Anthony Deveaux

There is no single digital marketing process. In fact, different companies have different methods of doing digital marketing which depend on the interplay of a number of factors. Since digital marketing makes use of varied media and resources, the service providers have to be clear about the relevance and effectiveness of using each media for a particular project. Further, they shall also be clear on the sequence of using these media for generating maximum impact. Since there are a number of variables which need to be thrashed out for formulizing a plan of action, there can not be a single digital marketing process. Let us look at some of these variables which are important for developing a plan of action.

1. Nature of products or services to be promoted: The choice of media would depend on what are the products or services to be promoted. This in turn will depend on the marketing strategy of the organization. If it wants to target a niche segment of population, then the mass communication media might not be used. An online digital marketing effort focused on social media could be a better alternative. So, it needs to be determined where a selective approach is needed and where the extensive approach will work better.
2. Time frame to achieve the business objectives: The time frame in which the business objectives are to be achieved is another important determinant since it determines the speed of work execution and the number of media to be used simultaneously. However, it must be remembered that the online digital marketing is also a major brand building exercise and the speed of work shall not adversely impact the brand image of the company or its products.
3. Strengths of the marketing company: Every marketing company providing digital marketing services has its own relative strengths and weaknesses. In fact, the development of the digital marketing process could be more biased towards its strengths. Though it is better to strive for achieving a balance in developing different media skills and expertise, it is natural to expect that some skill-sets would be better developed than the others. So, weaknesses will act as a limiting factor.
4. Experience: Experience can tell which would be the best combination of actions to use for a particular project, and, more importantly, what would be the likely results. Experience comes not only with the number of the projects handled, but also the different variety of projects handled. An organized and systematic effort at maintaining records provides a strong documentation support for developing future expertise.

It is incumbent upon the digital marketing services providers to maintain a balance in the different skill sets that are needed for using different media effectively. There has to be adequate hardware, software and even the human resource for providing effective services on consistent basis. This is also a crucial determinant of the success or failure of the digital marketing company.