By Tracey Wells
In today’s marketing environment, digital reigns king. That’s one key thing I learned attending the
first Baltimore Digital Summit (#bds1) in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor Sept. 30.
Held in conjunction with Baltimore Ad Week, the audience was a mix of
advertisers - creative types and executives - entrepreneurs and digital media
enthusiasts.
We learned that digital’s growth rate eclipses all other channels
with seemingly no end in sight. This combination creates a web of decisions in
the best use of digital media for your brand’s success. It was one of many
strong points made during this informative and inspirational seminar.
Here’s what You NEED to Know:
1. Social Media is not a PR
platform.
Please don’t mistake social media with a channel to brag about your
brand. People do not want to listen to you promote your own awesomeness on
social channels. The primary goal of social media is engagement. Finding a
connection with your customers is the holy grail of digital media. Revenue is a
secondary goal, followed by the growth or adoption of new fans. Use social to build
your brand, not flaunt it.
2. Content is key.
Compelling content remains important in digital media, much like in
all marketing channels. Your audience is distracted by media clutter. Be
unique. Compelling information doesn't always need to push a positive angle,
though, so long as it engages. Consider this “baby” campaign from Durex: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xEoqWuN1_8.
3. Don’t SPAM the media.
If you are using the press to spread your message, digital media
experts like Mario Armstrong (@marioarmstrong) and Roger Mecca (@rogrmecca)
advise to engage in one-to-one contact. Don’t SPAM the media using email or
Twitter. Send an individual message using a single channel, otherwise it just
feels like stalking, or worse, impersonal.
4. Put your content where
your audience is.
Research and understand your customer: Where are they? What are they
saying? Be there to solve their problems and deliver a solution where they are,
not where you think they should be. Are they using mobile or desktop
applications? Content marketing is more about content discovery than search.
For example, a search for low rate credit cards could lead to content about a
debt consolidation loan, providing additional helpful information for the
searcher.
5. Take calculated risks.
Don’t be afraid to fail.
“Fail forward” was the one quote that resonated the most from the
summit. If you are taking a calculated risk and fail, then you are failing
forward. Be prepared to take risks, make mistakes and learn from them. Henry
Ford did not create the first automobile without risk and failure, but where
would we be without his fortitude? A recent risk taker that took off is
Tessemae’s Salad Dressing, a family company whose founder left a steady employee
benefits representative job to start a company and is now making millions
selling salad dressing. Honestly, I wouldn’t believe it if I hadn’t listened to
the story first hand. Learn more here http://www.tessemaes.com/pages/about-us.
6. Engage. Connect.
Let your customers tell their story. This allows them to engage with
your brand and connects you to the community. While the customer story is the
body of the content, your business is the halo.
There is no one-size-fits-all for social media. Each brand will find
a few channels that work best to deliver their message. Within each channel, brands
must deliver in an appropriate voice for that channel’s identity. In other
words, Twitter will have a different voice than LinkedIn or Facebook.
Listen to your customers, whether through your own research or
listening services like Adobe Social. Find your influencers and join the
conversation.
Certain concepts that shape all aspects of marketing also hold true
in digital media, while others may sound like a foreign language when heard the
first time around. Digital media has turned marketing on its head, and
continues to spin it to places that excite and challenge even the most seasoned
professionals.
Reading List
Top Dogs by Po Bronson and
Ashley Merryman
The Startup
Playbook by David Kidder
Apps & Resources to Check Out
Glide http://www.glide.me
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