This document provides an overview of key concepts for digital marketing including how to frame a digital marketing plan, common digital marketing models, using analytics to understand website usage, defining target audiences, understanding user goals through personas, mapping the customer journey, and developing an effective content strategy. The digital marketing models section outlines the discovery, definition, design, development, and delivery phases commonly used to execute digital marketing plans. Analytics, target audiences, personas, customer journeys, and content strategy are discussed as important elements for informing digital marketing strategies and optimizing the customer experience.

1. A Practitioner's Guide to Digital
Marketing
BMC 319-001
Downtown Campus 906, 8th Ave SW, Calgary,
Room: 222
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2. Digital Marketing
Digital Marketing
2 Questions:
2 Questions:
How do we frame our Plan?
How do we frame our Plan?
How do execute on that Plan? 2
How do execute on that Plan?

3. Digital Marketing Models
his is what we use to execute the plan…
Based on industry best practices that ensure end-to-end project integrity. Its methodology is designed to
specifically accommodate the needs of digital marketing. Under normal circumstances, this process allows
ample room for the creative process to unfold while preserving the discipline of technology-based project
management.
Discovery: Opportunity, initiation, audits,
primary and secondary research and interviews,
analysis and strategy, personas, creative and
technical briefing.
Definition: Concept and strategic development,
design concepts, wireframes, site maps, business
and functional requirements, solution architecture,
production plan.
Design: Experience validation, creative and
technical solutions, and functional prototyping.
Development: Creative and technical
production, documentation, backend support and
integration, quality assurance and testing.
Delivery: Launch, end-to-end system testing,
localization of languages, deployment, optimization
and maintenance. 3
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4. Digital Marketing Models
his is what we use to execute the plan…
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5. Upon successful completion of this course, you will be
able to:
•Apply Digital and Integrated marketing models as described in
this course
•Conduct a competitive audit of your Website using best-practice tools
•Understand the fundamentals of target
audience definition, including user goals
and persona creation
•Understand the importance of User Experience Design and Website usability
•Understand the importance of
Information Architecture
•Conduct a content audit and understand
the basics of copywriting for the Web
•Understand technology considerations that affect the success of Digital
marketing
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6. Analytics
Analytics
How are people using our website?
How are people using our website?
What insights can we gather?
What insights can we gather?
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7. Analytics 101
Visitors Content Traffic Sources
1. Is traffic to my website 4. What pages of my site 7. What traffic sources —
growing, declining or are most useful to direct (typing a URL), referral,
stagnating? What are the visitors? search engine or paid ads
trends? — are driving visits to my
Stats to focus on: Top site?
Stats to focus on: Visits per content, content by title,
period vs last period; absolute bounce rate Stat to focus on: Traffic
unique visitors per period vs. Sources Overview
last 5. Where do visitors first percentages
land, and how do they
proceed through the site? 8. What other websites are
2. How useful are visitors
finding the site? What are the referring visitors to my
Stats to focus on: Top site?
trends? In essence, are users
landing pages, click
engaged? patterns Stat to focus on: Referring
sites
Stats to focus on: Average 6. From what pages do
pageviews, time on site visitors exit the site? 9. What keywords are
driving traffic?
3. Who are my Stat to focus on: Top exit
visitors? Where do they live? pages Stats to focus
Are they new visitors or returning?
on: Keywords and phrases
Stats to focus on: Map
overlay and new vs
returning
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8. Target Audience
Target Audience
How do we know who we are talking to?
How do we know who we are talking to?
How do we use this information to inform our thinking?
How do we use this information to inform our thinking?
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9. Target Audience Definition
Are your target
customers male
or female?
How old are
they? Where do
they live? Is
geography a
limiting factor
for any reason?
What do they do
for a living?
How much money
do they make?
This is most
significant if
you're selling
relatively
expensive or
luxury items.
Most people can
afford a cup of
coffee. You
can't say the
same of a car.
What other
aspects of their
lives matter?
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10. “Design for
“Design for
somebody, alienate
somebody, alienate
nobody”.
nobody”.
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11. Customer Ecosystem
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12. User goals
User goals
One of the keys to success for an online property is that ititaligns itself with user goals.
