Learn how to make an efficient digital media plan here
The elaboration of your company’s digital media plan is one of the most important steps in the development of your company’s marketing strategy.
After all, it is necessary to go beyond simply thinking about the actions that will be developed and defining their characteristics. This process involves a number of other decisive factors. Only then will these actions be successful and your company will reap significant results.
That is why defining the media plan is so strategic: as it only refers to the digital environment, it must be a plan that includes the use of technologies, smart platforms and specific channels. So each of them demands an exclusive approach, with appeals and targeted content.
In the following article, you will learn more about building a digital media plan, its main features and how to create yours. Check out!
What is a digital media plan?
The main objective of a digital media plan is to develop and document the strategies that will be implemented in the digital environment. This way, it is easier to ensure that the brand reaches its marketing objectives.
Therefore, it is a document that brings:
- Adequate detail regarding the tactics employed,
- Vehicles and channels that will be used,
- Investment values,
- Partnerships with other companies and influencers and
- Several other important aspects of carrying out the planned actions.
So, keeping in mind all these attributions of a digital media plan, it is clear how important it is for the success of a brand’s performance in this medium. For this reason, working without a good strategy will be decisive to damage your results, especially in times of crisis .
What are the main differences between a digital media plan and a traditional one?
The name itself is enough. The main difference between these two planning methods is that the first refers to the digital channels that will be used by the strategy developed. After all, this is a very vast area that requires a careful plan to generate good results.
So it’s not a matter of choosing between these two possibilities, thinking about which is better. In reality, as each medium offers different channels with advantages and disadvantages for each need, the chosen media plan needs to reflect what your company needs and intends to achieve as a result.
That is, it is possible to combine the efforts of these two possibilities to have integrated results. This requires a thorough understanding of the profile of your target audience and the particularities of the channels that are at your disposal.
Why do I need to make a digital media plan?
Even understanding the definition of a digital media plan, does the utility of this feature still seem debatable? We know that this is a process that takes time for you and your team. However, a digital marketing strategy is essential for the success of your marketing initiatives in this environment.
Here are the main reasons for creating a digital media plan for your company.
1. It brings more organization to the strategy
Process documentation contributes to the smooth functioning of any stage of your business, including marketing. After all, because it deals with so many different channels and performance indicators, it can be confusing if it is not well organized.
A good digital media plan helps to establish the means used in your campaigns, your goals and other strategies employed. In addition to being easy to consult, it also allows you to align the entire team around the same concept.
2. Helps to boost your results
A marketing campaign that is not properly planned is unlikely to achieve its goals. And this is very detrimental to the performance of the company as a whole, in various contexts.
The digital media plan allows you to take your objectives into account and, from them, develop the necessary actions to achieve them. This is a fundamental process for the smooth running of any action.
3. Allows you to pay attention to all areas
When creating a digital media plan, you are not at risk of forgetting this or that important marketing channel. Just follow the proper procedures to make this document. So, in the end, you will have a complete strategy that can be consulted at all times.
To further decrease your chances of making mistakes at this stage, take advantage of the information in this article to learn about each step of the process. That way, it will be possible to enjoy all the benefits of a digital strategy .
4. Facilitate your results monitoring
A very important part of conducting your marketing campaigns is monitoring your results. However good your returns are, you need to monitor the right indicators to get strategic diagnoses.
This process is made easier by having a well-defined digital media plan. It will set out your objectives and the methods used to achieve them. In addition, it will also have essential information for good monitoring. After that, just look at the proper analysis of these indicators.
5. Your competitors already do that
The creation and development of a digital media plan is essential for the functioning of any brand in this environment. This probably already applies to several of your competitors. Have you thought about it?
By hesitating to establish superior creative processes like this, you allow other players in your market to enjoy the benefits of this type of initiative and get ahead of you. That way, it becomes more difficult to overcome them.
What is the basic structure of a digital media plan?
Now that you can understand the role of a digital media plan, it’s time to start structuring yours. This process needs to be shared with your team, as it involves tasks that will be performed together. Thus, it is very important that everyone is aligned in relation to actions and objectives.
Below, learn about each of the steps in creating a digital media plan.
1. Briefing
The creation of the briefing is a fundamental moment for the development of any strategy. After all, it is there that information such as the characteristics of the brand, its history of operation, main features of its identity, among others, are recorded.
Thus, the first step in creating your company’s digital media plan is to define the essential points of your brand’s performance. This information must come from the company’s mission, positioning and identity.
2. Research
The next step is to look back at what’s around the brand. Researching the performance of direct competitors and other players in your segment is the way to ensure that your planned media strategy is truly correct.
Examining market trends is also important. This helps to ensure that your actions are coherent and pursue goals that make sense. It is in the research stage that you must learn more about the audience you want to reach and its main characteristics.
3. Goals and KPIs
No strategy can be activated without clearly defining objectives. After all: what does your company intend to achieve with this digital media plan? Remember to take the most specific side possible, avoiding very vague goals.
This is important mainly because of another part of this process: the definition of KPIs . They are the most important metrics in your strategy, as they indicate how far you are achieving your goals.
4. Strategy
The strategy stage is when the time comes to develop your ideas themselves. So the planned actions must be detailed in depth, taking into account all the most important information for their execution.
It is necessary to highlight the marketing channels, content served, target audience and describe the actions that will be activated. A digital media plan is not complete without this element.
5. Monitoring
Part of a digital media plan also includes monitoring the results achieved with the implementation of the strategy. Before you begin, you have already defined goals and KPIs. Then, it is time to monitor your indicators to reach these results.
Monitoring can be done in real time in the digital environment, being one of its main differentials. Thus, it is possible to make adjustments whenever necessary and be aware of opportunities for improvement.
What are the main types of media?
Part of your digital media plan involves distinguishing the types of channels that will be used in your strategy. As they have different characteristics, they are usually divided into three different categories:
- Owned (own media);
- Paid (paid media);
- Earned (media conquered).
Below are the types of media you should consider when developing your plan.
1. Owned (own media)
This term refers to all types of media over which your company has control over the content. So it is you who define what is served. In this way, the action is fully aligned with what is included in its strategy.
Your brand profiles on social networks are examples of their own media. Just like your website and YouTube channel. However, public comments do not fit that definition.
As it refers to channels in which the brand has total control, its own means can serve as the main vehicles to publicize the promotional pieces considered official.
2. Paid (paid media)
This type of media is similar to its own, as it offers a certain degree of control to the company. However, pricing is its main feature. In other words, the exposure generated by it depends on the investment grade and the ability of the algorithm involved to display the content to the correct target audience.
Most digital content platforms today offer an ad system like Facebook Ads and Google Ads . Thanks to technological developments, digital paid media is able to reach the most qualified audience to generate the results expected by the brand.
Paid media should be part of your planning whenever possible. After all, it is a way to extend the reach of your brand beyond its conventional limits.