One of the biggest problems for any startup or small business is that there is no template for digital strategy available. In this document, I've tried to cover very practical approach on how to break down your digital strategy process into stages that cuts across identifying & segmenting your target audience, choosing the right digital marketing channels and creating the marketing metrics to track your performance.

1. By Piyush Aggarwal
Digital Strategy Template
For Startups & Small Business

2. About me
Piyush Aggarwal
Digital & Startup Marketing Expert
www.piyushaggarwal.me
e: piyush@doubleback.in
t: www.twitter.com/iampiyusha
m: +91 9873660781

3. By Piyush Aggarwal
Often people don’t know where to start
from to create their digital “STRATEGY”
Incidentally, Microsoft Office does not offer any template for it

4. By Piyush Aggarwal
Lets start with few
basics, shall we?

5. By Piyush Aggarwal
“Hope” is not a strategy
so make strategy for getting results which is not based on hope
1.

6. By Piyush Aggarwal
The real strategy is always
“INVISIBLE”
You don’t need to see the strategy out there.
It should just work
2.

7. By Piyush Aggarwal
Before strategy, your “GOALS” should
be in sharp focus
Photo credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/my-other-eye/5823686330/in/photolist-9SBV41
3.
Making profit in business can’t be a goal, its an outcome.

8. By Piyush Aggarwal
Let’s SIMPLIFY
STRATEGY

9. By Piyush Aggarwal
Stage I - Concept
Development

10. By Piyush Aggarwal
Step 1 : Reality Check
Market
Competition
Price
SWOT
Analysis
• What’s the estimated market size (number of customers as well as total revenue of your product /
service?
• Top 5 customer segments
• Top 5 geo locations ( cities, countries )
• How much of your customer segment available online?
• Who are your top 5 direct competitors?
• Who are your top 10 in-direct competitors?
• What’s the max avg. annual revenue generated by top 5 players?
• What’s the average number of customers of top 5 players?
• What’s the avg.YOY growth rate of the top 5 & next 10 players?
• What’s the avg price of your product / service?
• Can it be purchase online?
• It is high margin, low volume or low margin, high volume?
• Does it require physical touch/ personal visit to close the deal?
• What are your business strengths? ( network, resources, partnerships etc.)
• What are you weakness due to which you think you can fail or get slow down?
• What are the key low hanging business opportunities?
• Are their any visible or hidden risks in the business?

11. By Piyush Aggarwal
Step 2: Goals & Targets
• Presence across
X locations
• % Market Share
Business
Goals
• Number of
orders / deals
• Avg Value /
Deal
Sales Goals
• Leads
Generated
• Prospects
Engaged
Marketing
Goals

12. By Piyush Aggarwal
Step 3a: Trends
Audience(Insights(
Business(
Trends(
Technology(
Trends(
Platform & Devices
Software & Tools
Data Security
DemographicPsychographic
Behavioral
Industry
Specific
Trends
Government
Policies
Social Media Trends
Customer Purchases

13. By Piyush Aggarwal
Step 3b: Derive Insights
• Who is your core target audience?
• Where is your core TA located (online & offline)?
• What’s their purchase life cycle? How long it takes
between first marketing message to purchase
decision?
• What excites them?
• What are my industry’s best practices?

14. By Piyush Aggarwal
Stage 1: Take aways
• Get your facts in place. Gather as much data before you
spend a single penny on digital marketing.
• Based on the insights, decide the following:
• Core target audience
• Technology (platform/devices)
• Expected return on investment
• Sales targets ( # customers / revenue )

15. By Piyush Aggarwal
Stage II - Strategy &
Planning

16. By Piyush Aggarwal
Important!
Nothing works if your “STRATEGY” is not
“INTEGRATED

17. By Piyush Aggarwal
Step 4: Strategy Wireframe
Integrated
Marketing
Communication
Customers &
Partners
Outreach
EmployeesMedia Shareholders
Brand Pitch - What you want to be perceived as? ( Trusted /
Quality / Customer Friendly / Efficiency etc. )
Audience Marketing
( B2B / B2C)
Product Marketing
Engagement
Retention &
Loyalty
Offline Marketing Digital Marketing
Audience Layer
Communication
Layer
Product Layer
Strategy Layer
Tactics Layer
Data ( Marketing & Sales Data) Analytics Layer