One of the keys to success for an online property is that aligns itself with user goals.
The ideal state is to know and understand the user’s goal when visiting the site in order to facilitate their experience and
The ideal state is to know and understand the user’s goal when visiting the site in order to facilitate their experience and
assist them in accomplishing their tasks.
assist them in accomplishing their tasks.
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13. Organizational vs. User
Organization User
• Organizational Effectiveness • Ease of Use
• Convert sales and transactions to • Clarity around how I can
lower cost channels (cost per accomplish my goals.
interaction) • “I just want to the buy the darn
• Lead Generation and thing”
Qualification • Don’t make me use more than
• Deeper Customer Insight one channel (or experience) to
• One-to-one Marketing accomplish my goals.
• Customer Delight
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14. User Goals
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15. Personas
Personas
AAuser persona is aarepresentation of the goals and behavior of aareal group of users, based on their
user persona is representation of the goals and behavior of real group of users, based on their
demographics. We use them to determine how to align organizational goals with those of end users.
demographics. We use them to determine how to align organizational goals with those of end users.
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16. Persona
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17. Customer Journey
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18. Content Strategy
Content Strategy
How do we organize and write our content for the digital context?
How do we organize and write our content for the digital context?
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19. Why is Content
Why is Content
Important?
Important?
Content is aaStrategic Brand Asset, and should be treated as such
Content is Strategic Brand Asset, and should be treated as such
Content is aalarge part of the user/customer experience
Content is large part of the user/customer experience
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20. Content Strategy
1. Conduct a Content Inventory
2. Weed out the ROT (Redundant, Outdated,
Trivial)
3. Content Quality Checklist
4. Look for overall Trends
5. Establish an Content Plan
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21. Content Quality Checklist
Characteristics
Usefulness & Relevance:
Does the content meet user needs, goals, and interests?
Does the content meet business goals?
For how long will the content be useful? When should it expire? Has its usefulness already expired?
Is the content timely and relevant?
Clarity & Accuracy:
Is the content understandable to customers?
Is the content organized logically & coherently?
Is the content correct?
Does the content contain factual errors, typos, or grammatical errors?
Do images, video, and audio meet technical standards, so they are clear?
Influence & Engagement:
Does the content use the most appropriate techniques to influence or engage customers?
Does the content execute those techniques effectively?
Does the content use too many or too few techniques for the context?
Completeness:
Does the content include all of the information customers need or might want about a topic?
Does the content include too much or too little information about a topic for the context?
http://www.uxmatters.com/mt/archives/2009/04/toward-content-quality.php
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22. Content Quality Checklist
Characteristics
Voice & Style:
Does the content consistently reflect the editorial or brand voice?
Does its tone adjust appropriately to the context—for example, sales versus customer service?
Does the content convey the appropriate editorial and brand qualities?
Does the content seem to have a style? If so, does the content adhere to it consistently?
Does the content read, look, or sound as though it’s professionally crafted
Usability & Findability:
Is the content easy to scan or read?
Is the content in a usable format, including headings, bulleted lists, tables, white space, or similar techniques, as
appropriate to the content?
Does the content have the appropriate metadata?
Does the content follow search engine optimization (SEO) guidelines—such as using keywords—without sacrificing
quality in other areas?
Can customers find the content when searching using relevant keywords?
Format:
Text, PDF, image, outside link, etc.
Audience:
For which target audience is the content intended?
Is the content aligned with business or user goals?
http://www.uxmatters.com/mt/archives/2009/04/toward-content-quality.php
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23. Establish a Content Plan
• Testing content with users: Incorporate questions about content in
your user interviews, focus groups, usability tests, and surveys
• Monitoring content metrics : Engagement is a metric that suits
content well. For content that’s meant to support conversions, tracking whether
conversions increase after improving content is important
• Establishing governance: Have a group of stakeholders from across
the company or organization meet regularly to oversee major content decisions
• Applying the publishing model to content For major content
efforts, a publishing structure and related tools—such as an editorial calendar—
are a natural fit
• Incorporating content guides, standards, and tips into
CMS
• Maintaining the meta-data
• Hiring employees, consultants, and agencies who
care about content
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24. opywriting for the Web – Top 5 errors
Error
Error #1 : Writing • Before you start writing, collect feedback from customers and prospects.
