Sarah Granger

Leading in Digital

July 18, 2015

MAXIMIZING DIGITAL ENGAGEMENT FOR

STARTUPS

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE DIGITAL AGE

• Rapid change

• Constant need for innovation

• Dynamic teams

• Increased noise level

• Expectations for open dialogue

RAPID CHANGE

CONSTANT NEED FOR INNOVATION

DYNAMIC TEAMS

INCREASED NOISE LEVEL

EXPECTATIONS FOR OPEN DIALOGUE

CUSTOMER EXPECTATIONS

• Global scope

• 24x7 engagement

• Integrated technologies

• Influencer networks

• Air of collaboration

• Efficient triage

• Constant feedback loop

DIGITAL ENGAGEMENT BASICS

• Develop a vision for what you want to convey online

• Craft a strategy with short & long-term goals in mind

• Create the digital identity you want

• Choose 2 social media channels most fitting your audience / market

• Build your digital media home – primary social outreach vehicle for organization

• Follow & connect with others

CHOOSING THE RIGHT SOCIAL NETWORK(S) / CHANNELS FOR YOUR CUSTOMERS / AUDIENCE

• LinkedIn – Business, networking, groups

• Facebook – Friends, small businesses, communities

• YouTube – Videos

• Twitter – Media, real-time

• Pinterest – Images, bloggers, crafters

• Instagram – Photos, young adults & teens

• Tumblr – Young adults & teens, edgier blogs

INTERMEDIATE INTEGRATION

• Engage on multiple channels

• Control & curate your message through varied media (images, audio, text, video)

• Build relationships with influencers, media

• Share content that reflects your leadership style

• Optimize content for search engines

• Be useful, helpful, interesting, informative

ADVANCED AGGREGATION

• Hone your authentic voice

• Deepen connections with your audience

• Integrate your digital strategy on all channels (e-mail, web, Intranet / internal, lists, groups, social media, mobile apps)

• Manage your online reputation

• Activate your networks & community

• Use your influence for good

BUILD A DIGITAL STRATEGY

• TARGET: Customers you want to reach – where are they?

• TEAM: Include social media savvy marketers

• CONTENT: Develop core consistent content

• E-MAIL: Still the best online outreach mechanism

• WEB: Sites need to be speedy & mobile-ready

• SOCIAL: Pick a few key social media channels

• DATA: Optimize & analyze metrics

• TECH: Don’t neglect your network or security

COMPANY DIGITAL IDENTITY

• Identity & content online should always match company identity

• Create & curate consistent, authentic content

• Control your identity & your marketing online

• Build communities & networks, not just pushing outward to users

CONTENT STRATEGY

• Keep a calendar for regular scheduled content

• Event related content

• News / release-related content

• On-the-fly content

• Staggered, varied

• Experiment in small batches

• Optimized for mobile

KEYS TO CONSISTENT CONTENT

• Content is content, regardless of platform

• Segment the content for ease of use, mix it up

• Reusable content allows for speedy dissemination of information Make it “Sticky”

• Personalize - blog updates, friendly, curated

• Use Images - photos, videos

MOBILE INTEGRATION

• Taking photos, video, direct engagement in real time

• Direct contact with users / customers

• Rapid posting of photos to blogs from phone

• Live tweeting events, news

• Live video - Ustream, Periscope, etc.

• Posting videos after the fact to Facebook, YouTube, Vimeo

ANALYTICS

• Quantitative – specific metrics from website, all social channels, mobile apps, etc.

• Qualitative – detailed feedback from prospective customers, existing customers, media, influencers, executives

MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR TIME

• Prioritize time online based on goals

• Schedule blocks of time for listening & engagement

• Focus on communities & groups most meaningful to you, your organization

• Repurpose content at varying intervals

• Pay it forward: what you put in will come back to you

DEMONSTRATING DIGITAL LEADERSHIP

• Show, don’t tell

• Engage & exchange

• Actively listen while you work

• Invite open discussion

• Assess quantitative & qualitative results

• Share what you learn

• Reward those who walk the talk

QUESTIONS?

Contact Sarah Granger:

@sarahgranger on Twitter

linkedin.com/in/sarahgranger

Learn more:

sarahgranger.com

leadingindigital.com

The Digital Mystique on Amazon / Kindle