Category Archives: Social Media
What the “Digital Strategist” Role Means in 2013
It’s been fascinating to observe how the “digital strategist” role has evolved over the course of the past eight years. It’s been a journey and evolution to say the least and we’ve hit an interesting crux in marketing world. Shouldn’t everyone who works at an agency be a “digital strategist” that can tackle any facet of online marketing across any practice area or industry? Well yes, in some ideal world, that would be fantastic. But in reality, we’re far from it.
Does digital strategy touch nearly every facet of marketing communications? Absolutely. But just like media relations specialists, graphic designers or UX pros, digital strategy is structured upon a core set of skills, knowledge and personal passion. One does not become a digital strategist by just attending a few content marketing conferences or trainings. The role isn’t a simple checklist of skills you learn overnight and it’s rarely something that can be taught if the individual isn’t personally passionate about online marketing.
So then, what does it mean to be a digital strategist? Glad you asked.
My colleague Jon Yang, summed it up pretty well relative to agency world:
A digital strategist works with account teams and clients to identify business problems and define realistic goals and key performance indicators that, when paired with smart tactics and a solid understanding of the target audience, will result in empirical progress against the baseline – translation; ROI.
Clare McDermott adds insights on the broader relevant skills set in a recent Content Marketing Institute post:
Agencies used to be on the hunt for creatives. These days we hear agencies say they struggle to hire talented generalists. Lest you think that means someone who dabbles in many areas but masters none, think again. The new marketing generalist understands at a functional level multiple disciplines — including marketing technology, social, content strategy, corporate storytelling, and SEO. And they must be comfortable moving quickly, adapting, and taking risks.
Digital strategists are most effective when they apply their skills to a particular practice area or industry. Mastering digital health, specializing in B2B marketing, focusing on nonprofit marketing – it’s the deep industry and target audience knowledge that allows digital strategists to truly soar.
Ready for the real kicker? Great digital strategists aren’t just trendspotters, trainers or great plan writers. They are doers. They are folks that can conceive of an insightful and creative strategy, develop an amazing plan, sell in the plan and carry through with flawless management and execution of said strategy. These days, it’s not just the strategic vision but the tactical execution that is setting talent streams apart in the space. Vision is one thing. Vison + Execution is a completely different beast.
The truth of the matter is that good talent is hard to come by. We’re already witnessing the “digital strategist” title manifest in different ways as agencies adapt to changing communication trends and models. Those looking to make a mark are going to need to stand out from the crowd with proven ability as someone that can create the vision and get their hands dirty.
Go get ‘em.
Image courtesy of stefanerschwendner.
The Most Important Content Marketing Step
Content. Overload. We’re there. The data speaks for itself and the numbers will only increase. The quantity of content being created on a daily basis is mind-numbing.
684,478 Facebook shares. 571 new websites created. Over 100,000 tweets. 3,600 new Instagram photos. 347 new blog posts on WordPress. All taking place within a minute each day.
For brands, the challenge of the past has been focused on quantity. Who is going to write the posts to sustain the company blog? Who is going to generate content for your social channels?
Times have changed. Brands are on board with the importance of content marketing and its critical role in brand building as well as lead generation. And while quantity will always play a role in content marketing (namely to properly test and iterate), the ultimate focus for brands today needs to be on generating quality content.
Last month, Velocity Partners created an excellent presentation called “Crap. The Content Marketing Deluge.” While the team framed this up for B2B companies, the learnings are applicable across all companies and orgs that are investing in content marketing.
A highlight in the deck is a slide that breaks down what exactly it means to be a Great Content Brand. Print this out. Pin it to your team members’ walls. Stare it every time you get ready to draft a strategy, plan a blog post series, craft a Facebook status update or create any single piece of content. As the deck author notes, you know when you’re being lazy and creating “O.K” content. Don’t be lazy. Don’t create crap content.
3 Key Requirements for Successful Long-Form Content
Over the past year I’ve had an ongoing internal debate around the value of long-form content. Others such as Jon Thomas have framed up the challenges associated with long-form content quite accurately. Simply put, we’re all constrained by time.
Thirty second commercials, 140-character tweets, two line status updates – our society has a penchant for content delivered in short-form. Does it mean that we’re well on our way to the death of long-form content? Far from it. But it does demand that communicators across brands and media outlets alike ensure that when choosing long over short-form content, we must take precaution and plan carefully. Long-form content commands attention from a certain type of audience that is patient and detail-oriented. Likewise, fans of long-form content are big on engagement. They will read, share, comment and serve as critical channels through which your content will travel.
There is no denying that the demands of exceptional long-form content are great. There is often a good deal of editorial guidance and associated production that serves to make a longer content piece shareworthy. Before you race off to plan an epic video that you “know your audience will love” or write a blog post that crests over 1,000 words, consider the following three key requirements for successful long-form content:
1. Make Your Content An Experience.
When the New York Times published “Snow Fall – The Avalanche at Tunnel Creek,” the social world lit up based on the interactive experience put together by the team. This tragic story had already been well documented by Outside Magazine and other outlets. Nonetheless, the NYT took a different angle and created an enriched experience that makes a reader feel as though they are slopeside with the group. My favorite example to date of long-form, interactive content done right.
2. Pull the Emotional String from the Beginning.
One of my favorite videos from last year was Caine’s Arcade. From the get go, you’re pulled into the storyline by Caine’s enthusiasm and passion for life. An emotional hook has always been an essential component of good storytelling, but it’s an absolute necessity when trying to hold attention longer than average.
3. Know When to Draw the Line.
The constant threat of long-form content is ensuring that you have a powerful storyline that can carry through the entire way. This is no small feat. The other week, I was directed to check out a new video by Stumptown Coffee Roasters.
At the forefront, the video seemed great. I’m a huge fan of Stumptown and all that they stand for but the effort falls short in my mind. By the two minute mark, the video feels as though it should be wrapping up as an internal perspectives spot that heightens customer trust and brand authenticity. Instead, the video carries on for another 6:41. The production is beautiful and the sheer length naturally parallels the level of patience and detail that exceptional coffee roasting demands, but the storyline never quite evolves. To hold attention over 2, 3, 4….8 minutes…it better be a storyline that keeps a viewer locked.
Conclusion
You know your target audience best but ultimately, taking an agile approach to testing, analyzing and iterating your content approach will be a core driver of setting your brand up for success. If you think you have a great story angle, make sure you’ve fully assessed the competition and are telling your story in a unique way. Starting small to gauge reaction and test short-form content that will later piece together the longer storyline may ultimately help to ensure you’re maximizing invested time and resources.