Ask them why they buy from you, why they don’t, and how doing business
Inwardly with you has affected them.
• Start with an outline. Associate every feature with a benefit and every
benefit with an experience.
• Have a customer read a draft and then explain to you why they would want
to buy the product. If the customer “gets it,” you’re a star.
• Do the same thing with a person who knows nothing about your product
and industry.
Error #2: Burying • Before writing, ask, What is the key takeaway I want visitors to have after
they visit this page? That’s your lead.
the Lead • Highlight your lead idea in a bold font. This is especially helpful when you
can’t work it into the first sentence.
• Use plain language.
• Keep your most important points above the fold, as sub-headings, as the
first sentence of a paragraph and as bullet points.
http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2011/06/29/five-copywriting-errors-that-can-ruin-a-company-website/
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25. opywriting for the Web – Top 5 errors
Error
Error #3: Mediocre Meta Title
The meta title describes the subject matter of the page and is ideally 65
Meta Data characters or fewer. Visitors see the meta title in their browser tab and in
search engine results; it is the most important piece of information that
Google and other engines read on a given page.
Meta Description
The meta description, ideally 155 characters or fewer, is a snippet of text that
is displayed under a link on a search engine results page (SERP). The meta
description has little if any SEO value but is important for conversions.
Error #4: Saying too • Brevity, brevity.
Much
Error #5: Weak or no • CTAs generally fall into one of four types, listed here in descending order
of commitment:
Calls to Action • Place an order;
• Enroll, subscribe, enter;
• Get a quote;
• Learn more.
http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2011/06/29/five-copywriting-errors-that-can-ruin-a-company-website/
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26. Information
Information
Architecture
Architecture
How do we structure our website?
How do we structure our website?
What are the organizing principles?6
What are the organizing principles?
2
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27. Information Architecture
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28. Information Architecture
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29. Site map
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30. Wireframes
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31. 31

32. Site map
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33. Card Sort Exercise
Card Sort Exercise
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34. Requirements
Requirements
Gathering
Gathering
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35. 35

36. User Stories
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37. Mobile
Mobile
What makes mobile different?
What makes mobile different?
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38. Mobile Market
The mobile landscape is changing rapidly, particularly in
Canada. Blackberry continues its sharp decline while
Android phones continue to gain market share.
Canada U.S.
Source: StatCounter Global Stats. Q3/2011 – Q3/2012. http://gs.statcounter.com/#mobile_os-US-quarterly-201103-201203
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39. Defining Mobile Optimization
Not Functional on Functional / Mobile Optimized Mobile Specific
Mobile Devices Viewable on or App
Mobile Devices
Cannot view or interact with Site is visible and usable on Mobile-specific styling of Unique site experience and
site on mobile devices. “current” mobile devices (e.g. content and/or navigation. content for mobile devices or
Typically are flash with no iPhones, touchsceen Same content as full site. the development of a native
back-up graphics. Blackberry). Flash elements app specifically designed for
replaced with backup the device.
graphics.
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40. ‘Featured’ Mobile
Content
Ideally, a website should be fully optimized for
mobile. The optimization and promotion of
‘featured’ mobile content should only be
considered if:
•The Target Audiences being considered warrants
specific and immediate attention –
•A review of Analytics supports the fact that these
audiences are accessing via mobile
•Due to the site’s size and complexity, a pilot or phased
approach is desired
•A more detailed content audit and site inventory is
necessary before optimizing the entire site
•The target audiences in question do not warrant the
development of a native mobile app (ROI)
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41. Progressive Enhancement
Progressive enhancement is the separation of HTML, CSS and
JavaScript. Which in turn, separates what the user can see in
terms of their mobile experience. In its essence, we let the
‘user device’ (browser) ‘decide’ what it is capable of
handling .
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42. A Practitioner's Guide to Digital
Marketing
BMC 319-001
Downtown Campus 906, 8th Ave SW, Calgary,
Room: 222
42