The classic marketing mix has four layers: product, price, distribution, and communication. The digital marketing mix is part of communication: its purpose is to boost sales in the short term. Yet managing directors and sales leaders often see many digital activities running in marketing – while measurable success leaves a lot to be desired. In most cases, the reason is a lack of coordination between digital measures.

Before you step onto the dance floor …

In B2B, marketing departments are often understaffed. Compared to sales, they tend to have a weaker position and are expected to execute whatever is needed at the moment – a trade fair, a mailing, the website, and so on. They step onto the dance floor, get started, and then wonder why they can’t quite find the rhythm.

… you should know the piece

The roughness is simply due to a missing strategy: if your marketing team knows the piece, the rhythm, and the goal, you’ll recognize a clear thread, follow it, and potentially implement certain measures differently than before. Sales feels better supported. Business results become more satisfying.

Reputation vs. product sales

In your communication, you should always clearly distinguish between short-term and long-term measures. Long-term measures serve to build your company’s reputation – this includes, for example, PR work. This strengthens brand and trust building and supports business success indirectly.

This e-book, however, is about short-term digital measures that directly push product sales – and about how to select and coordinate the many options well. Because a sum of individual marketing methods does not automatically lead to sales success.

Developing the strategy for the digital marketing mix

The most important factors for a strategy come from one question: What do you want to sell to whom? Your target audience and objective should always be clear, because this knowledge is crucial for sales-driven communication. With this knowledge, you define which marketing assets and channels you use, which content you need and how it should be prepared, when you “play out” that content, and how you handle inquiries. Within this framework, you can and should continuously optimize – but you should only leave it for very good reasons.

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