Today marked the 10th week (and 10th blog post!) I've delved into the Digital Marketing world. To commemorate it, I've compiled some of the highlights of what I think are important points for marketers to understand when dealing with the ever-changing world of Digital Marketing.
5. Think Digital, Be Personal
In trying to be technologically advanced, marketers often lose sight of who they are speaking to. Make sure you put your customers on the forefront of all of your marketing endeavors, most importantly Digital. The digital space is probably where you are closest and most connected with your customers. Make sure you are communicating in the most human way possible. Keep your tone and voice of your messages personal and respond to the feedback they are giving you. Take away the "machine" out of digital and let them know that there is a real person at the other end of the line.
4. Explore and Experiment
More flexible and susceptible to change than offline, and in many ways carrying lower risk, online is the most incredible opportunity to experiment with new ideas. Having an online presence should not be a burden, because it is about having fun, wondering ‘what if’ and exploring possibilities and nurture creativity. The ever-changing nature of the online world will keep you on your toes. When it does give you a push, you want to be as agile and nimble as possible to avoid tipping over completely.
3. Turn Insights Into Inspiration
The most successful digital initiatives typically don't start with the idea for a cool new digital experience. You don't want to force fit a piece of technology into your marketing arsenal 'just because'. Start with doing your homework and get that consumer insights. Get to know them, get into their psyche, walk in their shoes for a day. Know who they are, what they're all about, how they interact with technologies, and what they want from you and your brand. (See Mountain Dew's approach in shaping the insights they have into a meaningful marketing tool)
2. Don't Tell A Good Story, Tell A Compelling One
Don't get caught up with trying to come up with a good story to tell. What you want is to tell a compelling one—A story that piques interest, sparks conversations, and inspires change. This goes back to my point about having key insights to drive your campaign. Insights help you paint a picture of how a day in the life of your product and your customer is like. Most often than not, there is something there you could dig and utilize to tell a compelling story.
1. Know your brand, THEN let others know about it
Last but not least, be clear on who your brand is, what it needs, where opportunities lie, and how to capture those opportunities. You can't start an effective marketing campaign without mastering your brand inside out. With audiences spanning the entire nation (even the world), the digital platform will amplify your brand message a hundred fold, so you want to make sure you are communicating in a coherent, clear-cut manner. Evian did the job wonderfully with their ongoing "Live Young" campaign.