The Parthenon, in Greece, is commonly used as a symbol of strength. Despite being 2500 years old, the stone columns still hold up the heavy roof base to this day. Most importantly, no one column supports the Parthenon. Each one adds strength, and collectively they have supported a building that has withstood all forms of damage. From man-made threats, like explosions, to nature’s threats, like earthquakes, the Parthenon draws its enduring strength from a base built with many supports. If one or several supports fail or are destroyed, there remains enough supports (strategies = columns) to prevent the structure from falling over and collapsing.
In 2003 Jay Abraham introduced our President, Shawn Moore, to the theory of the ‘Marketing Parthenon’. In 2004, Shawn experienced the Parthenon’s wonder in Greece first-hand and returned to Vancouver with the Industry’s first ‘Digital Marketing Parthenon Strategy,’ focusing purely on digital marketing implementation.
Companies build strong digital marketing Parthenon’s by implementing marketing strategies with a comprehensive range of supports. Those companies can endure the many threats that will come to all businesses eventually. This includes man-made forces, like competition; technology changes; the dot com crash of 2001, which sent the stock market spiraling; and the global monetary crisis of 2008/2009, which forced millions into bankruptcy. These companies are also better prepared to weather nature’s threats, such as the Covid-19 pandemic, which shut down all global economies.
Over the 3 decades that our agency has been using our ‘Digital Marketing Parthenon Strategy’ it has worked every time that it is implemented correctly. Shawn attests to this because his companies not only survived each of the most challenging times in business as described above but grew and increased revenue using this digital marketing Parthenon strategy. Shawn presents that if it can work for him and his clients businesses, it can also work for any business that follows the same strategy.
Foundation
At the base of all digital marketing strategies are core concepts and actions: strategy, keyword research, analytics and reporting, and conversion optimization. A strategy is vital because it sets a clear plan that factors in a wide range of relevant influences. Keywords are at the core of almost all digital marketing activities, so they feed into and support all channels. Analytics and reporting are necessary as all aspects must be objectively monitored, assessed, and improved upon. The ultimate goal of all digital marketing is email capture and conversions, whether they are form fills, sales, downloads, signups, or other ways that users engage. All activities have some level of conversion as their goal and optimizing for that goal is strategic for success.
Columns / Pillars
The Parthenon’s main support pillars create the strength that allows for enduring success. Not able to stand on just one or two activities, strategic digital marketing means building marketing across different channels. A strong range of channels includes SEO, PPC advertising, engaging content, email marketing, 5-star reviews, social media, and CRM automation. Digital marketing strategies will not always employ all the pillars, but most should have elements of each pillar. In many cases, the most effective strategies will place more emphasis on two or three pillars and less on others. An effective and strategic digital marketing strategy will rarely be built on a single pillar. Although it is possible to achieve, it is not recommended for long term business success.
Roof Top
At the pinnacle of business success is revenue and brand positioning. Business is about revenue and making a great reputation, so sales are even easier. This happens through lead generation and/or e-commerce sales, as well as great website and app user experiences. After all, when people find their digital interactions with a company to be easy and enjoyable, they return!
