Let's say you lived in New York City and wanted to travel to New Zealand. How would you get there? Would you drive there? Would you walk? Swim? Take a taxi?
No, of course not. You'd take an airplane and fly to New Zealand. Why? Because the destination requires a specific method of getting there. In other words, your goal (getting to New Zealand) determines your game plan (how you get there). A profitable digital marketing strategy works the same way. Your first step is to define your mission. What are you trying to achieve? What is the goal? What is the result/outcome you want? What would online marketing success look like for your business/organization?
Can you imagine if the Navy SEALs or Army went into battle without a clear mission? No one would know what they were supposed to be doing, who they were (and weren't) supposed to be fighting, or what the main objective of the battle was. The result of going into battle without a clearly defined mission would be catastrophic. Yet, many businesses and nonprofits make a similar mistake when it comes to digital marketing: They go into 'battle' without a clear mission.
What's a mission? It's an objective (goal/outcome/result) that you are trying to accomplish.Your digital marketing mission determines your game plan: HOW you will go about achieving the objective. A clear mission gives clarity to what you should (and shouldn't) be doing online, and without one, you will try a bunch of random digital marketing tactics, waste time (and money), and see inconsistent results in your marketing.
As the late Zig Ziglar once said, "If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time." So it is with your digital marketing: You need to know what you are aiming at - what you are trying to achieve - in order to know if your time, energy, and money has been invested wisely.
"Okay Roman, I get it. So how do I get clear on my digital marketing mission?" Let's do an example exercise together. EXAMPLE: A dentist in Arkansas wants to get found online and attract new patients who live 15 miles around her clinic, while also providing an easier way for her patients (new and current) to schedule their appointments. Her digital marketing mission is twofold:
This is a great starting point, and now we're closer to getting into the nitty gritty tactics of what we're going to do to achieve this mission. So, what is your digital marketing mission? Here are some possibilities to help you gain clarity:
Are you ready to get found online and grow your revenue? The fastest way to defining and carrying out your digital marketing mission is working with a trusted team of experts. Get a FREE proposal today to get started!
