Digital Marketing Strategy in 2019: A Practical Guide
In 2019, digital marketing was becoming more connected, more mobile and increasingly shaped by data. Businesses could reach customers across search engines, social media, email, websites and online advertising—but success depended on making those channels work together. A clear digital marketing strategy helped turn activity into measurable business results.
Start with clear objectives
Before choosing channels or creating content, define what the business needs to achieve. Objectives might include increasing brand awareness, generating qualified leads, growing online sales or encouraging repeat purchases. Set specific targets and decide how progress will be measured. For example, a business focused on lead generation might track enquiries, conversion rates and cost per lead rather than website visits alone.
Understand your audience
Effective marketing begins with an understanding of the people a business wants to reach. Review customer feedback, sales information, website analytics and market research to identify audience needs, interests and barriers to purchase. Use these insights to create practical audience profiles and tailor messages to different stages of the customer journey.
Personalisation was an important part of digital marketing in 2019, but it needed to be relevant and respectful. Businesses should use customer data responsibly, explain how it is collected and handled, and comply with applicable privacy requirements, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Build a mobile-first experience
With large numbers of people browsing and shopping on smartphones, mobile usability was essential. A mobile-first strategy meant more than making a website fit a smaller screen. Pages needed to load quickly, text had to be easy to read, and forms and checkout processes had to be straightforward to use on touchscreens.
Businesses should review their websites on different devices and use analytics to identify points where mobile visitors were leaving. A fast, accessible and easy-to-navigate site could support better user experiences and stronger campaign performance.
Invest in useful content and search visibility
Search engine optimisation (SEO) remained a key way to help potential customers discover a business. In 2019, a sustainable SEO approach centred on publishing useful, trustworthy content that answered real questions—not simply repeating keywords. Keyword research could help reveal what audiences were searching for, while clear page titles, descriptive headings and well-structured pages made content easier to understand.
Content could take many forms, including articles, guides, videos, case studies and product information. The most effective format depended on the audience and the purpose of the page. A content plan helped businesses publish consistently and connect each piece of content to a wider marketing objective.
Use social media with purpose
Being active on every social platform was not necessary. Businesses were better served by choosing channels that matched their audience, resources and goals. Social media could support brand awareness, customer service, community building and traffic to a website, but each platform required an appropriate style and format.
Paid social advertising offered ways to reach specific audiences and test different creative approaches. Campaigns should have clear objectives, suitable audience targeting and a defined budget. Results could then be reviewed and used to improve future activity.
Make video and voice search part of the plan
Video continued to gain importance in 2019, from short social clips to product demonstrations and customer stories. Good video content did not have to be elaborate: it needed to be relevant, clear and suited to the platform where it would appear. Captions were also useful, as many people watched videos without sound.
Voice-enabled devices and voice search were attracting growing attention. Businesses could prepare by providing clear answers to common questions and ensuring that their website information was accurate and well organised. These were useful improvements for search visibility more broadly, even as voice-search behaviour continued to develop.
Connect channels and measure performance
Customers might encounter a brand through a search result, see an advert on social media, visit the website and later respond to an email. A joined-up strategy helped create a consistent experience across these interactions. Campaigns should use coherent messaging and direct people towards useful next steps, whether that meant reading more, making an enquiry or completing a purchase.
Measurement was essential. Businesses could use analytics and campaign reporting to monitor indicators such as conversions, engagement, customer acquisition costs and return on advertising spend. Looking beyond individual channel metrics helped reveal how marketing contributed to wider business outcomes. Regular reviews made it possible to adjust budgets, improve content and stop investing in activity that was not delivering value.
Conclusion
A strong digital marketing strategy in 2019 combined clear objectives, audience insight and carefully chosen channels. Mobile-friendly websites, useful content, responsible use of data and consistent measurement provided a solid foundation. Rather than chasing every new trend, businesses benefited most from testing ideas, learning from results and focusing on what genuinely helped their customers.
Exploring Key Concepts and Strategies in Digital Marketing: FAQs on the 5 C’s, 5 D’s, 7 P’s, and More
- What are the 5 C’s of digital marketing?
