According to a report by Statista, the global digital population as of July of 2019 is over 4.3 billion. The countries headlining those trends include the United States, India, and China. Courtesy of such a mind-boggling spike in demand, the digital age is rapidly nearing the peak of its existence.
What does that mean? Well, according to the founder, global chairman, and CEO of GUION PARTNERS, Lindsay Guion, it means that digital content is taking over. More precisely, creation, marketing, distribution, and management of digital content are becoming the most dominant form of advertising.
But how exactly does someone go about any of those four processes in an age where competitiveness has reached unprecedented levels?
Step One: Create
The essential building blocks of every digital campaign are creativity and uniqueness. How well those two categories are represented is what often drives the longevity and success levels of the venture.
The very first step that the creator must take boils down to establishing a clear-cut purpose. One of the most vital questions to ask is “What is the content aiming to accomplish?” By figuring out a straight-forward answer, they will be able to modify the content accordingly. For instance, someone who simply wants to raise awareness about their brand will not need to use calls to action. While such a notion may seem extremely simple, being able to leave out a call to action facilitates more room for other important information.
The next part of the creation process revolves around visual aids. After more than two decades in the music industry, Lindsay Guion reminds that certain devices secure more customer attention. For instance, campaigns that leverage video-based content often carry higher click-through rates. The same applies to exciting and innovative visuals such as original photos, quotes, or sceneries.
Finally, the creation stage must dedicate attention to Search Engine Optimization (SEO). SEO is what helps content rank higher on platforms such as Google. Courtesy of countless resources online, finding SEO keywords applicable to a certain niche should be fairly seamless.
Step Two: Market
Following a successful creation, it is time to market the content. As with the previous stage, marketing also splits into three essential parts. First, the creator needs to research their audience. Some of the most essential demographics to gain insight about include:
- Age;
- Income Level;
- Buying Patterns;
- Gender;
- Location Characteristics;
Such simple traits can completely revamp the way in which content gets delivered. Upon finding out the aforementioned, specialized targeting should take place. That means that the creator will specifically select audiences that match most, if not all, of those inputs.
Ultimately, a great way to test the validity of the research is to analyze the competitors. If their audiences seem to be similar, the inputs are most likely accurate.
Step Three: Distribute
Equipped with unique content and an interested audience, there is not much left to do but distribute the campaign. Some of the most popular solutions include paid traffic, sponsored influencers, newsletters, and incentive-based promotions.
The paid traffic and influencers are best for social media platforms. According to Lindsay Guion, newsletters usually come after the first few campaigns since building mailing lists requires time. As far as incentive-based promotions go, they are best for cold traffic where customers randomly run into someone’s brand. For instance, if a person visits the creator’s online page, having an incentive such as a chance to win a gift card, per se, would be a great way to get them to check out the content.
Step Four: Manage
A lot of digital ventures fall short of their full potential because of problems with campaign management. In reality, the lack thereof is the most obvious issue. Creators frequently fail to keep proper track of their content’s performance and make timely changes. Avoiding this pitfall is as easy as spending a few minutes implementing analytics into the content page or the publishing website. Once the campaign goes live, those analytics will act as the net that catches visitors’ information.
Subsequently, the creator will have an opportunity to analyze the information and customize their inputs accordingly. For instance, if analytics show that most visitors are people in their 20s, a creator that hypothetically expected teenagers to be the targeted audience will obviously need to make adjustments. Such quick modifications will maximize the odds of successful utilization of digital content.
While these four steps are a solid starting point, there are many other approaches to fruitful content release. In fact, Lindsay Guion characterizes the entire process as the epitome of trial and error. Hence why the blueprint is eligible for any necessary customizations that will help improve someone’s campaign.