Is Your Digital Strategy Complete? Think Again

Is Digital the way to engage ‘only’​ during COVID Times?

In last 2 odd weeks, whether we have liked it or not, we have been speaking, emailing, whatsapping, IMing and what not, but we have for sure connected with more friends and acquaintances than we could ever do in our routine days.

This has finally led to business leaders finally giving a serious consideration to Digital Marketing, which in regular strategy discussions often gets sidelined by the ‘Tried-Tested-Preferred’ formats of Marketing like Outdoor, Advertising, Event, PR, etc.

But my recent discussions with some of business leaders highlighted a larger challenge to me. And that is of ‘incomplete understanding of the potential that Digital truly carries.’ I don’t blame them at all, as they have been highly influenced by the campaigns targeted on them by digital agencies and social giants communicating how easily a mammoth-like target can be achieved by using certain tools and tactics. Most of these engagements, without truly understanding what objectives which digital tactic can deliver, generally leads to sticking with the ‘regulars’ like Adwords OR PPC campaign, Social Media Marketing, webinar, etc. And most cases fail to deliver what was promised.

1. SMS

Yes, wanted this to be my 1st recommendation. Most of us have used it, but have now tagged it either as a ‘obsolete’ or ‘relevant for B2C organizations’ only. Could be a BIG MISTAKE. As an Individual I still get my most important notifications including Bank, electricity, Gas and more through SMS. Which means I may be selective, but I see them. Second, marketer who used SMS a decade does not understand that a SMS can now make personalization possible ( a must for all your content), and a small link to a website, video, feedback form, etc can make this low cost, a highly effective tool, which goes mass or targeted depending upon the profiled database.

2. eMail Marketing

Lately it has been used mostly for demand gen/ pipeline building and that’s why eMail has taken the beating it has. Marketer should reduce using this tool to SELL, INTERESTED, DOWNLOAD, CONTACT US and consider to use it to engage for wider set of reasons. Please remember, your Brand is a lot bigger than these ‘sales objectives’. So, sit back and re-look at how else can you use an eMail, and gradually results will improve.

3. Website Update (to be read as Correction)

Another fantastic tool, which is mostly ignored by marketer and business leaders both. Challenge is of perception which most people carry is that a live website on its own can do wonders, even without regular, relevant updates. And I have seen in no time the website becoming highly obsolete that not just customers, even employees are not keen referring to. If your website has reached this stage, it is time you made this a high priority before anything else.

4. Content

Not openly accepted, but this 7-letter word is what your Brand actually stands for. Even more important when your Brand is represented by digital campaigns, customer feedback, downloadable collateral, etc, etc. And as a strategy you have engaged your HR to actively encourage employees to be vocal on social platforms. All this can backfire in absence of regularly curated content, and a structured content strategy. So if you are planning your next Digital campaign during COVID or post COVID times, get this right first.

5. Telemarketing

Why is it here? Because this is where every conversation should converge. Important that we TALK, even if we can or cannot step out and meet. And today we know calling has changed from dialing to auto dialing and voice calls to VoIP. According to me this has become more digital than many strategies considered as digital. And here I definitely don’t mean an agent or a person responsible speaking to a random database. But I include even the business heads picking their phone and speaking. Most sales people will take the credit of doing it diligently, but is it aligned with an aim or objective? What is the context and content? Where is that conversation recorded in the system? If not then you are not aligned with Point 4 above i.e. Content and not using the tactic optimally.

No Digital strategy is complete without highlighting importance of raising high in the ‘World of Search Ranking’. It is impossible to ignore the importance of Google or Bing or any other such platform where people search, find and even validate a Brand’s existence and even build opinions on brand’s promises. But this time I wanted to highlight what often gets missed. And such thing is Mobile Apps, which I have heard is in 2020 To Do List. Only reason why certain critical actionable stay in paper is because a marketer doesn’t want to experiment and at times because a business leader is not well updated on what that experiment could deliver.

But COVID or POST COVID times, highly recommended to do the regular activities, digital or non-digital, and next time do consider trying these 5 underrated, yet highly potent tools and tactics.