The document presents a session on elevating strategic perspectives in digital marketing, highlighting the complexities of search marketing and the evolving technology landscape. It outlines the need for marketers to adopt three habits—asking why, stopping to map direction, and thinking bigger—to align tactical actions with business goals. Ultimately, the emphasis is on the importance of strategic direction in an increasingly complex marketing environment to drive innovative efforts.

1. Digital Strategy
Elevating Your Strategic Perspective

2. • You are here to:
• Learn. Think. Grow. Network.
• In this session I will share:
• Two thoughts on why you need to
elevate
• Three habits to help you elevate
ElevatingYourStrategicPerspective

3. Started Search Agency Sharplink in 2001
 Long enough ago to be penalized by Florida
Founded B2B Agency Faction Media in 2005
 First recognized/awarded B2B Domain relocation
 Nominated for SEMPO Board of Directors in 2008
 3 years on Inc’s 5000 fastest growing companies
Developed Strategy practice at Siteworx in 2014
Elevated digital direction for 25+ Fortune 1000 clients
Steve Riegel – Why I am on the Soapbox today?

4. 7Minute Perspective

5. Just two things to think about,
Search is growing more
complex…

6. Search is consistently changing, its why you are here…
 Search Marketing makes up 47% of Online
Advertising Spend with paid options expanding
across tactics and channels to target audiences
 SEO tactics continue to evolve across Content,
Links, Local, Negative, Authorship, Mobile and
Social to address algorithmic needs
 The Search technology/SAAS ecosystem is
expanding from tracking positioning, to link
analysis, to content/format suggestions to digital
integration to ad buying

7. …you are trying to stay educated to elevate above everyone else
 Your organization
 Your clients
 Your competitors
 Marketing Consultants
 Denver’s Agencies
 Agencies beyond Denver
Google’s Marketing Agencies Map of Denver

8. …but you should understand,
Marketing is growing in complexity
and this requires elevated strategic
conversations.

9. Marketing technology options are driving complexity…
Evolution of search Over 2,000 marketing
named technology
platforms across 43
categories ranging from
experiences to buying to
Marcom
 Over $25 billion spent
across these options in
2014
 Marcom is weighing in on
Business & IT operations too

10. …and marketers are struggling to set a strategic direction
 While Digital ad spending rose 17.7% in 2014 and
will rise another 15.5% in 2015, fueled by mobile
efforts…
 …the Forrester/DMN Q4 2014 North American
Digital Marketing Online Survey revealed that
Marketers are unclear as to what works for
them digitally because of gaps in strategy,
execution, skills, and technology.
• Nearly 100% believe digital will play a
significantly important role in their
marketing strategy
• 53% said their approach to digital
marketing is more tactical and reactive
than strategic
• 43% are still experimenting with digital
marketing and do not yet know what
works.
- Forrester Research Apr 7, 2015
Client Side Perspective

11. Marketers have a lot of things to think about (including search)…
Evolution of search
Marketing & Customer Strategy eCommerce & Digital Development Content & Campaign Management
Purpose Platform Practice
Vision
Maturity Modeling, Roadmaps,
Forecasting, Financial Modeling, Vendor
Selection, Summits (QBR’s)
Digital Experience
Strategy
Business Objectives, Digital, Creative, Content,
Technology & Information Architecture, Resources,
Processes, Assessment & Recommendations
Research
Primary/Secondary Research, Competitive
Analysis, Customer/User Experience/Prospect,
VOC, Segmentation, Gap Analysis
Customer Experience
Digital Experience, Omni-Channel Persona
Development, Creative Direction, Journey
Mapping, Experience Valuations
Mobile/Web
Installation, Front/Back Dev, App Design, QA,
Interface Design, Integration, Migration, UAT,
Configuration, Managed Services/Hosting, Support
eCommerce/PIM
Installation, QA, Integration, Managed
Services/Hosting
Automation/Systems
Integration, Configuration, QA, Digital
Asset Management, CRM, Marketing
Automation
Experimental
Interface Design, Interactive
Experiences, Digital POS, QA
Content/Experiential
Multichannel Experience Design, Brand and
Identification Systems, Visual Design,
Production, Digital Engagement, Storyboard
Campaign Management
Channel or Omni (Search, Social, Email, Display,
Mobile), Design, Execution, Lead Management,
Operations
Data Management & Reporting
Collection, Integration, Hosting,
Ongoing Reporting & Analysis,
Dashboards, Quarterly Reviews
Analytics & Optimization
Implementation, Campaign, Conversion
Funnel, Spend, Cross-Sell/Up-Sell, Lead
Scoring, Testing & Targeting, Predictive
Devices
Channels
Systems
PURPOSE PLATFORM PRACTICE

