Ahhh, Memorial Day – a holiday that always seems to align with some of the first hot weather of the summer. This makes the parades, block parties, and BBQ’s all the more inspired! As with any good and serious holiday celebration, a preparatory trip to the supermarket is in order.
Thinking ahead for once, I made my trip to the supermarket on Saturday evening, right after finishing my fourth Web Strategy document in as many days. I was so anxious to get out and away from my desk, that I didn’t take the time to make a shopping list. I’m an enthusiastic grill master – no need to make a meal plan, let alone a shopping list, right? Wrong! Even after spending a sizable chunk of change at the local “Whole Paycheck” I had to return to the store on Sunday. Despite my repeated efforts and extra investment in our BBQ, I’m intuitive enough to know that my wife didn’t approve of the haphazard collection of (admittedly) tasty dishes I prepared for lunch this afternoon. It could have been so much more successful “had I only made a plan,” she said.
“Ding!” Meghan had unwittingly helped me solve a recurring problem: how to explain to clients why a comprehensive Web strategy (“meal plan”) is incredibly important to have in place before beginning any serious Internet marketing campaign. You simply can’t go shopping unless you have a plan for what you’re cooking!
An Internet Marketing Shopping List
To illustrate our Web strategy process, take a look at the following list of activities that Paul Fleming and I reviewed. These are the potential “ingredients” for a comprehensive Web strategy:
As my wife will tell you, it’s not about just having the right ingredients (or activities), although that’s a huge start in the right direction. The “magic” of SEO and online marketing lies in the meal planning:
At Dinkum Interactive, we make sure that clients know we are providing more than just a simple service that you partake of when needed. We don’t just offer “snacks” because, when it comes to Internet Marketing, that rarely satisfies. Instead, we’re all about the feasts! The feasts we produce for our clients require both thoughtful planning and a detailed shopping list. We also firmly believe that – just like at a BBQ or family meal – there should be a measure of commitment and a good dose of fun.
In a future post I’ll explain how we create Web strategies, how they differ from Internet marketing plans, and what they both look like in the wild!
Jacob Smith is a Senior Project Manager and Web Strategist with Dinkum Interactive and has led over 150 high-level consulting and website development projects over the last 10 years. He is active in both the internet and cultural communities, and served on the board of Philly Car Share, a nonprofit and one of the largest car sharing organization in the United States until helping engineer its sale to Enterprise Holdings in the summer of 2011. Originally from Southern California, Jacob and his wife, Meghan, now live in Center City Philadelphia with their young sons Rory and Duncan.
How are you using Social Media Today?
Copyright Dinkum Interactive 2009-2012. All Rights Reserved.
February 8, 2012. Posted under: Blog.
In the past two weeks, I attended two conferences that were world’s apart but linked. One was focused on large, profitable companies. The other involved nonprofits. They both discussed social media. The first conference featured CEOs, many of whom are grappling with the use of social media within their organizations. Each CEO had a bit of a different take on
Nice information! I think online marketing is quite different from the regular offline marketing. Digital marketing is even more challenging :)