In a fast-paced digital age, where focus is on data, platforms and performance metrics, it is easy to overlook the people who actually shape and influence your marketing—both directly and indirectly.
This is where stakeholder analysis comes into play.
But what does the term really cover, and is it even relevant in a digital context?
Let’s take a closer look at what stakeholder analysis is, how to conduct one, and when it makes sense to apply this method.
What is stakeholder analysis?
Stakeholder analysis is essentially about identifying and analyzing the individuals, groups or organizations that have an interest in, or are affected by, your digital marketing efforts.
These actors are referred to as stakeholders and can have varying degrees of influence on how your strategy is developed and executed.
The analysis allows you to understand who your key people are, how they affect your activities, and how best to communicate and collaborate with them.
How to conduct a stakeholder analysis
The process is relatively simple, but it requires thorough preparation to create real value.
Here are the key steps:
1. Identify your stakeholders
Start by mapping everyone who has an interest in or impact on your digital initiatives. This includes both internal and external actors.
Examples of internal stakeholders:
- The marketing team
- Management
- Sales and customer service
- Web and IT teams
Examples of external stakeholders:
- Customers and users
- Agency partners and freelancers
- Influencers and collaborators
- Authorities and regulators (e.g., GDPR supervision)
2. Assess their influence and interest
Once stakeholders are identified, evaluate their level of influence and interest.
Who has decision-making power? Who will be most affected by your campaign?
A stakeholder matrix is often used to map them out, for example with axes like “high/low interest” and “high/low influence.”
3. Plan your communication
Based on the analysis, define a communication strategy for each group: Should you inform, involve, consult or simply monitor them?
This helps you manage expectations and engagement more effectively.
Why stakeholder analysis is relevant in digital marketing
The short answer: Because your digital marketing efforts do not happen in isolation from the rest of the business.
Digital marketing often involves multiple teams, platforms and external collaborators.
Without a clear understanding of who your key stakeholders are, you risk everything from miscommunication and inefficiency to lack of support and poor implementation.
Examples of situations where stakeholder analysis is useful:
- When launching new campaigns: Is everyone across sales, support and marketing briefed and ready to follow up?
- When using new platforms or technologies: Have IT and legal been involved early enough?
- When working with agencies: Are roles and expectations clearly aligned?
- In data-driven marketing: Does leadership support the budget and KPIs?
Who can benefit from stakeholder analysis?
Stakeholder analysis is not just for large corporations.
Small and medium-sized businesses, agencies and individuals working with digital strategy can also benefit greatly.
In fact, the fewer resources you have, the more important this tool becomes—precisely because you cannot afford mistakes that could have been avoided with clear expectation management and better communication.
Common use cases:
- Development and rollout of marketing strategies
- Content marketing and SEO projects
- Paid media campaigns (e.g., Google Ads, Meta advertising)
- Website design or email automation flows
- Influencer and affiliate collaborations
Benefits of stakeholder analysis
A well-executed stakeholder analysis can help avoid many of the classic challenges in digital marketing, especially when multiple actors and platforms are involved.
Here are some of the key benefits:
Better coordination across teams
When all relevant stakeholders are identified and informed, it becomes much easier to ensure that everyone is working toward the same goals.
This means fewer misunderstandings, shorter response times and more streamlined workflows—especially in cross-functional projects where marketing, design, IT and sales must collaborate.
Insights from different perspectives
A commonly overlooked advantage is that stakeholders can contribute unique insights you might not have considered.
For instance, customer service may provide valuable knowledge about common questions or complaints that can help fine-tune your messaging.
Greater impact from your marketing efforts
When your communication is targeted, your collaborations are well coordinated, and your messages align with the organization’s broader goals, your marketing becomes significantly more effective.
The result? Better performance, higher ROI and a more cohesive digital presence.
From insight to impact
By knowing your stakeholders and understanding their roles and expectations, you can navigate a complex marketing landscape more effectively and achieve better results.
Whether you work in e-commerce, B2B lead generation, branding or something else entirely, stakeholder analysis is a discipline that strengthens both strategy and collaboration—and creates more value across your business.
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