12. …to execute innovative marketing efforts across all things digital …
Coke Cola Merging Form and Function 2014 – Personalization, Location and Scale
…and even beyond “traditional digital”. The possibilities are
expanding.
Home Depot Mobile App – In App Beacons, Store Traffic and Opportunities 2015

13. So what does this mean …
you will need to develop habits
to elevate your strategic
perspective.

14. 3 Habits to Elevate Your Strategic Perspective
 Ask when its implied
 Keeping asking until clarity
 Playback audience viewpoints
 Internally and externally
Be more than Hands
ASK WHY
Develop Strategic Elevation
THINK BIGGER
 Gather information
 Place context into your content
Create Perspective
STOP AND MAP DIRECTION
 Align tactics to business goals
 Prioritize Objectives
 Link tactics to Biz outcomes

15. STOP AND MAP DIRECTION THINK BIGGERASK WHY
Marketers are focused on tactics, help them set direction by getting them to articulate the why behind the tactics
Situation
Customer
Fix out of warranty
Dishwasher
What is wrong?
When can I fix it?
Service? Parts? Me?
Give me my options cleanly.
Don’t frustrate me.
Google Search for ”Brand
Dishwasher will not start."
Land me where it makes
sense to solve my problem.
Diagnosis my options
Objective Data Collection Personalize DisplayQuestions Channel
$
Optimize Actions
Get my washer fixed
Expose Content &
Capabilities
Dishwasher
info/parts/service
options
What does this person
need?
Terms/referral/location/landing
page/past behavior/customer
info
Personalization/Profiling/Pr
edictive
Manual, Common problems,
Service availability options,
Ease of DIY
Where did you come from?
Where do I talk to you?
Search Engine, but have we
seen you before?
What can we grab? What
do we know?
Brand Dishwasher not
starting, but do we have a
segment or profile? Out of
warranty
Retailer
Get the customer what
they need
Display (and test) tools
to make a decision on
what to do next. Learn
what works
Decisioning Layer Activation
Playback on Why – National Retailer DIY vs DIFM

16. Now that you know the why’s, help them align tactics to business goals by mapping out where things fit and tie to desired outcomes.
Situation
EVOLVEALIGN STOP AND MAP DIRECTION
Vision
Big Purpose Idea
Strategic Outcomes
Growth into New
Target
Segments
Expand share of
wallet in base
Strengthen
Competitive/Operati
onal Position
Consumer
Enablement/Experie
nce
Maximize Channel
Relations
Strategic Objectives
Establish
competitive position
Drive awareness
and action
Maximize
Market Share
Develop/Support
Channel Relations
Acquisition
Engage/Convert
Retention
• Expand Audiences
• Identify/ target
audiences/Geo
• Content Creation
• Personalization
• Paid/Earned/Owned Media
• Easier to access and buy
• Ubiquitous Software
• Ecommerce/Sell
Direct/Sell Channel
• Product Innovation?
• Content Creation
• Personalization
• Social Sharing
• Decisioning Analytics
• Affinity
• Email
• Cost Controls
• Product Innovation?
• Personalization
Emerging products front and
center in digital
communication
Leverage Brand
Strength/Efficiencies
Pre /Post Sale Experience
Support Channel partners
(content, distribution)
Leverage brand strength to
drive awareness and
creditability
Drive interest/adoption
through Information and
toolsets
Establish digital ecosystem
for
activation/Enablement/exper
ience
Recommended Actions Initial Digital Strategies/Tactics

17. Key Consideration
1 Onsite/Remote
2 Stakeholder Involvement
3 Agency Interaction
Deliverables
1 Day to Day Needs
2 Month to Month Projects
3 Monthly Program Management
THINK BIGGERASK WHY STOP AND MAP DIRECTION
• Spending 2-4 hours per month regularly reading up on the industry you are serving
• Seeking out the CEO talking points and spend 1 hour per month to reviewing
• Sharing monthly coffee conversations with trusted marketing friends that you don’t work with
• Combining & organizing this new context into your Strategic content (CRM, notes, journals, etc.)
Think Bigger by
The whys are mapped, the execution is under way, time to think about what’s next
Situation

18. The Conclusion
Elevating Your Strategic Perspective
Steve Riegel
Marketing is growing in complexity and
organizations are looking for strategic direction to
drive innovative efforts.
To stand out you need to develop three habits to
elevate your strategic perspective. Ask Why, Stop &
Map Direction and Think Bigger!
Steve Riegel
@faction
sriegel@siteworx.com
www.linkedin.com/in/steveriegel