Business Analysis Techniques in Marketing and Digital
- Gemma Walton
- Apr 1
- 5 min read
In digital marketing, creativity alone isn’t enough. To get results, you need strategy—and that’s where business analysis techniques come in. They help you plan smarter campaigns, understand your audience, and get better outcomes without wasting time or budget.
Here are the techniques that actually work in marketing and digital, with real examples of how to use them.
1. SWOT Analysis
Purpose: Understand your internal strengths and weaknesses, and external opportunities and threats.
In practice:
Strengths: You’ve got a loyal email list or a strong brand presence on Instagram.
Weaknesses: Your site’s slow on mobile or your SEO is falling behind.
Opportunities: A competitor has dropped off PPC—get in there.
Threats: A new tool is dominating your keyword space.
Tip: Revisit your SWOT regularly. Monthly if you’re in a fast-moving market.
2. PESTLE Analysis
Purpose: Review external influences: Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal and Environmental.
Why it matters:
Political: Changes in ad regulation (e.g. cookies or AI usage).
Economic: Are customers tightening budgets? Adjust messaging.
Social: Consumers expect transparency—are you showing it?
Technological: Keep up with platforms and trends (TikTok, Threads, AI).
Legal: Stay within GDPR. No grey areas.
Environmental: Sustainability matters—how are you communicating it?
This one's key for big-picture planning or rebrands.
3. Customer Journey Mapping
Purpose: See how people move from awareness to decision and beyond.
What you’ll find:
Which content works at each stage
Where people drop off
What to fix, add or scrap
Useful for: Campaign planning, web redesigns, lead nurturing.
Stat to know: 66% of customers expect brands to understand their unique needs (Salesforce, 2023).
4. MoSCoW Prioritisation
Purpose: Help you decide what gets done—and what doesn’t.
Break tasks into:
Must-haves – essential for launch or results
Should-haves – high value but not urgent
Could-haves – nice if time allows
Won’t-haves – not for now
Perfect for planning web projects, content calendars or marketing launches.
5. Predictive Analytics
Purpose: Use past data to forecast future results.
You can:
Predict how many leads a channel might deliver
Spot the best times to post content
Forecast ad spend efficiency based on seasonality
More marketers are investing in predictive tools in 2024 to stop wasting budget on guesswork.
6. Behavioural Analytics
Purpose: Track what users actually do—not just what they say.
Examples:
Where they click on your site
How far they scroll
Where they exit or convert
This helps you fix conversion issues, improve UX, and decide what content’s worth creating again.
7. Multivariate Testing
Purpose: Go deeper than A/B testing by testing combinations of variables.
In action:
Try different CTA text + image + headline combos
Test email layout + subject line + time of day
Run experiments on landing page copy + video + form length
This gives clearer data on what’s actually influencing behaviour.
8. Technographic Segmentation
Purpose: Segment audiences based on the tech they use and how they use it.
Why it matters:
You’ll know if your audience is on Android, iOS, desktop or tablet
You can tailor content and ads to platform behaviour
You avoid wasted spend targeting the wrong device type
Data from 2024 shows: Brands using technographic insights saw 40% higher awareness and 50% less cart abandonment (The Australian, 2024).
FAQs: Business Analysis Techniques in Marketing:
Why should marketers care about business analysis techniques?
Because good marketing isn't guesswork. These techniques help you make sense of data, prioritise actions, and plan campaigns that actually work. They take the emotion out of decision-making.
What’s the difference between SWOT and PESTLE analysis?
How often should I do a customer journey map?
Can I use these techniques without fancy tools?
What’s the best technique for fixing underperforming campaigns?
Start with root cause analysis (like the 5 Whys) to figure out why it's not working. Then apply testing (like A/B or multivariate) to fix and improve.
How do I prioritise marketing tasks when there’s too much to do?
Final Thoughts
Business analysis techniques might sound corporate, but they’re also practical tools for marketers. Use them to cut through the noise, back up your decisions, and get more out of your budget.
They help you:
Make clearer plans
Test ideas properly
Report with confidence
Stop doing things that don’t work
Start with one or two and build them into your monthly planning sessions.
References:
"Top 11 Most Effective Business Analysis Techniques"
This article outlines various business analysis methods, including Business Process Modeling (BPM), Brainstorming, CATWOE, MoSCoW, MOST Analysis, PESTLE Analysis, SWOT Analysis, Six Thinking Hats, The 5 Whys, Non-Functional Requirement Analysis, and Design Thinking. These techniques are instrumental in understanding and addressing business challenges effectively.
"7 Business Analysis Techniques Every Entrepreneur Should Master"
This resource discusses essential techniques such as Benchmarking and Market Analysis, Brainstorming, Business Model Canvas, Financial Analysis, Process Modeling, Root Cause Analysis, and SWOT Analysis. These methods are vital for entrepreneurs aiming to make informed decisions and drive business growth.
"16 Essential Business Analysis Techniques For Optimizing Success"
This article delves into various techniques that focus on identifying business needs and finding effective solutions. It emphasizes the importance of these methods in optimizing processes, enhancing performance, and driving innovation within organizations.
"10 Essential Business Analysis Techniques Every Professional Should Know"
This piece highlights techniques like SWOT Analysis, PESTLE Analysis, VMOST Analysis, Gap Analysis, Business Process Modeling (BPM), Brainstorming and Mind Mapping, Root Cause Analysis (RCA), Use Case Modeling, Stakeholder Analysis, and Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA). These tools are crucial for professionals seeking to enhance their analytical capabilities.
"Market Research and Competitive Analysis"
Provided by the U.S. Small Business Administration, this guide offers insights into conducting market research and competitive analysis, covering methods such as surveys, questionnaires, focus groups, and in-depth interviews. These approaches are fundamental in understanding market dynamics and informing strategic decisions.
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