Digital marketing
strategy
A digital marketing strategy that decides which online channels you use, in what order, with how much money, and what each one must deliver. Website, Google, Meta, email and CRM working as one system instead of five separate bills.
Free: a 30-minute call, an action plan and a price range in writing.
What goes
into the mix
Not every business needs every channel. The plan picks the two or three that fit your customers and budget, and says why the rest can wait.
The base for everything else. Ads, SEO and email all send people here, so it has to convert.
Catches people who already need you. Usually the first channel for local services.
Fast, measurable demand capture. Good for testing offers before investing in SEO.
Creates demand among people who aren't searching yet. Strong for visual products and events.
Brings past customers back. Cheap per contact, but needs CASL-compliant consent.
Makes sure leads from every channel get answered and tracked to a sale.
A plan in
three phases
-
01
Months 1–2
Foundations
Tracking, Google Business Profile, website fixes or a new landing page, lead handling.
-
02
Months 2–4
Demand capture
Search ads and local SEO for the services that bring the most margin.
-
03
Months 4–6
Growth
Meta ads, remarketing and email to past customers, once the base converts.
-
04
Every month
Review
Budget moves to the channel with the lowest cost per customer.
Plan, then
roll-out if
you want it
Final prices in Canadian dollars. Ad budget is paid by you directly to Google or Meta.
Full digital strategy with channel mix, media plan, budget and KPIs.
- Audit of current channels
- Customer and competitor research
- 12-month channel plan
- Budget and targets per channel
GA4, Tag Manager and pixels, so every channel in the plan can be measured.
- Conversions for forms and calls
- Google and Meta pixels
I run one channel of the plan for you. Full outsourcing is quoted individually.
- No minimum term
- Monthly report
What a digital marketing strategy decides
A digital marketing strategy is a plan for your online channels: which ones to use, in what order, how much to put into each, and how to tell whether they're paying off. It's less about being everywhere and more about being in the right two or three places, properly.
Most small businesses I meet use several channels at once, each set up by a different person at a different time. The website was built three years ago, the Google Ads were started by a nephew, the Instagram is run by an employee in spare moments. None of it is wrong on its own, but nothing connects. A digital strategy puts the pieces into one system, where every channel has a job and a number attached to it.
How I choose the channels
The choice depends on how your customers buy. I sort them into two broad situations:
- They're already searching. Someone with a leaking roof or a toothache types it into Google. Here, search ads, local SEO and the Google Business Profile come first, because they catch existing demand.
- They don't know they need you yet. A new bakery, a fitness studio, a custom furniture maker. Here, Meta ads and visual content create the demand, and Google catches it later when people search your name.
Most businesses are a mix, but one side usually dominates. That decides where the first dollars go. The research behind it comes from the audit, your sales data and what competitors already do well.
The media plan
The heart of the strategy is a month-by-month media plan. For each channel it lists the budget, the target (enquiries, bookings or sales), and the date when we decide whether to keep, grow or cut it. A simplified example for a home services business:
| Channel | Months 1–3 | Months 4–6 | Target |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Business Profile and local SEO | Setup and content | Ongoing | Calls from Maps |
| Google search ads | Main services | Add seasonal services | Cost per lead |
| Meta ads | Not yet | Remarketing, then cold audiences | Bookings |
| Email to past customers | List cleanup, consent | Seasonal reminders | Repeat jobs |
The plan accounts for Canadian seasons. A landscaper's spring and a furnace company's first cold week need more budget ready in advance, while quieter months are a good time for SEO and website work.
Measurement comes first
Every digital strategy I write starts with tracking, because without it the monthly review turns into opinions. That means GA4 and Tag Manager, conversions for forms and calls, Google and Meta pixels, and a consent banner where the law expects one, especially in Quebec under Law 25. The analytics setup costs $650 and is often the first task of month one.
The second part of measurement is what happens after the lead arrives. If enquiries land in five inboxes and nobody records which ones turned into sales, the plan can't learn. A simple CRM closes that gap.
Common traps
- Spreading a small budget across five platforms, so none gets enough data to work.
- Running ads to a homepage instead of a page for the specific offer.
- Judging a channel after two weeks. Most need one to three months to settle.
- Copying the channel mix of a much larger competitor.
- Posting on social media every day while nobody answers the phone.
What it costs
The digital strategy is part of the marketing strategy at $2,400 CAD, final. You can roll out the plan yourself, with your team or with me; I handle websites, Google Ads, Meta ads, SEO, email, CRM and analytics directly. If you'd like a feel for the overall budget first, the cost calculator adds up my prices for each part.
Channels in
the plan
Digital strategy
questions
How is a digital strategy different from a general marketing strategy?
A general strategy covers customers, offer and positioning across everything, including word of mouth and offline sales. A digital strategy zooms into the online channels: which ones, in what order, with what budget and targets. In practice I deliver both in one plan, because the online channels only work if the offer and the customer are clear.
Which channel should a small business start with?
For most local service businesses, Google: a complete Business Profile, a page per main service and search ads for the most profitable jobs. People searching already need you. Meta ads, content and email usually come second. Visual products and events are an exception; there Instagram and Facebook can lead.
How much should I spend on ads?
It depends on your margins and how many customers you need, which is exactly what the plan works out. As a rough floor, I recommend about $1,000 a month in ad budget per platform, paid by you directly to Google or Meta. Below that, the platforms learn slowly and results are hard to judge.
Do I need social media posting in the plan?
Not always. Regular posting helps some businesses, such as restaurants, salons and anything visual, but for a plumber or an accountant it rarely brings enquiries on its own. The plan says honestly whether organic social is worth your time, or whether a few ads and good reviews do more.
How often is the plan updated?
The core plan holds for about a year. Budgets and channel priorities get reviewed monthly against the numbers. If I run part of it for you, that review is part of the monthly report; if you run it yourself, a one-hour consultation every quarter is usually enough to keep it on track.
Which channels
should you
be using?
Tell me what you sell, where and what you spend today. I'll reply within one business day with what a digital strategy would cover.
- 9 short steps
- No obligation
- I reply personally
- I reply within 1 business dayPersonally, by email or on WhatsApp, whichever you prefer.
- A 30-minute call, freeI ask about your business, customers and budget. Beforehand I review your website and ads.
- A proposal with a price, in writingWhat I’ll do, by when and for how much. You decide with no pressure.
What do you need most?