Ask These Questions to Make Online Easier

Back in 2013, 76% of marketers believed marketing had changed more in the prior two years than in the last 50, according to an Adobe survey.

I’d say 100% of them were right—and even more change has happened in the four years since.

The obvious accelerator has been digital. Today, most independent agencies struggle to efficiently manage online marketing. Many have made peace with doing “just enough” online—a website and maybe a Facebook page or Twitter account.

But for long-term business success, a scattered approach that makes online an afterthought simply won’t work. So how can agencies transform their marketing approach?

Perhaps the answer to this modern problem is an old piece of advice from last century’s management expert, W. Edwards Deming: “If you can’t describe what you’re doing as a process, you don’t know what you’re doing.”

Most marketers are guilty of focusing almost exclusively on content, giving little thought to first figuring out how they’ll actually execute digital marketing within the confines of an already robust day-to-day business operations model.

Think about your agency’s digital efforts. Do you know who does what, when and how? Although each agency online process map will be unique based on size, goals, strategy and resources, you must be able to answer the following questions:

• Who manages each online vehicle? What happens when they’re not available?
• How do you measure, evaluate, update and edit posts?
• Do you dedicate time each day to checking customer posts? Who provides responses? Does the answer differ by inquiry type?
• How often do you update your web content? Do you include SEO keywords?
• Which resources or outside publications are approved for content generation?
• Who proofs or approves content before posting?
• How do you manage passwords and access? What happens when someone leaves the agency?
• What are your communication goals? How will you know you succeeded?

It may be daunting to begin mapping out the actual tactics, but building a thoughtful, planned digital process has become absolutely mandatory, just as it is for sales leads, underwriting and claims. Online marketing is the most effective, direct line of communication that you have with your clients and prospects. Don’t leave it to chance.

Amy Skidmore is an IA contributor.