Digital strategy planning is one of the key parts of the modern music industry. No matter if you plan a big marketing campaign on YouTube. Equally, if you want to get to the next step in terms of streaming numbers, a solid digital strategy is imperative.
Also, during the recent Covid-19 outbreak, so many musicians tried to start their Patreon account. Patreon can be a great way of sustaining a regular income. What is more, it offers ample space to really interact with your fanbase.
However, one of the things that most people forget is that any strategy needs planning. This is the least sexy part and is in need of some patience.
For one thing, you are really keen to get the digital strategy going. Perhaps you even have an urgent need like a record release coming up.
And now you quickly want an idea of how to make it work online. That is more than understandable. However, it is really important to understand that the more you prepare the better the strategy will run later on.
Especially if you plan long-term it is really easy to lose control and keeping an eye on the meta-level will become harder and harder.
That is why solid planning before you even start any digital strategy is key! Here are some things to consider before you start digital strategy planning.
Laying a proper basis can help you so much in the long run
By all means, it is really important to first identify your resources.
Most people think about money when they hear the word resources. Of course, money is an important part of digital strategy planning.
Knowing exactly how much you can spend on advertising, SEO optimisation, and content production is super important. Also really important is to know how much you can spend on other peoples expertise like a graphic designer or digital consultant to help you along the way.
Another cost factor can be software and running a website. If you really want to get the best out of analytics you might want to invest into software like Chartmetric or Soundcharts.
Likewise, running a website can come with some costs. Especially if you rely on WordPress as your Content Management System. Wanting to have a really nice Theme and Premium Plugins can come with a price tag.
Hardware is also an underrated factor in working well online. Perhaps one key factor of your digital strategy will be to enhance the YouTube channel.
In order to do so, you, of course, need video content. An external hard drive can prove critical to making the workflow simple.
Money isn’t the only resource in order to do a digital strategy
By concentrating only on the money you’ll miss out on so many other great resources.
For example, how much time do you actually have? This is a pretty tricky question. Be honest to yourself and identify the time you have truthfully.
We tend to overestimate the things we can work in a day. However, productivity is so much lower than a standard eight hour day.
Studies have found out that you are more likely to be only productive for less than three hours!
Equally important, do you work a day job? Or perhaps you run a digital side hustle?
Perhaps you also have children that need your attention or an elderly parent that needs your help.
In order to really find out how much time you have its wise to simply track it. You can either do it old school and print an empty weekly planner. Or you use software like Clockify.
Now go on through the week and fill the planner with any activity you are doing. Always marking how long each task has taken you. Also, mark when you have a time window where nothing is happening.
Do this for a couple of weeks and you quickly realise how much time you actually have.
Why is this important? If you don’t have the funds to outsource the entire digital strategy you inevitably need to do much of the work yourself.
Having enough time to focus on your project is one of the success factors for your digital strategy.
Examining your character is helpful for any digital strategy
This one is a hard nugget. However, self-awareness is another important factor in planning a digital strategy. You might be wondering how your personal constitution is affecting your digital strategy?
Well, it is quite simply to be fair. For example, if you are easily bored then keeping track of a long-term digital strategy will prove really hard for you.
On the other hand, if you have really tender nerves then it can be really challenging for you to run ads or to be meeting deadlines.
Another thing that keeps a lot of people from performing well in a digital strategy is over perfectionism. Of course, we all want to have a professional output.
However, if you fuss around to a degree that it affects your performance it is too much.
Also, a really important character trait is good communication. If you have troubles speaking your mind or bringing across your point then working with other people on your digital strategy can be really hard.
Moreover, if you are under the impression that only you can do a perfect job and you rather do it all alone then delegate jobs you can quickly run into problems.
If any of the above is resembling you don’t bury your head in the sand! The important part is to be honest with yourself and identify possible problems. This way, you can plan to extinguish them.
Personal resources can also help with planning your digital strategy!
Perhaps you really dabble in photography? Perfect for your Instagram profile.
You really love video editing? Great for your YouTube Channel.
Do you have a secret passion for speeches? Amazing for doing tutorial videos and public engagements.
Those were just some examples. As a matter of fact, we all have so many more resources than we might think.
Maybe you are a super creative person. Harness that creativity for your digital strategy can be a vital part of its success.
Be brave and think outside the box. What activity or passion in your daily life could help you with your digital strategy?
No matter if you speak a second language fluently (YouTub subtitles here you come) or you really love meeting new people (networking deluxe) there are more valuable traits in you then you might think.
You see, there are so many more resources than just money that can make a digital strategy a success. Important to realise, the better you lay down the foundation the better your strategy will perform.
Don’t be shy, take a big poster (no matter if digital or physical) and write it all down. Use sticky notes so you can easily change it around and add new whenever you found a new resource.
Every time you get to a hard part, take your poster and have a proper look. Which of the identified resources can help you right now? I promise you’ll never work empty-handed again!