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5 Success Principles for Digital Marketing

by Sat Duggal

Are you struggling to keep up with the frenzied pace of the changing digital landscape? Have you run a series of digital "pilots" on Facebook, Twitter, Mobile, and others but don't know how they all relate to each other? Are your digital campaigns smart, snazzy, and even productive from a demand gen perspective but one-off events rather than a scalable digital presence?

Companies are no longer rewarded with substantial new business just for being online. They need to create mutually reinforcing digital assets that enhance the brand experience and compel customers to engage. This becomes difficult when large companies with well-established brands try to align various aspects of their digital strategy to deliver on that promise.

We recommend shaping your digital strategy with these five guiding principles:

The customer experience is what matters, not the digital tools. The role of digital tools is to enhance the customer experience. Your priority is to understand and address customer needs within the context of the current competitive landscape. Keeping this focus allows you to apply your assets coherently to deliver something unique.

Don't limit yourself to the purchase part of the experience. GE Aviation’s program, My Engines, embraces this principle. GE recognized the opportunity to engage customers long after their purchase by aligning digital assets to create an unbeatable experience. They provided the ability to monitor engine diagnostics online from any location, which helps GE customers succeed while deepening their relationship with the brand.

Re-imagine the experience using an integration of digital tools, legacy data, and offline expertise (e.g., people’s knowledge). This principle encourages companies to become thought leaders in their space. When people follow your blogs, white papers, and talented employees, customers and prospects feel they’ve made the right decision to work with you and continue to give you their trust.

You don’t need all the content. In fact, the opportunity for users to create their own content encourages interactivity. Talk to any of your customers and they will tell you that they don’t want to be sold to. What they want is to be heard. Feeling like they are making a difference in your company enhances their overall experience with your brand.

Think long-term. This is an on-going relationship and not a single conversation. Nike does this very well with their website and applications for athletes. They find ways to be a part of your run, your golf swing, and your fitness goals—all while letting you share your experiences with their brand tagged to everything. This creates a long-term relationship that is coveted by consumers and businesses alike.

Together these principles can help you understand your customers and build trust like never before. When you leverage your digital assets to create unique experiences, you drive organic growth and position your company as a thought leader in your industry.

Free Guide: Using Brand Promise to Achieve Marketing Excellence

Keywords: Newsletter, Custom Marketing Framework, Customer Experience Design