DIGITAL

MARKETING

BEST PRACTICES GUIDE

 DIGITAL MARKETING Best Practices Guide

Table of Contents
Executive Summary 3

What is Digital Marketing? 6

Digital Marketing & The MMO 11

Digital Marketing Roles Matrix 18

Digital Marketing Maturity Model 20

Digital Marketing Landscape 23

Analyst Bottom Line 35

Action Plan 36

About Demand Metric 46

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY DIGITAL MARKETING BEST PRACTICES GUIDE 3

Executive Summary
It has been said that “All Marketing is Digital Marketing,” and with good
reason! In the last decade (or less), the marketing environment has been
This report covers:
transformed.

Marketing has moved from an environment in which traditional marketing, Content Marketing
brick and mortar storefronts, and Digital Marketing options all competed
for the time, attention, and resources of the marketing department to
one in which Digital Marketing reigns supreme – with an occasional nod
in the direction of the storefront, or traditional marketing (direct mail,
Social Media Marketing
print advertising, etc.).

One of the biggest challenges of Digital Marketing is the speed at which

it has taken over the marketing organization, often in an ad hoc, uncoor- Mobile Marketing
dinated fashion.

Demand Metric’s research has consistently shown that Digital Marketing

has a very significant and positive impact on the organizations that are
Video Marketing
employing it when they do so by following best practices and processes in
a coordinated, holistic approach.

In this Best Practices Report on Digital Marketing we will cover the Digital Public Relations
Marketing landscape in six distinct categories.

Action Plan
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY DIGITAL MARKETING BEST PRACTICES GUIDE 4

We present four models to enable Modern Marketers to take a holistic approach to Digital Marketing. These four models are:

The Modern Marketing Department Structure, which The Digital Marketing Maturity Model, which shows the
offers a look at the key functions needed to fully address pathway an organization should take to mature in its use
Digital Marketing initiatives across the organization. of Digital Marketing from Ad Hoc to World Class.

DIGITAL MARKETING
Maturity Model

STAGE 4 - World-Class
STAGE 3 - Mature
STAGE 2 - Progressive
Digital STAGE 1 - Undefined
Marketing
Defined, integrated strategy for Digital
Marketing exists across an Enterprise;
Defined, integrated strategy and

VIEW RESOURCE VIEW RESOURCE

No defined strategy or process for
Orientation
Digital Marketing or digital properties
Defined strategy and processes exist Campaigns are tracked and measured
processes exist for Digital Marketing
for Digital Marketing in pockets in the by effectiveness of engagement and
across an Enterprise
organization conversion

Views Digital Marketing as key

Leadership Does not see difference between
Digital and Traditional Marketing
Views digital as new marketing
channel; Allocates budget & staff
resources
Recognizes that Digital Marketing is omni-
channel and the key component in audi-
ence engagement to drive preference &
loyalty; Long term commitment; Willing
participant; Resources for growth
component in customer engage-
ment strategy and primary focus
for marketing team; Organization
aligned and measured around
Digital Marketing’s contribution to
revenue

Utilizes comprehensive, end-to-end

Tools &
Platforms Ad hoc development; Point tools
for Email, Content and Social Media
Marketing; No mobile or video apps
Platforms that perform specific func-
tions with coordinated tools, applica-
tions and workflows
Platforms connected to each other i.e.
Web Content Management to Content
Marketing to Social Listening API
integration to Enterprise CRM and MA
systems
system integration of all Digital
Marketing related platforms with tight
integration to Enterprise CRM, MA and
other legacy ERP systems

The Marketing Organization Maturity Model, which The Digital Marketing Roles Matrix, which highlights the
shows the progression and pathway a marketing depart- roles, responsibilities, processes, technology, content,
ment should take to mature from a Cost Center to a World and metrics for effective Digital Marketing strategies.
Class Organization, responsible for, and measured on,
driving sales and revenue.

WORLD CLASS
MARKETING ORGANIZATION
Maturity Model
VIEW RESOURCE
LEVEL 4 - Profit Center
LEVEL 3 - Revenue Contributor
LEVEL 2 - Revenue Neutral
World Class
Marketing LEVEL 1 - Cost Center
Organization

Orientation Very reactive, operational, not

Still reactive, some campaign plan-
ning, no strategic plan
Working from a strategic marketing
plan and campaign plans VIEW RESOURCE
Marketing plan aligned with and
drives business planning

strategic, no plan

CMO, VPs, Directors, Managers

Leadership
No senior leadership in
Marketing, possibly a Manager
VP, Director of Marketing, and Program Managers
Director of Marketing, with Program Managers
Project or Program Managers

CMO compensation tied

Job descriptions & performance to revenue & marketing
Basic job descriptions in place reviews done regularly performance
Staffing Informal roles & responsibilities, but rarely updated
no job description

