Our quick Q&A guide answering the top 10+ questions on digital marketing we are asked
Since we launched Smart Insights, we have specialized in helping marketers answer the common questions around digital marketing, particularly related to digital marketing strategy and best practices. We found that although people can quickly understand the difference between the different digital marketing channels available like search, social media and email marketing, there is a lot more to digital marketing strategy than that. In fact, our co-founder Dr. Dave Chaffey has written an entire book on Digital marketing strategy and implementation, which is now nearing ten editions since there is so much involved with answering these questions accurately...
To succeed in digital marketing strategy you need to review your whole approach to marketing and your brand. That’s where many go wrong with digital strategy, diving straight into channels without considering the bigger picture of their marketing strategy.
Dr. Dave…
From SMART to SMARTER marketing objectives: Discover how to define marketing objectives, measure your digital marketing goals, and use data to inform your marketing strategy
When identifying specific marketing objectives to support your long-term goals, it is common practice to apply the widely used SMART mnemonic. You will know that SMART is used to assess the suitability of objectives set to drive different strategies or the improvement of the full range of business processes.
By its simplest definition, an effective SMART marketing objective is:
Specific, measurable, actionable, relevant, and time-bound.
But you will learn in this article that beyond this well-known acronym, there are different variations and nuances which you can apply to practice Smarter Marketing.
What is Smarter Marketing?
The SMART acronym is much more than a mnemonic since it defines a way of thinking about getting better results within business and marketing. This mindset is based…
How the RACE Framework can help you improve your digital marketing
Marketing frameworks are really useful tools to help us plan, manage and optimize marketing. They’re particularly useful for digital marketing, since it’s so complex today because of all the digital channels available. This is shown by our customer lifecycle visual (below), which suggests the many different touchpoints that potential communications may have with their audiences.
The example shown in this visual is for a B2B scenario where different nurture activities are used to help convert interest in a product or service through to purchase. Many similar stages are involved with B2C marketing.
In this article, I’ll explain how and why we created the Smart Insights RACE Framework for online and multichannel marketing and at the same time, explain some of the key features of marketing frameworks. When I created RACE, it was my…
Use our digital marketing strategy template integrated across the RACE Framework to plan and get ahead in your digital marketing
We all know the old saying “if you fail to plan, you are planning to fail”, but when it comes to digital marketing, this really is the case. It has never been more important than it is now to use a digital marketing strategy template so you can plan, manage and optimize your online activities.
Today, digital media is vital when it comes to driving leads and sales, meaning marketers need to understand how best to engage and convert online audiences. Despite this, our research into digital marketing trends for 2025 shows that many businesses (around 40%) still don’t have a digital marketing plan. As a result, companies are missing out on the benefits of having a digital marketing plan integrated into their overall marketing plan or as a separate roadmap…
Using GenAI RAG techniques to support marketing strategy development
Since I’ve been involved in digital marketing from when we used to call it Internet Marketing, I’ve always been keen to help businesses use a more strategic approach. I believe it’s essential since digital marketing is complex, and it’s vital that it’s aligned with marketing strategy and not just treated as tactical, as it often is. So, in my consulting, training, books and on Smart Insights, how to use a strategic approach to digital marketing has always been a big part of my recommendations.
The recent growth in adoption of GenAI has been fascinating for me, since although it can be used in a tactical way to support copywriting for digital channels, it has also been enthusiastically adopted for marketing and digital marketing strategy and planning as our research on digital marketing trends shows.
46% reported that they had already used AI for…
6 Trends and the latest practical innovations which will change marketing in the year(s) ahead
We all now know that Generative AI (Gen AI) has already made a huge impact on marketing and the wider world. Yet it will grow dramatically more in the future since, as we will see, many businesses have been surprisingly slow in adapting and adopting it. Plus there are some amazing innovations as we move towards AGI - Artificial General Intelligence where AI will possess the ability to understand, learn, and complete tasks at a level comparable to or exceeding that of a human being.
In this post, I'll cover trends covering both AI strategy and how the GenAI tools are developing.
Those of use who have enthusiastically adopted AI in our marketing have become used to the incredible ability of GenAI to create compelling copy, visuals and code when provided with sufficiently detailed prompts. However, we’re also…
Dr Dave Chaffey’s practical review of the marketing trends that will matter for B2C and B2B marketers in 2025
October 2025 update
My latest annual post recommending digital marketing trends to watch is now live, covering the new techniques and opportunities to look forward to in the year ahead. ✨ 🔮 📈 🚀
View my post on the top 2026 digital marketing trends.
Of course AI is the main game in town, but which aspects of AI should you be taking a look at from a strategic POV? I cover 5 top-level use-cases of using AI to support marketing.
But AI isn't the only game in town and I also look at the latest Gartner hype cycle, our updated Martech tools wheel and other opportunities to improve marketing across our RACE framework.
I’ve been writing reviews of the latest digital marketing innovations for well over 10 years now; spurred on since they seem to be…
Using re-brandable digital marketing tools and templates can help small marketing agencies and consultants compete with the bigger players - here's how
The concept behind white labeling/private labeling in marketing is simple. It's a business arrangement in which one company produces goods or services, and another company rebrands them as their own and offers them to their customer base.
The big benefit of white labeling in marketing is that it allows agencies and consultancies an easy way to quickly expand their service offerings to their clients, without having to develop marketing specialisms in-house.
With the ever-increasing demands for specialization and the emergence of new marketing technologies, it can be a daunting task to keep up. So, partnering with a trustworthy and reputable specialized service provider is a popular solution enabling marketing agencies and consultancies to offer their expertise under your agency's name and brand.
To consider: Within this B2B transaction, there is an underlying…
Discover how a customer experience strategy that enhances digital experiences across all touchpoints can help build brand loyalty and improve ROI
In today’s fast-paced digital world, providing a seamless customer experience strategy is no longer a luxury but a necessity. As consumers have more options than ever on where, when, and how to interact with brands, ensuring a consistent and positive digital experience can significantly impact your business's growth and competitiveness.
It’s easy to forget just how many touchpoints your business may have. The Smart Insights customer lifecycle visual highlights just some of the many paid, owned, and earned media omnichannel options available today to communicate with prospects and customers. There’s a lot!
The diverse array of channels highlights the amount of avenues we need to effectively manage to create effective customer experience,…
If you're using AIDA, DRIP, To/Mo/BoFu, STP, or any marketing mix models, but not integrating RACE, you may be missing out
At Smart Insights, we are proud to champion our internationally acclaimed, practical, strategic RACE Framework of Plan, Reach, Act, Convert, and Engage. But of course it's not the only framework that modern marketers are using.
Our Free Members' Essential marketing models guide covers 15 other models, which we encourage members to use at different stages of assessing and improving their marketing plans.
Of course, paid members can also access our best-practice library of 250+ processes, templates, and tools - many of which dip into marketing expertise outside of the traditional realms of RACE. Professional Members regularly book account reviews to talk through which solutions would best suit various elements of their RACE strategies.
If you're not sure where to start, you can read through some basic pointers in our Free…
