Presentation at Second Wednesday, 14/04/10, a web sector

1. Everything you wanted to know about digital strategy
(but never thought to ask)
Second Wednesday – 14th April 2010
Your digital strategy is in endless beta
Digital consultant – strategies for the digital economy
I specialise in digital strategy in creative media, B2B, public sector & pharmaceutical
Tactical delivery in e-marketing, social media, online content
Strategic planning is... creating a vision for a project or business – what and why
Tactical planning is...working out the best way to deliver the strategy – how, who and when
Digital strategy – context:
Web is a nascent industry (20 years young), propelled by experimentation and doing.
Web has become a commodity, a necessity rather than competitive advantage.
Strategy planning protects resources, stimulates innovation and creates measurable, achievable goals.
Strategy specialists are commonplace in USA are starting to be hired UK in larger organisations.
Full service agencies often offer planning/media buying and strategy as part of bid.
Most strategists specialise in campaign planning/buying for big brands.
Digital engagement:
Connecting with audiences, stakeholders, customers or leads online – this can be through creating social
spaces, content audiences can engage with, or using the web to research what customers want.

2. The strategy planning process:
POST: People, Objective, Strategy, Technology
Phase Outcome Deliverable Tools
1. Understand the business Get key stakeholders Project Initiation Interviews
– see where digital can inspired by Document Business plan review
align and enhance opportunities
business/marketing plan
2. Research the market – Understand market Website review Web analytics
past activities, trends in sector and Competitor review Social analytics
competitors, market outcomes of Sentiment analysis
trends previous activities Survey/ interviews
Focus group
Crowd-sourcing
3. Develop a vision or new Key team members Digital strategy Lateral thinking:
or better way of delivery engaging in planning document Six Thinking Hats
in specific areas (can and finding solutions 1 year action plan Open space workshop
involve radical Brainstorm
disruption) to address
business goals
4. Get governance and Ensure team are Training session Team workshop
buy-in skilled and Follow-up review
motivated to deliver

3. Offering strategy as part of a web service:
Advantages: Adds value, high value service, differentiation, can later up-sell client to delivery services, acts
as entry point, work is varied,
Disadvantages: Majority of clients unwilling to pay for advice, less trusting of consultancy from service
suppliers, doesn’t always fit in with procurement models, need to educate market of value, little visible
goal, can often be hard to make client implement.
“Business types like to say “strategy” a lot as it sounds big, complicated and important. And it is important,
but there is no need for it to be complicated. Quite the opposite. At the heart of it all “strategy” is just about
having a plan for the thing you are working on. Or as Wikipedia puts it “a strategy is a plan of action
designed to achieve a particular goal”.
What – When – Where – How - Why
Strategy services you can offer:
1. Preparing a detailed analysis of existing site and recommendations
2. Writing a web brief
3. Developing a web content plan or marketing plan
Contact Me:
Email: susi@digitalconsultant.co.uk
Tel: 07981 222799
Twitter: @susioneill
Skype: susi.oneill
web/blog: www.digitalconsultant.co.uk