Is it correct to assume that most of your marketing strategy today is digital? Perhaps.

From social media to paid keywords, digital advertising is how most businesses today grow their brands and attract new customers. But this ever-changing digital landscape can quickly become overwhelming when you do business. The sheer volume of ads consumers see every day makes it difficult for your brand to stand out. To get the most out of your digital advertising budget, you need to carefully plan a strategy that works for your potential customers. We've put together this guide to help you improve and grow your digital advertising.‍

Make Some Decisions

Will you use an agency?

One of the toughest decisions is how much control and engagement you want to have. There are many agencies that do digital advertising for other companies, but they can be expensive. You get the added benefit of not having to setup and monitor everything internally. This can save your company a lot of time.

How much should your budget be?

Digital advertising costs also vary by format. A common type of pricing is cost-per-click (CPC) or pay-per-click (PPC), a pricing model where you pay each time someone clicks on your ad. You’ll want to consider how much you want to spend each day, month, week, and year. Digital advertising can be very expensive, depending on the types of ads and where you’re placing them. Planning out a detailed budget in advance can help you better determine your return on investment (ROI) for each campaign. There are also ad types for all levels of budget, with different pricing models and targeting methods.

What is your digital ad targeting?

As mentioned above, digital advertising is far more accurate than more traditional forms of advertising. Not all ads serve the same purpose. Your advertising strategy will vary depending on the desired outcome. Consider all forms of digital advertising, from paid keywords to display and retargeting, and each type of publisher. Then prioritize your goals based on what's most important to your business.

How to reach the right target audience?

The last question to ask yourself is about your audience. Use the precision of digital ad targeting to reach relevant audiences who are more likely to find and engage with your ads relevant. When you know who you're connecting with, it's a lot easier to connect with them. Analyze all the data on your existing customers and find out what appeals to you the most.

Create an advertising plan

Calculate your digital marketing plan budget.

Budgets determine how much you can spend on digital marketing campaigns and direct you to specific channels, strategies, and tactics. Now that you have a budget and know where to find your customers, it's time to decide how much you're willing to spend on each type of ad. If you use an agency, they can help you assign value to each activity.

Create an advertising calendar.

Every successful digital marketing strategy starts with a plan! Consider what assets and resources are needed for each campaign included in your budget. Then create a timeline for each activity, including length, personal goals, and an audit plan.

How to Create a Content Roadmap

You don't plan a trip without knowing your destination. A content strategy ensures that your content marketing efforts point you in the right direction.

Find your current assets, resources and content.

But creating great content takes time and money. Whether you're outsourcing blog posts or developing videos in-house, having a well-organized plan is critical to getting the results you want.

Develop landing pages, follow links and new content.

To know what works, you need a landing page and a follower link. Determine what else is needed and how many resources are needed to prepare the campaign.

Measure your campaign

Digital displays can measure nearly every aspect of performance.

Depending on your goals, this part may be more difficult. While it's relatively easy to measure conversions, it's impossible to estimate an increase in brand awareness. Campaign attribution can also be confusing when your ads target your customers differently. Therefore, it is important to identify specific metrics to determine the success of each campaign.

Create tests and trials.

Digital advertising changes frequently, and these changes happen quickly. The best way to have a successful digital ad campaign is to test variables to maximize performance.

Audit everything.

Ad fraud is a big problem with digital advertising. Install your own analysis tools and check the reports for inconsistencies. Watch for traffic spikes without conversions, too much invalid traffic, and a rise in chargebacks related to a specific campaign. Keeping an eye out for these issues protects your ad budget and will make your digital advertising strategy more successful.

Start Advertising

Once your plan is complete, it’s time to put it in motion. Think bigger than single pieces of content. The brands that provide the best digital experiences will win in the long term.