8-Step Digital Marketing Gap Analysis

If you are selling products and services business-to-business, via distribution channels, or direct to consumer, we recommend using our quick gap analysis tool before initiating or expanding your digital marketing plans.

Experience tells us that this gap analysis proves incredibly useful in accurately determining your current performance as compared to your true potential. In other words, by pinpointing gaps you are able to compare current/actual results against your desired outcomes and goals.

Ultimately, we believe there are two reasons you should do a gap analysis, as follows:

(1) Paid search and social media channels, marketing automation, email, events, and organic SEO all require a commitment of time and budget. Realistically gauging where you are now will help to form the right roadmap for creating demand.

(2) Key performance indicators (KPIs) cannot determine your current growth stage—startup, emerging, established—or your current online visibility, brand recognition, market demand, available content and sales starters, buyer behaviors, website experience, and sales process.

So, with this said, take a step back and see how your company stacks up by considering the questions and results in this Digital Marketing Gap Analysis.

STEP 1
Does your product or service require long sales cycles and conversations with a representative?

[YES] Nurture prospects with a content marketing strategy that follows an editorial calendar.

[NO] Consider a direct response campaign initiative to identify buyers and spur immediate purchase.

STEP 2
Does your product offer a free trial period, quality images, online demo, or self-diagnostic?

[YES] Ensure that your web pages include prominent promotion and ways to engage.

[NO] Determine what sales starters you have to lure prospects and convert on your web forms.

STEP 3
Can buyers purchase your products or services online without speaking to a representative?

[YES] Ensure that your e-comm strategy integrates with your CRM, order management system, etc.

[NO] Ensure that your web pages include prominent promotion to engage sales or customer support.

STEP 4
Are your target buyers proactively seeking products and services that you offer?

[YES] Survey customers to see where they hangout before dropping lines in the water.

For Overall Online Presence, start with market analysis to see where your competition is getting traffic from.
For Search Marketing & Organic SEO, start with keyword planning to understand audience preferences.
For Social Media, start by analyzing how your competition interacts with prospects and vice versa.
For Online Engagement Automation, see what is preferred—email, text message, webinars, retargeting.
For Industry Specific application of online marketing, consider focus groups and market testing.

[NO] Consider offline tactics to drive demand—tradeshows, associations, direct mail, etc.

STEP 5
Are your target buyers likely to click on sponsored ads via search, social, retargeting?

[YES] A 30-day pilot campaign based on keyword and competitive research will help determine the strength of your ads and offerings and inform broader marketing plans.

[NO] You could set the goals of your campaigns as awareness builders and competitive disrupters to gain attention vs. direct and immediate lead generators.

STEP 6
Are your target buyers searching for local providers?

[YES] Leverage Google My Business to support not just local SEO and appear in purchasers search results, but also to appear on maps for them to navigate to your physical location.

[NO] Consider leveraging Google My Business to generate verified reviews and build credibility for new prospects researching your company.

STEP 7
Do buyers have competitive options to your product or service?

[YES] Differentiate your value proposition and call-to-action to steer buyer interest to you?

[NO] Define how you will convince people to try something new (e.g. regulatory, market conditions)?

STEP 8
How do you perceive your brand recognition on a scale from 1 to 10 (10 being the highest)?

[If under 5] Consider a rebranding initiative, corporate website optimization, and/or a search & social media overhaul.

[If over 8] Maintain successful programs with high-value content and determine new footprints and growth initiatives for upsell and expansion opportunities.

If you need an experienced third-party perspective to sort out your findings, give us a shout.