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Business Analysis Techniques in Marketing and Digital

Writer: Gemma  WaltonGemma Walton

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.


Female marketer looking at a SWOT analysis example for a digital marketing campaign showing strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.

 

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. 


Female marketer looking at a Customer journey map showing key digital marketing touchpoints for her digital marketing campaign from awareness to loyalty.

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). 


Female marketer looking at marketing business marketing analysis techniques and what to apply to her digital marketing campaign.

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.


Female marketer looking at a real-time Graph showing predicted versus actual campaign performance using analytics data for her customer journey.

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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