“As soon as it’s printed, it’s out of date”
The most challenging part of designing digital marketing training is ensuring that the curriculum is up to date with relevant changes in the technology and media landscape. When I was preparing content and exercises for my last Digital Marketing Strategy Bootcamp, the areas that required the most updating related to digital advertising. The tools and tactics available for marketers to reach audiences with even greater precision are increasing exponentially. New products and terminology are also being constantly introduced, which makes planning (or even talking about) digital advertising even more challenging.
To try and bring some clarity to the topic of digital advertising, I put together a digital advertising planning canvas for Bootcamp participants. It organizes different aspects of digital advertising into core strategic questions that are familiar to marketers when planning a new program.
My goal with these frameworks is to help marketers focus on those areas that are foundational to designing marketing programs, without being first distracted by the latest digital buzzwords and advances in marketing technology. I have shared a few other planning canvases in the past that I still refer to in my training and consulting work:
- Audience Targeting Opportunities: How can data be used to fuel creativity and relevance in digital messaging?
- Mobile Engagement Opportunities: How can qualities unique to mobile be used to enhance digital experiences?
- In-Store Digital Experience Design: How can digital technology be effectively integrated into a physical environment?
I find the process of organizing digital marketing tools/tactics into strategic planning frameworks helps move my thinking from ‘what it is’ to ‘what it can do’. Hopefully these canvases can do something for you, too.