The days of trying to shoehorn digital into all areas of our lives are over. Why? Because digital is already an integral part of our day-to-day lives. Brands should automatically consider digital as an inherent part of their business, as well as their marketing or advertising campaigns, rather than as an additional add-on.
Just like the once ‘electric oven’ is now just referred to as an oven, ‘digital marketing’ will soon lose its prefix. This is a natural transition as something is widely adopted and becomes the norm. In fact, it's a transition that is taking more time than I’d have anticipated considering the ubiquitous nature of digital in today’s society.
As such, brands should be looking towards far more integrated and holistic approaches to digital, taking a ‘digital first’ approach that leverages technology in order to afford greater efficiencies and opportunities.
Have you made the digital transformation?
The digital narrative should run through your organisation. Digital transformation aims to analyse the way a business utilises technology, delving into everything from systems, tools and communications, to your people, skill sets and office space. Technology never stands still of course, an so it's important to understand that digital transformation is an ongoing evolution of activity, keeping up-to-date with relevant advances.
If digital isn’t at the heart of your business then you will likely struggle to develop in the next decade. Without a doubt, digital is the most dynamic and cost effective channel for businesses looking to reach out to a wide-reaching audience. From a marketing perspective, the insightful micro-level data we’re able to access allows us to edge closer to real, accurate and personalised marketing that can hit home with your audience.
The importance of a website that shines a positive light on your brand and offers a streamlined user experience is second to none. Helpful with connecting to customers on a local and global scale, a website is still one of the most important investments a business can make.
Communicating in a digital world
Digital’s not just a pretty face though. Effective communication through the various digital channels is becoming ever more important to increasingly savvy consumers. The next 12 months will see content become much more thoughtful with brands looking to create engaging content that goes well beyond just great copy - in a very loud space, brands need to shout. New formats and standards will emerge that communicate messages in more exciting ways to consumers. Audiences want to feel authenticity from the brands they engage with and digital platforms afford an opportunity to connect with people on a more personal and emotive level than ever before.
Before brands can implement a successful marketing strategy, they have to set out clear guidelines around their brand purpose, values, audience and tone. Encapsulating the spirit of a business is key to unleashing its digital identity and brands need to get to the core of what they stand for in order to create effective marketing campaigns time and time again. We work with clients to make sure that their brand is reflected appropriately in the online space, incorporating the multiple touch points on a customer journey to craft intelligent online user experiences and effectively distribute resources across channels.
Social Media 2.0
With a plethora of channels, social media is still a medium that brands can find daunting. But, consider what you know about your audiences and how you want to position your company, and then you’ll find where your cultural fit is - what channels, what tone, what formats, etc. Remember - don’t bombard. Audiences are exposed to a constant stream of marketing messages, so try to think what value they get from embracing your brand.
Often brands find ‘brand awareness’ too scary a metric, meaning social media that doesn’t directly drive sales or conversions can be difficult to justify. But, brand awareness is pivotal to ongoing success. So, remember the three pillars of social media - shareability, authenticity and humanity – it can be an effective way of showing the true ethos of your brand, even if at times it can feel like a room full of people shouting!
Taking into consideration this ‘digital first’ approach, digital won’t just be something to tag on at the end of a strategy presentation or campaign plan, it will be the foundations of your company and the basis to grow your business into the next decade. Digital isn’t the future, it’s the here and now - if you’re not utilising it you’ll be left behind.
By Cat Leaver, Head of Strategy at We are AD.
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