For many organizations, digital marketing is seen as the engine for strategic growth. But, more often, it’s a set of disparate functions without an integrated and rock-solid foundation. This lack of operational maturity can hamstring your digital marketing ambitions.

Figure 1 illustrates how digital marketing performance depends on the integration and alignment of channels that drive campaigns, customer experiences and conversions through ongoing portfolio management of programs enabled by continuous measurement and optimization.

Execution suffers when people, process and technology aren’t in alignment. It suffers further when execution isn’t informed and optimized with data and analytics. What you need is the governing function of digital marketing operations — often led by the functional equivalent of a chief operating officer — which addresses the daily challenge of executing and optimizing complex, interdependent digital marketing disciplines. This function ensures programs and campaigns are appropriately nourished by data, collaborative planning and execution processes flow smoothly, and business outcomes are optimized via continuous measurement.

As you mature your digital marketing operations with resources in place, you’ll be able to support a digital marketing hub that enables your team to use technology and processes to connect digital disciplines. Bottom line: Your digital marketing operations will serve as a closed-loop system, enabled by people, process and technology, that’s agile, transparent and adaptive.

Key to unlocking the strategic growth potential of digital marketing is developing a closed-loop system for precision targeting, engagement and optimization across channels. To achieve this, digital marketing leaders should:

  • Optimize collaboration and workflow for agile development and implementation of creative content and campaigns.
  • Orchestrate and automate marketing campaigns and engagement activities.
  • Integrate data and analytics for personalization and optimization.

ComStream Consulting team focuses in key Initiatives that are addressing significant business opportunities and threats, and typically have defined objectives, substantial financial implications, and high organizational visibility.

They are normally implemented by our consultants with clear roles and responsibilities, as well as defined performance objectives.

Digital Marketing Essentials

CMOs oversee traditional marketing activities, as well as digital marketing, and may also lead or influence strategic planning, product development, corporate communications and sales.

Multichannel Marketing

Multichannel marketing represents a coordinated program across digital and traditional media to acquire and retain customers, extend the brand, condition the market and engage communities.

Emerging Marketing Technology and Trends

Emerging marketing technology and trends, such as big data, social media, augmented reality and context-aware computing, create new opportunities to acquire and retain customers, fueling growth and taking market share.

Data-Driven Marketing

Data-driven marketing refers to acquiring, analyzing and applying all information about customer and consumer wants, needs and motivations.

Digital Commerce

Digital commerce uses the Internet, mobile networks and commerce infrastructure to execute transactions with consumers or businesses and to support marketing and other activities around these transactions.

Social Marketing

Social marketing is a strategy that uses social media to listen to and engage customers, and cultivate brand advocates. It can shorten product development cycles, boost innovation and increase conversion rates.