Budgeting is connected to
A budget exists and business revenue growth targets
A small budget exists for items cases are created to justify
Budget such as trade shows, etc.
No budget exists, spending is spend
Ad Hoc
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Our goal is to enable the Modern Marketing Organization (MMO) to create
a holistic, end-to-end, enterprise-level approach to Digital Marketing.
Here are some of the highlights:
The depth and breadth of Digital Marketing has created a compelling
need within the MMO to gain control of it.
Digital Marketing has evolved in four stages, externally and internally.
Externally, we have seen the customer experience mature from mass
display and broadcast to highly personalized real-time experiences.
Internally, we have seen technologies mature from ad hoc point solu-
tions to fully integrated, end-to-end systems connected across the
Enterprise, at every touchpoint and delivery channel.
DIGITAL MARKETING BEST PRACTICES GUIDE 5
Our Solutions section covers the Digital Marketing systems, vendors, and
applications from the five Digital Marketing functions: Content Marketing,
Social Media Marketing, Mobile Marketing, Video Marketing, and Public
Relations.
Each of these categories is covered in more detail in our Digital Marketing
Solution Study Series.
Additionally, Digital Marketing teams need to evaluate and integrate their
approach to websites, landing pages and microsites, online advertising
and SEO, creative design services, and virtual events.
Demand Metric’s key recommendation from this report is
that Digital Marketing can make a significant and positive
impact on organizations that are employing it, when they
do so by following best practices and processes holistically
integrated across the five key categories listed above.
We offer this Best Practices Report to enable your organization
to make your Digital Marketing function the best that it can be.
WHAT IS DIGITAL MARKETING? DIGITAL MARKETING BEST PRACTICES GUIDE 6

What is Digital Marketing?

Demand Metric defines Digital Marketing as:

The strategies, processes, tools, and technologies

that support the development, deployment,
management, and measurement of digital
elements used for marketing and advertising.

Digital Marketing is, at its most basic, the use of electronic means to present
a company, product, and services to customers, prospective buyers, and the
marketplace.

The term Digital Marketing is so broad that it has almost lost all contextual
meaning. The purpose of this report is to put a solid framework around
Digital Marketing so that Modern Marketing Organizations can measure
their progress and success in achieving their Digital Marketing goals.

Broadly, Digital Marketing includes the creation and distribution of marketing

through software, the Internet, and Social Media. It also covers the produc-
tion of documents by electronic means such as digital printing. Since virtually
all documents today are designed in software such as Adobe Photoshop or
InDesign and printed on digital printers, it is easy to see why we say all
marketing is Digital Marketing.
Bottom-line
Digital Marketing drives revenue by creating a unique and
memorable digital experience for the customer or prospect.
WHAT IS DIGITAL MARKETING? DIGITAL MARKETING BEST PRACTICES GUIDE 7

Driving Forces
Marketing’s focus on Digital Marketing continues to grow as more orga- FIGURE 1: PERCENTAGE OF MARKETING BUDGET
nizations learn how to use digital resources for website traffic, demand ALLOCATED TO DIGITAL
generation, content marketing, online advertising, and mobile/video
marketing development.

The most sophisticated marketers realize that the value of Digital 6%

Marketing is not just for lead generation and nurturing, advertising, and 14% Don’t know
content marketing. More than 85%
4%
None
The true power rests in creating digital experiences that can drive
brand equity, create lasting relationships, and directly impact sales, 10%
revenues, and profits. 61 to 85%

Demand Metric’s Digital Marketing Landscape Benchmark Report exam-

28%
1 to 15%
ined the major factors driving Digital Experiences including budgets, 8%
creation priorities, platforms, sophistication of digital experiences, 46 to 60%
approaches, and measurements.
18%
16 to 30%

12%
31 to 45%
VIEW RESOURCE
WHAT IS DIGITAL MARKETING? DIGITAL MARKETING BEST PRACTICES GUIDE 8

Here are some conclusions from the report:

58% of study participants are allocating less than half of their budgets FIGURE 2: DIGITAL EXPERIENCE CREATION PRIORITY
to digital marketing, which leaves room for growth. Yet, marketers
have long understood that the digital marketing dollar goes farther
than the traditional marketing dollar, so the budget for digital initia- 8% 3%
tives don’t directly indicate their impact (Figure 1). Low Very low

59% of study participants rated the creation of digital experiences

either “high” or “very high” as a marketing priority (Figure 2).
24%
A relationship exists between placing a high priority on digital expe- Very high
rience marketing and revenue growth. 76% of study participants that
reported revenue growth in the most recent fiscal year also put a high
priority on digital experience creation. For organizations that reported
30%
Moderate
declining revenue growth, only 6% reported that digital experience
creation was a high priority.
35%
High

The more sophisticated or advanced the digital experience, the more

magnified the effect is on brand perception: 91% of study participants that
are deploying sophisticated digital experiences report that these efforts
have a favorable influence on brand perception. At the basic level of
sophistication, only 50% of participants report this favorable impact.

For organizations in which sophistication is advanced in the creation

of digital experiences, 83% are also experiencing revenue growth.
Just 6% and 11% of organizations, respectively, that are also deploying
advanced or more sophisticated digital experiences are in flat or
declining revenue growth situations.
WHAT IS DIGITAL MARKETING? DIGITAL MARKETING BEST PRACTICES GUIDE 9

Benefits of Digital Marketing

The benefits of effective Digital Marketing span across the MMO, touching
several roles and departments, including Senior Management, Strategic
Communications, Demand Generation, Content Marketing, Community,
Social Media, Public Relations, Product Marketing, and Customer Experience.

