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| Going Digital - Your online health
check |
If you have a website your company has already gone digital. The question
is, how well are you playing in this
space?
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Digital technology has opened up new opportunities for individuals,
businesses and organisations by creating additional ways for people to connect
and communicate with each other.
This digital environment can have a
dramatic effect on reputation and brand management, product and business
development, research and customer/client relationships.
Research from
leading recruitment agency Aquent shows that digital marketing roles are on the
rise. “New and innovative digital and communication technologies have
revolutionised the creative industry. There is a demand for people in the
digital media arena and those able to integrate digital into the overall
marketing mix,” said Steven Pang, regional director, Asia, Aquent.
Now is
the right time to address your online
audiences.
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| Quick health check |
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The power of digital marketing should not be underestimated. Here is a quick
health check to help you see where you can better leverage online
opportunities:
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Google your industry and see how you rank. |
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Pick 10 things you most want people to know about your business
(eg specific success stories) and ask people outside of your company if they can
find that information on your website – and how long it takes them. |
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Review your partners’ or stakeholders’ websites to see if they
link back to your website. |
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Look at your core stakeholders, how often you communicate with
them and how often you should be communicating with them, to see if it is time
to consider an e-newsletter or podcast series. |
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Consider when you last conducted research with your customers and
whether an online survey may assist you in focusing your marketing efforts in
2009. |
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| Benefits of digital
marketing |
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There are clear potential gains for those who proactively use digital
marketing strategies.
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Global – digital platforms provide effective ways to target
specific demographics, particularly younger markets. They can also open up new
markets and enable effective communication with a global audience. |
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Two-way – web 2.0 is the buzz term for online platforms that allow
collaboration and sharing – a boon for businesses that understand the value of
feedback and engagement with their stakeholders. It enables an openness and
transparency that can dramatically affect organisations that see the digital
world as a fast-moving learning environment. |
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Instant – digital technology has introduced immediate and direct
communication channels creating a ‘real-time’ forum for interaction. The success
of the Obama Presidential campaign is attributed in part to their dedicated
online strategy which included the use of YouTube, social networking,
crowdfunding (micro-fundraising through a large audience) and more. |
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Inexpensive – the prevalence of digital technology is such that
organisations can communicate with their stakeholders at the touch of a button
for little to no cost. |
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24/7 – there is no such thing as “C.O.B” in the digital world.
Your website and online presence can work for you around the
clock. |
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| Digital technology is changing the
way we interact |
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The audience for digital technology is growing rapidly. In Australia,
internet participation is nearing 80% of the country’s population and more than
90% of internet users own a mobile phone. In March 2008, Nielsen-Online reported
that Australians had begun spending more time online than watching television.
The range of digital platforms and tools
include:
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Websites, |
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Forums and blogs (eg Twitter), |
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Social networking (eg MySpace, Facebook), |
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Wikis (most known through Wikipedia), |
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Video streaming/sharing (eg YouTube, helloWorld), |
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Podcasts, iTunes and mobile phone applications, |
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Banner advertising, and |
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Online surveys and
polls. |
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While there is a lot ‘out there’, we don’t recommend that organisations jump
on every bandwagon. These online ventures demand attention, maintenance, quality
content and a compelling reason for visitors/stakeholders to connect with your
activities. The best place to start is your website. Get that right and expand
your digital strategy from there.
The IBG team can help
you cut through the online clutter and develop a digital strategy that aligns
with your strategic communications plan and supports your business
objectives.
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