Countless small and mid-sized companies are using outdated or uncoordinated digital marketing strategies that result in wasted time and money. If you’re still not on social media, have not segmented the audiences on your email list, or are throwing proverbial spaghetti in the general direction of digital platforms—you might be due for a digital transformation. From getting a sense of what a digitally transformed business can look like to understanding exactly which transformative elements will work for you, the bottom line is this: digital transformation will help you make every effort (and dollar) count. Understanding how to embark on a digital transformation for your business has the power to massively uplevel the kind of goals you’re able to reach.

What is “digital transformation”?

Digital transformation is when an established business makes the switch from either traditional marketing or uncoordinated digital marketing to strategic implementation of online or digital methods to meet the needs of an evolving market.

The key word here is “strategic”. The transition to digital requires more than just moving existing methods online. It’s about a thoughtful approach, one that a seasoned marketing leader, like a fractional CMO, often subtly navigates. Digital transformation is increasingly necessary in our technological marketplace because if you aren’t evolving, you’re falling behind (hello AI!). Implementing a digital transformation of some kind in your business has the power to increase productivity while reducing labor costs, improve customer experience, drive innovation, and keep you ahead of your competition.

What are the 4 Ps of digital transformation?

1. Platform: The foundation of impactful digital transformation lies in modern digital platforms. Cloud technologies, for instance, provide the necessary agility and scalability. The right leadership subtly ensures the integration of existing systems into these new platforms, enabling businesses to maximize their digital ecosystems. This includes selecting tools for collaborative work and efficient CRM systems, an area where a strategic marketing perspective can be invaluable.
2. People: At the core of digital transformation are the people who drive it. Cultivating a culture of digital innovation and establishing effective processes are critical, and often benefit from the guiding hand of experienced leadership. Ensuring the right talent in strategic roles, perhaps guided by a marketing leader’s insights, is crucial for effective change management.
3. Project: Digital transformation projects aim to deliver improved customer experiences through relevant and engaging offerings. Involving customers early on and using digital project management tools are key. Here, input from a marketing leadership perspective can be instrumental in aligning these projects with customer needs and market trends.
4. Process: Revising operational processes is a vital step in digital transformation. Streamlining these processes for efficiency often requires a blend of technological understanding and customer-focused strategy, areas where a fractional CMO’s expertise can make a significant impact.

What are the most common types of digital transformation?

Digital transformation encompasses a wide range of initiatives, but most can be categorized into several common types. These transformations are typically aimed at improving efficiency, customer experience, and competitiveness in a rapidly evolving digital landscape. Here are some of the most common types:

• Business Process Transformation: This involves reimagining and streamlining business processes to enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and improve service delivery. It often includes automating manual processes, adopting new technologies like AI and machine learning for data processing, and implementing digital workflows. Here, fCMOs often start with website optimization and SEO as part of digitizing marketing processes. You want to ensure every page of the company’s website serves a distinct purpose and contributes towards the overarching goal. This holistic approach, combined with a targeted SEO strategy, can significantly enhance online visibility and customer engagement.
• Domain Transformation: This type extends a business’s reach into new digital sectors or domains. Companies might venture into entirely new digital markets or integrate digital technologies into traditional offerings to create new opportunities. As companies enter new digital markets, multi-channel marketing becomes crucial.
• Cultural/Organizational Transformation: This transformation focuses on changing the company culture and organizational structure to be more agile, data-driven, and customer-centric. It often requires a shift in mindset at all levels of the organization, encouraging innovation, collaboration, and a willingness to adapt to change. fCMOs contribute to cultural shifts by advocating for and implementing modern, multi-channel marketing strategies. This helps in fostering a culture that appreciates the nuances of diverse digital platforms, driving a more innovative and adaptable marketing approach within the organization.
• IT Transformation: This involves modernizing the IT infrastructure and capabilities to support digital business needs. It can include moving to cloud computing, adopting new software development practices like DevOps, and enhancing data security and compliance capabilities. In modernizing IT infrastructure, the role of the fCMO often includes ensuring that the marketing technology stack is optimized and integrated with the overall digital infrastructure, particularly in areas like website functionality and multi-channel marketing tools.
• Data Transformation: Focusing on the way a company collects, stores, manages, and utilizes data. This often involves big data technologies, data analytics, and implementing systems for real-time data processing and analysis to drive decision-making.

Each type of digital transformation has its unique challenges and opportunities, and many companies will engage in multiple types of transformation simultaneously or sequentially as part of their digital strategy.

Determining where to start for your business

Digital transformation is a strategic imperative that extends beyond marketing, encompassing every aspect of business operations. It requires thoughtful leadership that understands the importance of integrating modern technologies, fostering a culture of innovation, and focusing on customer-centric processes. As businesses navigate this journey, the role of strategic leadership, including guidance from experienced marketing professionals, becomes indispensable in steering these initiatives towards success.

Which area of digital transformation to start with depends on an array of factors like company size, marketing goals, current campaign development, and staff capacity. The only one-size-fits-all suggestion we have is to work with a feasible end goal in mind, set a date, and start small. Our fractional CMOs are literal pros at digital transformation for companies and strategies of all sizes. Reach out today and get matched with the perfect fractional CMO to guide your business to game-changing digital transformation.