The Vagaries of Going Digital: Takeaways from Click Z Live

When talking about going digital, experts use jargon such as native advertising, ROI, KPI, value proposition, synergy, etc. However, how do we all incorporate this into a coherent, efficient, and on-point digital strategy? The problem of digitizing is not only consumer-oriented; it’s also convincing management what we all know: that digital is an investment towards the future. But you know who gets put in the corner? That kid who doesn’t explain to non-industry professionals the importance of visual viewability or the correct synergy between syndication and distribution and instead, uses only buzzwords.

 Thankfully Click Z Live reminds us that at that heart of digital, it is still the human experience that grounds us all.  As Jay Oatway and Napoleon Biggs reminds us at the expert panel, “Don’t treat your audience just as customers but as a community”. The core of digital is a way to connect people, to reach them and provide an easier and more efficient ways. A perfect example of this is the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge that has been spreading through social media channels like wildfire. The reason why this “campaign” is so successful is due to its positivity in telling a powerfully human and emotionally compelling story.

To set your brand apart, it’s about associating emotions that resonate in your audiences with your brand.  What this means in non-jargon speak is asking the question: what is important to my audience and how do I align my brand so that it reflects this? This brings us to knowing your customers. In fact, as Virginia Fung from Facebook told us, data is what gives companies insights into what makes your audiences click. It is the key to Facebook’s success that is customer segmentation: the more you know about your consumers beyond superficial demographics, the more relevant your brand can be.

To practice what we preach, we have condensed the low-down on “going digital” into viewable and relevant bullet points. As the Internet says, “TL;DR” (too long; didn’t read):

1. Human experience: less jargon, more positive emotions and experiences.
   • Create communities, they’re not just customers.
   • Communicate so you’re understood, it’s an interactive two-way street.
2. Know who you’re targeting: data, data, data. It’s the sugar in Facebook’s tea – get it, use it.
   • Measurement isn’t just about quantity, it’s about quality. You don’t need millions of two-second clicks; you just need thousands of meaningful interaction.
3. Live in beta: Be a cowboy, but a smart one, which means taking risks; digital is the frontier. Soon it’ll be the “Internet of Things”, but enough with futurology.
   • Keep up to date with new technologies and prepare for them. Advancement is no longer at miles per hour, but Star Trek-style warp drive.
   • Top tip: mobile is the newest kid on the block. It connects you to the consumer between point of sales and the desktop, which means touch points = cashpoints with mobile commerce on the rise.

Celine Wu is the Audience Development Executive for PR Newswire.