Here is a good email marketing example from Ace Hardware

Why does this work? It’s seasonal and it’s good, informative content that shows you why you need their products. They didn’t just send a promo for me to by grass seed and fertilizer – they are telling me why I need it through informative content.

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Jeremiah Owyang maintains an ongoing blog post called “The Three Spheres of Web Strategy” (see below) which he is updating about every year. The original version of this post prompted our Web Strategy Basics video presentation with the hopes of building on these phases of Jeremiah’s outline into actionable blueprint for planning your own web strategy.

Here is Jeremiah’s updated “Three Spheres of Web Strategy”

And here is our Five Web Strategy Cornerstones – which we reference on any web strategy plan we create for clients at 48Web.

Technology

Technology forms the base of our web strategy plan. We encourage you use technology and the tools at your disposal to make it easy to create and manage your web presence. Don’t let technology be a road block when planning a web strategy. Use free and easy tools like WordPress that don’t dissuade you from creating but make it easy for you to use. Create automated systems that find and distribute content for you so you can become ultra-efficient at creating, distributing, and re-purposing value. Don’t waste your time managing technology either – use solutions like Google Apps & Analytics or Basecamp. Technology should be a tool in your web strategist belt – not something that needs babysat and hand held. Technology should be your facilitator – not a roadblock.

Community

Community means everything. These are your customers, colleagues, friends, mentors, muse, fans, audience and readers. Cater and nurture them because the fruit of the reciprocity economy tastes delicious. You are nothing without them no matter how niche they are. Use technology to communicate and share with them while always adding value. Listen to what the community says – whether good or bad and insert yourself into the feedback loop. Listen, Listen, Listen for it’s not “if you build it they will come”  – it’s build what people want and need. Don’t assume you know what your community wants – ask them.

Content Strategy

Some call it inbound marketing – we call it content strategy. Either way the principle is simple – create valuable “stuff” and push it out to where people are “living”.  Re-purpose as much content as possible into as many forms of consumption as possible.  Create automated distribution strategies so your content outposts are thriving centers of communication and discussion. Killer content forms killer communities (see above). It’s a win/win situation – it just takes a little dedication and a simple technology infrastructure.

Internet Marketing

Take advantage of the ability to use technology to reach highly targeted demographics for pennies. Hone your PPC campaigns to create high ROI campaigns. Use Facebook ads to reach exactly who you want to target. Develop killer Search Engine Marketing campaigns to connect with buyers that have intent. Use internet marketing to not only sell more widgets but to push your content strategy and build your community. Everything in your web strategy is inter-related.

Analytics

We save the most important for last – make data driven decisions. Track everything but don’t be caught up in paralysis by analysis. Take advantage of free and easy technology that allows you to test everything. Make goals and use data to measure and reach them.

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