, on which channels, with what budget and how you will measure whether it works.
It is not a to-do list (“post three times a week”) or a tool (“run Instagram ads”). Tasks and tools come later. First you need to decide what you want to achieve and why.
Step 1: set measurable goals
Everything starts with a business goal, not a marketing one. “Getting more followers” is not a business goal; “getting 20 quote requests a month” is.
A practical way to write them is the SMART method: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound. Some examples:
- Get 30 qualified leads a month from the website before June.
- Grow online sales by 20% next quarter.
- Fill 80% of the appointment calendar within three months.
Choose one or two main goals. If everything is a priority, nothing is.
Step 2: get to know your ideal customer
The most common mistake is trying to speak to everyone. Describe your ideal customer in as much detail as you can:
- Who they are: age, industry, job title or personal situation.
- What problem they have and how they are trying to solve it now.
- Where they look for information: Google, Instagram, LinkedIn, recommendations…
- What stops them from buying: price, lack of trust, lack of time, doubts.
If you already have customers, ask them. Three or four honest conversations are worth more than any assumption.
Step 3: clarify your value proposition
Why should someone choose you over the competition? Your value proposition answers that question in one sentence. For example: “Kitchen renovations in 15 days, at a fixed price and with no surprises”.
A good value proposition is specific, talks about what the customer gains and can be proven. If your brand doesn’t convey that difference yet, it is worth working on it before investing in advertising. We explain how in branding for small businesses.
Step 4: choose the right channels
You don’t need to be everywhere. You need to be where your customer is when they have the need. A simple way to think about it:
- Website: your base. Every other channel ends up leading there.
- SEO: to win people who are already searching for you on Google. Slow at first, but results build up.
- Advertising (Google Ads, Meta Ads): fast, measurable results in exchange for a steady budget. If you are torn between them, read Google Ads or Meta Ads.
- Social media: trust, community and brand visibility.
- Email marketing: the channel you control most, for loyalty and repeat sales.
On a tight budget, start with one or two channels and do them well. We explain how to choose in marketing on a small budget.
Step 5: set a realistic budget
Your budget has two parts: media spend (what you pay Google or Meta for ads) and the work (design, content, management and analysis, done by you or by an agency).
A good starting point is to work out how much you can pay per customer. If each customer leaves you €300 in margin, you can afford to invest part of that figure in winning them. That number, your maximum cost per customer, will help you decide whether a campaign is profitable.
Step 6: build an action calendar
Turn the strategy into a dated plan. Splitting it into three stages works very well:
- First 30 days: foundations. Website ready, tracking set up, profiles optimised.
- Days 30 to 60: launch. First campaigns, content and lead-generation actions.
- Days 60 to 90: optimisation. Analyse what works, cut what doesn’t and double down on what does.
You can generate a guide 30/60/90-day plan for your business with the free diagnosis in AVAR LAB.
Step 7: measure, learn and adjust
A strategy without measurement is a gamble. Before launching anything, decide which indicators (the so-called KPIs) you will track and how often:
- Leads or sales generated and their cost.
- Website conversion rate.
- Return on ad spend (ROAS).
- Repeat customers.
Review the data every month and adjust. To avoid getting lost in metrics that don’t matter, read how to tell whether your ads are really selling.
One-page strategy template
Copy this structure and fill it in for your business:
- Main goal: …
- Ideal customer: …
- Problem I solve for them: …
- Value proposition (one sentence): …
- Channels (2 or 3 at most): …
- Monthly budget (media + work): …
- Maximum cost per customer: …
- Actions at 30 / 60 / 90 days: …
- KPIs I will review every month: …
If you can’t fill in a line, that is your first task. A simple, clear strategy works better than a 40-page document nobody reads.
Common planning mistakes
- Copying competitors without knowing whether it works for them.
- Switching channels every month without giving anything time to mature.
- Measuring only what is easy (likes, visits) instead of what matters (leads, sales).
- Not having a website ready to turn visits into customers.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a digital marketing strategy take to deliver results?
It depends on the channels. Advertising can generate leads within days; SEO and social media usually need several months. That is why many strategies combine a fast channel with a long-term one.
Do I need an agency to build my strategy?
Not necessarily. With this guide you can build a first version. An agency brings experience, saves you costly trial and error and takes care of execution, which is where many businesses get stuck for lack of time.
How often should I review the strategy?
Review the data every month and the full strategy every quarter, or sooner if something important changes in your business or market.
In short
A digital marketing strategy doesn’t have to be complicated: clear goals, a well-defined ideal customer, a specific value proposition, a few well-run channels and constant measurement. At Avar Marketing Systems we design tailored strategies from €320 with our consulting service. If you want help building yours, tell us about your business or work out your plan in the planner.
Written by the Avar Marketing Systems team: three partners trained in marketing, advertising and management, running their own online stores since 2019. Meet the team →
