It is impossible to ignore the rapid growth of internet
usage from consumers around the globe. As internet becomes increasingly
assessable people are showing greater preferences in utilizing internet to
learn about new products.
A recent study conducted by Forrester revealed that 12% of
consumers use print ads, 11% use TV ads and only 4% use radio ads to learn
about new products. Whereas approximately 78% of internet users conduct their
product research online. Therefore, it is not hard to see why marketers have
altered their approach in order to target these consumers.
Due to this influx of online usage, digital media strategy
has emerged. This profession aims to indentify the online needs of consumers. Professionals
flag opportunities and challenges that businesses may face in the online
environment and develop a strategy to address these issues. Their goal is to
capture customers and optimize sales through online marketing. This includes: social
media, email blasts, SEO, website design (etc.).
It is surprising however, that many companies do not implement
a strategy for there digital marketing. A poll by Smart Insights, a company
that specializes in digital marketing, revealed that 69% of companies
participate in digital marketing but have no concrete strategy established.
Having a digital media strategy is extremely important for
the growth of any business. Without a concrete strategy the company will lack
direction. It will be much more difficult to indentify and approach new
customers as well as maintain previous ones. It’s important to have a plan that
is organized, well researched, and can be easily executed. This makes it much
easier to find and compare information about your online market share and where
you stand in comparison to your competitors. It also helps you create a unique
online presence.
How do you establish the best possible digital media
strategy? We interview one of our own, Sophia Santamaria, Manager of Web and Digital Media Strategy to give us some more insight.
Sophia has been with Ash City for just over 6 months, but
has been working in digital media for approximately 15 years. One of her
favorite things about her career is being involved in a profession that is
always changing.
“I enjoy the fast pace and the challenge of keeping up with
newest technologies and design practices.”
Sophia’s role is a hybrid of technical, design and
management practices. Her day to day consists of everything from strategic
planning and budgeting to developing digital marketing, email communications
and designs for online projects.
This profession is very enjoyable, yet does have some
challenges. Constantly coming up with new and innovative marketing techniques
can be very difficult, especially when you are trying to entice customers that
are subject to a variety of advertisements from competitors.
Therefore, when Sophia is planning her digital media
marketing campaigns she works to really understand what our customers need and
want in order to provide them with a very positive online experience.
“I put myself in the mindset of the customer browsing our
site or using app or engaging with us in a social arena. Everything we design
should be able to make their lives easier and offer a solution to a problem.”
When it comes to looking for inspiration for creative
layouts and designs, Sophia does not limit herself. She looks for inspiration absolutely
everywhere. Whether it checking out seasonal trends or looking at paintings or
magazine. She always keeps an open mind when trying to create new
designs. This increases the likelihood that the designs will be unique to the
company, furthermore differentiating yourself from your competitors and
essentially attract more customers.
As a Web and Digital Media Manager, Sophia does not only
have to discover inspiration on her own but also motivate and inspire her staff.
Being a respected manager is important, as positive interactions with her
employees will help inspire creative strategies and designs. As well as
motivate her employees to work hard towards the company vision.
“I had really great mentors and managers in my career. The
most important thing I learned is to support my team’s strengths and encourage
them to learn from their mistakes. Also, to celebrate the small wins – not just
the big ones. I get my staff coffee every Friday as a thank you for all the
work they completed that week. It’s encouraging and hopefully lets them know
that I appreciate the long hours and hard work.”
Sophia’s amazing leadership skills, talent, and knowledge
has led her to excel in her profession. Although a lot can be learned from
Sophia and her extensive experience in this profession, she offers one quick
bit of advice to young professionals about to enter this career. She stresses
the importance of being confident, comprisable and organized.
“Don’t get discouraged by the small stuff – focus on
usability and analytics when developing any design or strategy. Compromise.
Listen to your end users. Lastly, always have backup for why you made a change
or a new feature.”
No comments:
Post a Comment