One of the major challenges that the digital era represents has to do with the fact that it’s constantly changing. One minute your attention is focused firmly on the horizon and you’re on the lookout for the “next big technique” to capitalize on to catapult your startup to success. You’ve found it, you understand why it’s important and what it’s supposed to do. And you know exactly how to use it to generate the results you need.
The next minute, it’s totally irrelevant and your startup failed. A new “next big thing” came along when you weren’t paying attention. And now you’ve found yourself temporarily (hopefully) left behind by the competition.
Day in, day out. Rinse, repeat.
It can be certainly tiring to launch a startup in the ever-changing digital world that we’re now living, but one thing that it absolutely does NOT have to be is impossible. If you really want to give your startup the absolute best chance at success these days, there are a few key things you’ll need to keep in mind.
Digital Marketing Is More Critical Than Ever
On the one hand, this seems a bit obvious – it is the “digital era,” after all. So it stands to reason that digital marketing would be more important to your long-term success. Opposed to the heavily print-based campaigns of yesteryear.
But on the other hand, the importance of digital marketing in the modern climate simply cannot be overstated enough. First, take a look at the following stats to get a better indication of not just how far things have come, but where they’re potentially headed:
- According to one recent study, social media advertising has finally overtaken search engine advertising in terms of sheer popularity alone. In fact, 84% of people who responded to a survey said that they’re actively using paid social media promotions. As opposed to just 67% who are still designing campaigns around paid search.
- Mobile isn’t just popular – it is absolutely here to stay. Mobile advertising is expected to account for a massive 72% of ALL digital advertising dollars spent by as soon as the end of 2019.
- According to the CMO Council, 46% of marketers say that photography is one of the current most important components of their marketing and general storytelling strategies.
- 72% of marketers also said that the creation of relevant content was the most effective SEO tactic that was available to them today.
- The return on investment for content marketing, in general, is still on the rise. Not only does it still generate as many as three times the leads as traditional marketing, but it also costs 62% less.
- Usability is still one of the major keys in terms of marketing success. One study illustrated the fact that while 85% of mobile advertisers think that they’re providing a positive experience for their users. But only 47% of those users actually agreed.
Go Deeper, Focus.
So yes, digital marketing is critical these days. But you also have to understand that your competitors know this as well. No longer is it enough to be “first” in terms of executing a digital, mobile or even local-driven campaign.
Everyone is doing all of these techniques and more. The fact that you’ve got a branded mobile app or that you’re publishing Infographics on social media is no longer enough to make you stand out.
So instead, you need to go deeper. You shouldn’t focus on the types of content that you’re using to spread your message during these critical early days of your business. But what that content is saying and how it’s saying it.
Focus on the Message, Not the Delivery Mechanism
By far, one of the most important factors that startups must consider in the digital era has to do with just how compelling their content actually is. Remember that a presentation alone isn’t enough to get the job done. The novelty of this format has long since worn off. You really need to go as deep as possible for the benefit of both your business and your audience.
For the best results, always start with the message you need to send. Ask yourself why it is important to send that message right now. Then, work your way backwards to the format that services that message in the right way.
New Tools for the Digital Era
Not everything needs to be an Infographic. Sometimes a compelling story is best told by way of an equally compelling presentation created with a tool like Visme (which I founded little over 4 years ago), Prezi, Google Slides, PowerPoint Online, etc.
Likewise, think about things in terms of one of the most important documents of all for a startup: your pitch deck. Again, the fact that you’ve got a digital pitch deck isn’t enough to make you stand out in a crowd anymore.
You should instead focus on creating pitch decks that are still visual, but not overly so. And you don’t have to pay a designer to “over visualize” your startup’s story. You can use do-it-yourself software like the above-mentioned to make sure that no matter what, your message itself always takes center stage. These tools even give you a quick starting point and a wide range of templates to choose from.
You should also be using sites and services like Uscreen to take the videos and other content that you’re creating and find new opportunities to get them out into the world. The old saying of “go where your audience is” remains true, for sure. But these also present new opportunities for monetization by identifying channels that may have otherwise gone unnoticed.
You can even use these tools to create reports, graphs and other types of collateral for in-house consumption, too.
Conclusion
Always remember that the number one rule of the digital era is that your message is ultimately what will allow you to stand out from your competitors. Not the fact that you’re using a flashy presentation or Infographic. Rather how you’re using those formats to elevate the story you’re telling in the first place.
Latest posts by Payman Taei (see all)
- Digital Era: Factors Startups Must Consider - March 7, 2018
