The digital world has only grown more complex in the past few years, with new platforms and services constantly emerging. In an industry that is spinning off in different directions at a rapid pace, it can be difficult to keep up. Important Reasons You need Digital Strategy But that’s the challenge we face as marketers.
It’s not something we can avoid; it’s something we have to embrace and work toward delivering value from a business standpoint. If you don’t, you will fail for many reasons. Let’s take a look at why you need a digital strategy in 2023 – the article you need to know if you want to be successfully navigating this rapidly changing landscape in 2024
We’re living in an age of what I call “digital chaos.”
Organizations are dabbling in new social media platforms, developing emails that hopefully people open, and trying to create content that people view and (by some miracle) share before swiping up or down on their smartphones. Important Reasons You need Digital Strategy The problem is that often there’s no method to the madness.
This let’s-throw-stuff-at-the-wall-and-see-what-sticks approach can yield some positive results, but it’s not sustainable, measurable, or necessarily connected to the organization’s business objectives.
Here Are the 6 Important Reasons You need Digital Strategy
1. Content is King
As we move further into the future, the importance of content will only grow. Consumers expect brands to be there for them when they are looking for information and ideas, not just sales. Important Reasons You need Digital Strategy Consumers also want brands to be available when they have questions, not just when they want answers.
If you want to be successful in this new world of digital marketing, you will need to focus on creating valuable, engaging content – both on your website and in your content marketing strategies. Important Reasons You need Digital Strategy Consumers to expect brands to be there for them when they are looking for information and ideas, not just sales. Consumers also want brands to be available when they have questions, not just when they want answers.
2. Consumers are Easily Distracted
Distractions can be difficult to avoid, but there are strategies you can use to keep them to a minimum. For example, when someone is looking at a product on your website, try to keep their attention on the product and not on the surrounding environment. Keeping your visitors’ attention on your brand will make them less likely to become distracted and take their eyes off of the product in their hands. Important Reasons You need Digital Strategy mentally or emotionally satisfied with things as they are 2. assenting to or willing to accept circumstances, a proposed course of action, etc
Here is an easy way to test this statistic: The next time you have an opportunity to observe traffic — waiting to cross a street or sitting in your car at a stoplight — take a moment to watch people in their vehicles. I did this a few weeks ago and confirmed my hunch. But, unfortunately, too many people driving their cars looked down at their phones instead of the road.
Important Reasons You need Digital Strategy Apart from the dubious and potentially dangerous implications that accompany a sight like that, one must admit: smartphones are getting all of our attention. From boomers to Gen Z and beyond, it’s no secret that our society is driven to distraction by smartphones.
3. The Internet of Things (IoT) is here and growing fast
As we move further into the future, the Internet of Things (IoT) will become more prevalent. Consumers will expect brands to be available to them wherever they are – be it at home, at work, or while they are out and about. Brands will also have to be connected to their customers, be it in-store, online, or some other off-site. Customers will expect brands to be available to them wherever they are, whenever they are looking for information or want to be purchased something.
Important Reasons You need Digital Strategy This will become more and more important as consumers become more aware of the benefits of being connected to everything – be it their home, their car, their health or fitness device, or their business.
Over the past few years, IoT has become one of the most important technologies of the 21st century. Now that we can connect everyday objects—kitchen appliances, cars, thermostats, baby monitors—to the internet via embedded devices, seamless communication is possible between people, processes, and things.
By means of low-cost computing, the cloud, big data, analytics, and mobile technologies, physical things can share and collect data with minimal human intervention. In this hyperconnected world, digital systems can record, monitor, and adjust each interaction between connected things. Important Reasons You need Digital Strategy The physical world meets the digital world—and they cooperate.
4. Digital Transformation is a requirement for all businesses
As technology continues to evolve, so will the way businesses interact with their customers. Consumers expect brands to be available 24/7, 365 days a year, no matter where they are located. As businesses evolve their online strategies, they need to be prepared for this.
What will this mean for brands? It will likely mean more than just adding more digital content. Important Reasons You need Digital Strategy Digital transformation is a requirement for all businesses today, and it will become even more evident in the future. It’s something we have to work towards delivering as marketers.
Digital transformation takes a customer-driven, digital-first approach to all aspects of a business, from its business models to customer experiences to processes and operations. It uses AI, automation, hybrid cloud, and other digital technologies to leverage data and drive intelligent workflows, faster and smarter decision-making, and real-time response to market disruptions. And ultimately, it changes customer expectations and creates new business opportunities.
5. apps are here to stay – but only if you build them right
If you are going to aggressively target customers with new digital strategies, you need to have the right apps in place. Important Reasons You need Digital Strategy That’s where digital marketing agencies come into play – to help you navigate the vast ocean of options and find the right fit for your business.
Every now and again I hear people saying mobile is a fad. “Apps fail.” “Websites and email are here to stay.” Without being too disrespectful, what I want to say to those people is… good luck, because you’ll need it.
The biggest problem in launching an app is getting an audience. “How do I get people to download?” Here is why associations have the upper hand – you’ve got members. Important Reasons You need Digital Strategy This engaged community already wants more value from their organization and is willing to engage with a convenient resource like this.
6. The show, doesn’t just tell with digital marketing
There are a number of ways to go about this. The first is to invest in a great digital strategy, but that doesn’t mean writing an ebook and publishing it. There are many successful brands in the world that don’t rely on the written word for their messages.
Important Reasons You need Digital Strategy Instead, they rely on visual content and creative approaches to storytelling to get their point across. Brands that are able to execute these approaches well will be able to thrive in the new environment of digital marketing in 2024.
Bottom line
The more prepared you are for the future of digital marketing, the more successful you will be. Important Reasons You need Digital Strategy The best-prepared brands will be able to thrive in this rapidly changing environment, whether that’s in 2020 with a digital strategy in place or in 2024 with added value.