18. By Piyush Aggarwal
Do you want your digital strategy
to look like this?

19. By Piyush Aggarwal
Step 4a: Outreach Plan
Outreach – Owned
Channels
• Website Strategy
• Mobile Apps
• Social Media
Strategy
• SEO Strategy
Outreach – Paid
Channels
• SEM
• Social Ads
• Affiliate Marketing
• Sponsorships
• Performance
Marketing
• Email Marketing
Outreach - Earned
• Content Marketing
• Downloads
• Online Videos
• Webinars
• User generated
content
Attract more
customers
Find out the best
way to invite people
Get your house in
order
Campaigns:*Brand*Awareness,*Tac4cal,*Sales*

20. By Piyush Aggarwal
Step 4b: Engagement Plan
Engagement Channels
• Social Campaigns on
FB / Twitter /
Instagram etc. like
contests, sweepstakes
etc.
• Website – hosting flash
sales, exclusive content
• Events – online / offline
events
Engagement Call to
action
• Register
• Buy ( discounts )
• Ask for quotation
• Book an appointment
• Get more info in your
inbox
Engagement Metrics
• Visits to Registration
• Visits to Sales
• Visits to query
Metrics
End outcome of
engagement
Where do you want
to engage?

21. By Piyush Aggarwal
Step 4c: Retention Plan
CRM – Relationship Program
• Email Marketing Program
• Marketing Alerts – deals, company updates, newsletters,
PR Stories, New Product Launch
CRM – Follow ups
• Tele Calling / Email ( outbound / inbound )
• Customer care & support
• Outbound sales
CRM – After Sales
• Customer Onboarding Program
• Feedback & Survey
• Case Studies Development

22. By Piyush Aggarwal
Stage 2: Take aways
• Keep your marketing strategy totally integrated, else it may fall.
• Map your strategy wireframe against overall business goals & key target
audience
• Create a simple outreach plan by:
• Pick one channel & do A/B testing at every stage
• Ensure the call to actions are correct at every engagement
• Retaining customers is equally important as gaining new customers
• Decide your marketing tactics based on business priorities & goal along
with type of audience & product category

23. By Piyush Aggarwal
Stage III - Execution

24. By Piyush Aggarwal
Rollout Plan Structure
Scope of work
Team roles &
responsibility
Project Creation
Design &
Development
Project Review Project Approval Go-to Market
Key Project Stages
Project Timelines
Key Metrics
Web / Mobile / Apps Landing Environment + Content (Images, Text, Video)
Campaign 1
SEM
Marketing Tech ( Google Analytics, Social Listening, Content Marketing, CRM )
Campaign 9
Affiliate
Campaign 2
Social Media
Campaign 7
Email Marketing
Campaign 4
Re-targeting
Campaign 3
Mobile
Campaign 6
Native Ads
Campaign 5
Video
Campaign 8
Display

25. By Piyush Aggarwal
Stage III : Take away
• Get all the important pieces of your strategy on the table to
decide your rollout plan.
• Use “AGILE” approach in your design & development for faster
go-to market.
• Develop your marketing content in phases to maximize results
• Connect your marketing efforts to sales at each stage.
• Chose the right marketing tech for getting an integrated view
of your marketing activities.

26. By Piyush Aggarwal
Stage IV - Metrics

27. By Piyush Aggarwal
Key Metrics
Email&
Marke+ng&
Delivery&Rate& Open&Rate&
Click&Thru&
Rate&
Registra+on&
Social&
Media&
Leads&
Followers&
growth&rate&
Engagement&
rate&
Referrals&
SEM&/&PPC& #&Leads& Cost&/&lead& Cost&/&click& Sales&Closures&
Website& Conversion&
Rate&
Leads&
Generated&
Content&
Influence&
Closures&
Content&
Marke+ng&
#&Downloads&/&
Views&
#&Prospects&
#&
Opportuni+es&
#&Closures&

28. By Piyush Aggarwal
Stage IV : Take away
• Try attributing your individual marketing efforts (by
channel) to your sales.
• Use universal analytics dashboards to view multiple
metrics on single page.
• Play as much as possible with different attribution
models to find what works for you.

29. By Piyush Aggarwal
–Andy Roddick
“At one point in your life you either have the
thing you want or the reasons why you don’t.”
Food for thought

30. Presented by
Piyush Aggarwal
Digital & Startup Marketing Expert
www.piyushaggarwal.me
e: piyush@doubleback.in
t: www.twitter.com/iampiyusha
m: +91 9873660781