The rapid emergence of Artificial Intelligence is disrupting many sectors and industries, and also changing the way in which consumers experience interacting with technology-driven services. AI-enabled applications, chatbots and automated services are changing the very fabric of our society, and ultimately providing a better customer experience. The same principles of AI are being applied to digital marketing, driving the need for creativity, because the AI-driven customer journey is becoming more personalized, and the customer expects more from their digital marketing interactions.
The power of good UX in TV Apps, websites and other applications are key to delivering an intuitive and engaging user experience. As marketers, understanding the digital user experience and creating a strategy around it is key to driving growth and profitability. Simply creating digital campaigns and publishing them is not enough - particularly in the age of ‘always-on’ marketing. Creative execution across digital channels has to be a core consideration of your digital marketing strategy.
Understanding user needs
The starting point for any digital marketing effort is to understand your target audience’s needs and expectations for the product or service you are offering. Without this knowledge, you will not be able to create an effective digital marketing campaign. Think about the user’s journey - from being aware of your product or service, to what action they need to take in order to be served.
Next, consider your customer’s experience. What content and messaging do they need to be served in order to become a customer? How can you make their journey as frictionless as possible? What features and functionality will help to maximize the user experience? Once you have a clear picture of your user’s needs, it is time to create a digital marketing plan that answers these questions.
Creating a plan for digital marketing
Once you understand your customer’s needs and expectations, you can then formulate a plan that meets those needs. Every digital marketing campaign should have three core components: an objective, a strategy to achieve the objective, and tactics to implement the strategy.
The objective should form the foundation of the entire campaign, and should be defined in measurable terms. For instance, is your aim to grow sales, lead generation or brand awareness? Your strategy should focus on how you are going to achieve that objective, by outlining the tactics and channels you will use to reach your target audience. Tactics are the actions you take that bring your strategy to life. Examples of tactics include email campaigns, social media, content creatives, SEO, etc.
Refining digital marketing content
Content is king when it comes to digital marketing. Your aim should be to create content that is both informative and creative. This means creating content that goes beyond just words, graphics and videos - to include interactive experiences such as games and quizzes, or virtual reality where appropriate. The important thing to remember is that content should be tailored to meet the needs of different audiences. As an example, if you are targeting millennials, then your content should be tailored to their demographic, while if you are targeting a more mature audience, then you will want to tailor your content accordingly. Make sure you do research and pay attention to user trends in order to create content that appeals to different generations.
Remember the power of good UX in TV Apps to create engaging experiences - and take your content beyond words. The aim is to create content that engages the user and encourages them to take further action. This could be an invitation to join a loyalty program, purchase a product, or simply to learn more about the company. Whatever your content aims are, you can use creative techniques to get your message across.
Exploring digital platforms
Digital marketing is about more than just content, it’s about delivering your message to the right audience. To ensure your campaigns are seen by the target audience, it’s important to map out the various digital platforms you will use. Each platform has its own advantages and disadvantages, so it’s important to understand each one, and how they can be used effectively.
Social media is a great example of this. Each platform has a unique community of users, which means that what works in one platform may not necessarily work on another. Therefore, it’s important to understand each platform’s strengths and weaknesses, and tailor your content accordingly.
Finally, it’s important to measure the effectiveness of your campaigns. Use analytics tools to measure key metrics such as clicks, impressions and conversions. This will give you an indication of how successful your campaigns are, and how they can be improved.
Digital marketing is an ever-evolving discipline, and requires creativity in order to be effective. By understanding user needs and creating a plan for digital marketing, refining content, and exploring digital platforms, brands can maximize the impact of their digital marketing efforts and drive growth.