- What are the 5 D’s of digital marketing?
- What are the 7 P’s of digital marketing?
- What are the strategies of digital marketing?
- What are the digital marketing strategies?
- What are the 4 P’s of digital marketing?
- What is the 70 20 10 rule in digital marketing?
- What are the 7 C’s of digital marketing?
What are the 5 C’s of digital marketing?
The 5 Cs of digital marketing are commonly described as Customer, Company, Competitors, Collaborators and Context. They provide a framework for understanding who you want to reach, what your business can offer, how competitors are positioned, which partners or platforms can help, and what wider trends or conditions may affect your strategy. The exact wording can vary, but the aim is the same: to shape digital marketing around a clear view of the business and its market.
What are the 5 D’s of digital marketing?
The 5 D’s of digital marketing are digital devices, digital platforms, digital media, digital data and digital technology. Together, they describe the environment in which people interact with brands: customers use devices such as smartphones and computers to access platforms including search engines and social networks; businesses communicate through media such as websites, email and online adverts; data helps them understand and improve those interactions; and technology enables the tools and services behind them. In a 2019 strategy, considering all five helped businesses plan connected, customer-focused marketing across the digital journey.
What are the 7 P’s of digital marketing?
The 7 P’s of digital marketing are Product, Price, Place, Promotion, People, Process and Physical Evidence. They provide a framework for planning how a business presents and sells its offering online: what it sells, how it is priced, where customers can find it, how it is promoted, who delivers the experience, how customers complete a purchase and what evidence builds trust. In a 2019 digital marketing strategy, these might include refining an online product range, reviewing pricing, improving the website and checkout process, running targeted campaigns, providing responsive customer support and using reviews or case studies to demonstrate credibility.
What are the strategies of digital marketing?
Digital marketing strategies are the planned activities a business uses to reach its audience and achieve goals online. In 2019, these commonly included search engine optimisation (SEO), useful content marketing, social media, email campaigns, paid search and display advertising, and mobile-friendly website design. The right mix depended on the business and its audience, so each strategy should be guided by clear objectives, consistent messaging and performance data. Regularly measuring results—such as enquiries, sales and engagement—helped businesses refine their campaigns and focus on the channels delivering the greatest value.
What are the digital marketing strategies?
Digital marketing strategies are planned approaches to reaching business goals through online channels. In 2019, they commonly included search engine optimisation (SEO), content marketing, social media, email campaigns, paid search and display advertising, video, and mobile marketing. The right mix depended on the audience and objectives, such as building brand awareness, generating leads or increasing sales. Effective strategies set clear targets, use relevant and useful messaging, connect channels across the customer journey, and measure results so campaigns can be improved over time.
What are the 4 P’s of digital marketing?
The 4 P’s of digital marketing are Product, Price, Place and Promotion. Product is the good or service a business offers; Price is what customers pay and the value they perceive; Place is where and how they can find, access or buy it online; and Promotion covers the digital channels and messages used to reach them, such as search, social media, email and online advertising. Together, these elements help shape a consistent marketing strategy around customer needs and business goals.
What is the 70 20 10 rule in digital marketing?
The 70-20-10 rule is a guide for allocating digital marketing resources: spend around 70% on proven activities that reliably support your goals, 20% on promising new approaches related to what already works, and 10% on experimental ideas with less certain outcomes. For example, a business might put most of its budget into established search and email campaigns, reserve some for a new social platform, and use a smaller amount to test an emerging format. It is a flexible framework rather than a fixed formula, so the proportions should reflect your objectives, audience and results.
What are the 7 C’s of digital marketing?
The 7 C’s of digital marketing are commonly described as Customer, Content, Context, Community, Convenience, Cohesion and Conversion. Together, they offer a framework for planning a strategy: understand the customer, create useful content, present it in the right context, build a community, make interactions convenient, keep channels and messages cohesive, and guide people towards meaningful actions. Different sources may use slightly different versions of the 7 C’s, but the central idea is to create a joined-up, customer-focused digital experience.
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