Here are some of the top benefits we have observed in a comprehen-

sive look at Digital Marketing. More benefits, directly related to each
category, are found in the respective solution studies.

9 Provides a native mobile customer experience, not one re-designed

1 Creates the best digital experience to drive engagement.
from web.
2 Creates an ongoing, real-time relationship with customers and
10 Gets an integrated view of the customer’s total experience that is
prospects.
not fragmented by the device and software they are using.
3 Drives brand perception across all channels and touch points.
11 Stays connected to the customer as they move from PC to phone to
4 Provides targeted, personalized, localized content at the right audi- tablet and back.
ence at the right time.
12 Provides better customer service by handling problems and
5 Increases conversion rates across all media channels. complaints quickly and personally using social listening.

6 Provides a consistent customer experience by providing content for 13 Gains product knowledge for future products and services by
a specific buyer persona at a targeted stage in the buyer’s journey. learning what customers are asking for on social networks.

7 Increases website and blog traffic and SEO.
8 Collects more relevant and accurate customer data across multiple
touch points.
14 Learns who has the influence and clout in various social communi-
ties and develops deeper relationships with them.
15 Uses video to provide collateral for social marketing, enhance
content initiatives, and produce more realistic customer experiences.
WHAT IS DIGITAL MARKETING? DIGITAL MARKETING BEST PRACTICES GUIDE 10

Barriers to Digital Marketing

Despite the benefits being achieved by those doing Digital Marketing
well, some marketing organizations continue to struggle with the transi-
tion from traditional to Digital Marketing.

Not surprisingly, the two key barriers to embracing Digital Marketing

are education and resources.

Marketing organizations already stretched for time and money are reluc-
tant to take on more responsibility or embrace change. Much of this is
driven by Senior Management leadership.

Senior Management that discounts or views Digital

Marketing as just another channel option do not expend
the resources to create engaging digital experiences, while
those that see digital as the primary marketing channel see
significant revenue gains.
DIGITAL MARKETING & THE MMO DIGITAL MARKETING BEST PRACTICES GUIDE 11

Digital Marketing & The MMO

Overview
The wide variety of Digital Marketing opportunities has created a compel- Our Digital Marketing Solution Studies can be best described as follows:
ling need within the MMO to gain control of Digital Marketing.
Our Content Marketing Solution Study looks at the
In most companies, Digital Marketing has grown organically with many
range of content platforms.
independent initiatives cropping up to address one marketing need after
another. We examine the landscape, vendors and solutions for the
three foundation platforms – Web Content Management
Unlike the days of yore when all computers and systems were under the (WCM), Content Marketing (CMS), and Content Distribu-
control of IT departments, Digital Marketing’s budgets, tools, and tech- tion (CDS).
nologies are spread across the organization and “in the cloud.”
These platforms and toolsets provide the structure that
The challenge with that approach is that the success rate of Digital content marketers need to create relevant and personal-
Marketing initiatives are limited when they do not include enterprise ized content for each of their individual audiences.
data integration with existing CRM, SFA, and Marketing Automation
systems.

To address that challenge for the MMO, this report, combined with our
CONTENT
Solution Study Series, examine the primary platforms for five digital func- MARKETING VIEW RESOURCE
Solution Study

tions – Content Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Mobile Marketing,

Video Marketing, and Public Relations.
Insights, Landscape, & Vendor Analysis
DIGITAL MARKETING & THE MMO DIGITAL MARKETING BEST PRACTICES GUIDE 12

Our Social Media Marketing Solution Study examines Our Video Marketing Solution Study examines the land-
Social Media strategies and processes on four key plat- scape, vendors, and solutions for video development,
forms – Social Listening, Social Engagement, Social Expe- production, and marketing.
rience, Social Analytics, and the major Social Networks.
We evaluate the primary video hosting and sharing plat-
forms that enable marketers to provide information,
education, advice, and/or entertainment to their target
SOCIAL MEDIA audiences.
MARKETING VIEW RESOURCE
Solution Study

Insights, Landscape, & Vendor Analysis

VIDEO
MARKETING VIEW RESOURCE
Solution Study

Our Mobile Marketing Solution Study is designed to

provide a solid understanding of the current Mobile
Insights, Landscape, & Vendor Analysis
Marketing environment.
We examine the landscape, vendors, and solutions for
two categories of Mobile Marketing – Mobile Application Our Public Relations Solution Study provides insights
Development (MADP) and Mobile Content Development & and analysis to help marketers understand the solutions
Management (MCDP) – to enable marketers to incorporate
available to help the modern PR practitioner.
mobile within their broader Digital Marketing Strategy.

PUBLIC
MOBILE RELATIONS VIEW RESOURCE
MARKETING VIEW RESOURCE Solution Study
Solution Study

Insights, Landscape, & Vendor Analysis

Insights, Landscape, & Vendor Analysis

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