Today, businesses must stand out from the supersaturated crowd and dominate in the ever-changing digital realm for businesses to succeed. To do this, your organization needs an expert to intrinsically connect technical tactics with various marketing platforms, creating a holistic measurable action plan―your digital marketing strategy.
Perry Hewitt, Chief Marketing Officer for data.org and an established leader in digital strategy, defines the personality of a digital strategist in her post, “How to build a high performing digital team.”
In this article, she states that:
“Digital is part technology, part content strategy, part marketing art — and science.”
Hewitt brilliantly claims that when hiring a digital team, you should select:
“people who are omnivores, not vegans.”
She explains that:
“people who very strongly identify with only one piece of the equation will struggle on a high-performing digital team.”
On that note, let’s take a deeper look into what a digital strategist actually does and the important role they play in growing your business online.
What is a Digital Strategist?
A digital strategist hones in on all the digital touchpoints a user interacts with on your website. They determine how consumers use the internet and what device is used. They are experts in content management platforms and are creative yet methodical.
A successful digital strategist understands users and their unique interactions with the digital world. Most importantly, they are ahead of the game and know the next hot trends in terms of how consumers access and digest information. Overall, digital strategists solve problems related to online marketing and business goals.
They connect the dots between the needs, wants, and desires of the customer and match these with the:
- Business
- Brand
- Marketing goals
Also, they analyze campaign results and those of competitors to determine what areas can be improved on and what can be optimized.
What Does a Digital Strategist Do?
The role of a digital strategist encompases the research and outlining of tactics that a marketing team can apply to reach their target audience and gain leads.
There are also many “invisible” tasks required, such as:
- Forging connections
- Engagement
- Relevance between the brand and its consumers
To start, a digital strategist will carry out an audit of their client’s digital assets, as well as their competitors. From there, they work closely with the marketing and brand teams to develop an online presence and digital marketing strategy.
This cohesive strategy will include techniques that can be implemented across all relevant digital channels, such as:
- Content marketing
- SEO
- Email marketing
- Social media
- Paid advertising
Digital strategists don’t fear data but crave it, analyzing it to find any disparities in their strategy. They develop and constantly analyze the effectiveness of a strategy once it’s been implemented by reporting on key website metrics. Although they require a level of autonomy in their role, they are highly communicative in teams.
Digital strategists tend to be outsourced and work with a diverse range of teams to solve their:
- Business issues
- Brand issues
- Marketing issues
- Technology issues
In short, a digital strategist is responsible for creating and directing your digital marketing strategy. This ranges from content planners to SEO campaigns.
So, Why Do You Need a Digital Strategist?
Now that we understand what a digital strategist is and their key responsibilities let’s look at why you need a digital strategist—just in case it hasn’t become apparent so far.
1. They Stay Up to Date on Real-time Digital Trends
To thrive in this digital era, you need to be up-to-date with the latest trends and technology to get a deeper understanding of your customer’s needs and behaviors.
Furthermore, A digital strategist is forever ahead of the game. And you can tap into their expertise to gain valuable insights into market trends and apply them in your marketing best practices.
2. They Take Care of Marketing Tasks So You Can Focus On What You Do Best
Having an expert digital strategist on your team allows you to focus on the day-to-day business operations.
A digital strategist will take care of your:
- Online presence
- Getting leads
- Nurturing leads
- Raising your brand awareness online
Just to name a few!
3. They Can Optimize Your Website
When you hire a digital strategist, they will leverage your website with the goal to:
- Drive more traffic
- Get more leads
- Convert prospects
- Increase revenue
They will experiment and implement the best strategies that have your business’ goals at its core.
4. They Know How to Navigate Technology
Enjoy the world of automation and never worry about manually carrying out tasks again! A digital strategist will know how to navigate the best software and technology to schedule set tasks outlined in the digital marketing strategy.
Ready to Build Your Online Presence with an Expert Partner?
Creating a smart and effective digital marketing strategy can be a complicated process, as it requires thorough research and obtaining deep insights into your customers’ behaviors and needs.
For a busy business owner, time is at a premium. So creating a digital strategy takes time and can fall by the wayside easily. This is where hiring experts can really benefit your business.
Contact Us Today
Don’t miss out on the real growth a strong digital marketing strategy can bring to your business. Our team of experts at ContentFirst.Marketing creates well-written content with a data-driven strategy behind it. Lastly, we get you results you can measure for the business you’ve worked hard to build. So, schedule your free business review to learn more.
