In this article
This resource is designed to make the process of creating a digital strategy structured and focused on the right activities for the right outcomes. Whether starting from scratch or strengthening an existing plan, the practical framework outlined below has been set out to help organisations of any shape and size to:
The guide will take you through the process in six manageable parts that are representative of many well presented digital strategy policies. To aid the development of each stage, please refer to the worksheets and templates at the end of each section.
Before you decide what to do, you need clarity on why you are doing it.
Start with your organisation’s core purpose. Be specific about what you do, why you exist in the world, who you represent and what long-term change you aspire to make.
A strong mission statement should provide a clear scope and direction of travel but be broad enough to inspire motivation and encourage action.
Your activities and output should reflect your organisation’s values. What values do you espouse and how do these values guide your digital strategy? These might include:
It is important to establish your values early in the strategy process, as they set the boundaries for your mission and the scope of your work.
It is time to think long term. Describe what tangible and measurable results you hope to see as an outcome of your digital strategy? These might include:
The overarching principles and goals set out in this section will act as a compass bearing for future decision making.
ACTION: Use the Objectives, Goals and KPIs template in your resource pack
A digital strategy is most effective when it is built with the needs of its users at the centre.
Capture the key challenges you are facing right now and how your strategy will help you to overcome them. Being clear and honest about the challenges you have identified will help to ensure your strategy is grounded in reality.
For more information, here is an article that explains how to write a problem statement
Think of the people this strategy will directly affect. For example, trustees, staff, partners, volunteers. This will give you a good understanding at an early stage, about who needs to be involved, informed or consulted as a result of the changes you make due to implementation this strategy.
Describe your primary audience, clearly. This crucial step ensures the actions and efforts you put in place are targeted and responding to relevant and real needs. Therefore, plans become effective and resource efficient. This is about prioritisation, not exclusion.
Empathy mapping is an excellent way of capturing what audiences think, feel, say and do. For guidance on audience segmentation, visit CultureHive.
If you are trying to reach new audiences, start with assumptions and refine them through research, feedback, or data analysis.
ACTION: Use the Audience Profiling worksheet in your resource pack
This is your chance to take stock of your current position. Keep in mind, details are often the backbone to any good strategy. Be honest, critical and clear.
Gather the essential insights, data, and facts that define your current offer, such as:
Consider the problems you are solving for your core audiences. Why do these distinctions mean audiences choose you over others? Having a clearly defined position means you are able to serve audiences better.
The Value Proposition Canvas is an established framework for matching customer needs with your unique value.
Reflect on what you do well, what makes you different from other organisation’s that are in your orbit, and what external factors could impact your future success, for better or for worse.
Outline the personality of your organisation and how you engage with the world. This creates brand consistency across all your touch points and teams. Things you want to be consistent are:
Taking time to pause and reflect on your starting position will help you to lay a stronger foundation for the strategies that follow.
ACTION: Use the SWOT Analysis template in your resource pack
Now you know where you are starting from and where you want to go, who this strategy is for and what makes you valuable to these people. The next step is deciding how to get there.
Summarise the core ideas driving your strategy in a few sentences. This should capture the basic building blocks you need to put in place to make the strategy work.
Popular frameworks you can use to bring ideas and actions to the surface are:
Prioritisation is essential to deliver plans on time and minimise disruption. While trade-offs may be necessary, clarity on pre-emptive actions and mission-critical activities helps keep delivery proactive, focused and on track.
Identify barriers that could potentially derail your strategy, and what you could do to mitigate them.
Tools like PEST analysis or a project premortem help you to anticipate issues early.
Effective teams work collectively. Successful strategies break down silos and build a coalition among those responsible for delivering them. Strong team cultures are supported by:
This section aims to bridge the gap between strategy and implementation.
ACTION: Use the worksheets provided in Tabs 4a-4e for developing your strategic framework.
With your strategic approach set, you can now map out the actions and activities needed to make achieving the strategy possible.
List what must be true for your strategy to succeed. This might include:
Consider The Four Ps for selecting the right channels, messages, and formats.
Be realistic about the allocation and distribution of resources you need: people, skills, processes, systems, budget, and capacity. Your strategy should be ambitious but manageable.
Clarify who owns what. This prevents bottlenecks later.
Power is the ability to coordinate. When your tactics, resources, and team accountability align, your strategy will gain the momentum it needs to succeed.
ACTION: Use the worksheets provided in Tabs 5a-5c for focusing actions and prioritising delivery.
A strategy is not static, it changes along with your organisation. Therefore, knowing how to monitor and assess what is working and what is not is integral to its success.
Use a project management tool, like a Gantt Chart, to map out the important milestones that signify noteworthy progress, such as:
Decide what data you need and what you will use it for. For example:
Identify the success metrics you’ll report on, who will collect the data and how often – i.e., weekly, monthly, quarterly, or project dependant.
Outline how results will be reviewed, analysed, and fed back into your strategy. Evaluation is your opportunity to learn, adapt, and improve.
After completing all six sections, you will clearly understand who you’re speaking to, how to engage them and why they value your offer. You will also have a much better idea of which people, systems, technology, budget, data, content and activities you need and how they work together to support your strategic aims and objectives.
The recommended steps and resources outlined in this article have been selected as a general starting point for developing a digital strategy. It is worth noting that more tools and techniques do exist. For deeper conversations or to explore additional resources, speak to one of our digital specialists in person so that we can assess your specific needs and provide practical and tailored support to help you build a strategy that works for your organisation.
Book a free one-to-one session with Ollie Couling, Tech Champion for Digital Marketing and Strategy, to support you in developing your strategy.
The Digital Culture Network is here to support you and your organisation. Our Tech Champions can provide free one-to-one support to all creative and cultural organisations who are in receipt of, or eligible for, Arts Council England funding. If you need help or would like to chat with us about any of the advice we have covered above, please get in touch. Sign up for our newsletter below and follow us on LinkedIn and X (Twitter) @ace_dcn for the latest updates.
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