Digital transformation: what content does my company need?
Digital transformation is what happens when organisations rely on digital assets and online technology to improve their day-to-day operations. For many, the pandemic has accelerated the pace of their digital transformation. As a result, there has been a move from face-to-face to virtual interaction. This required a greater number and variety of digital content than ever before.
From operations to marketing, creating suitable content to meet the needs of an organisation’s digital transformation is a process that takes time and planning. This is an ever-changing environment with complex information needs. Nobody can afford to be left behind. Let alone to communicate with the wrong kind of content, or low-quality content that does not convince target audiences.
Digital fatigue: everything is online and it’s staying that way
Phone calls and in-person meetings are not always possible. Or they may not be as frequent in our current work mode. Therefore, even larger events like conferences are going digital, or hybrid, despite the easing of COVID-19 restrictions.
However, two years of online meetings have left many people suffering from digital fatigue. There are countless options for consuming digital content. And social media use has never been higher. The right kind of content is necessary to stimulate and audience’s appetite.
How is it possible to improve business communications and reignite audience interest?
Changing communication patterns
One lasting lesson from the pandemic is that audiences want to be addressed in a way that suits them. Subsequently, content that takes more than five minutes to consume is not fit for purpose. For example, in 2016, the average attention span for online content was 8.25 seconds, and this has decreased further since then. So, how can we hold an audience’s focus and interest?
We need to consider the format of our content. As a result, different people learn in different ways, so it’s important to cater for different audio and visual learning styles. Engaging digital assets can range from a simple blog post to an infographic or a podcast. In order to build a loyal following we need to meet an audience where they are. And we can do this through the creation of the right content as part of an organisation’s digital transformation.
So where is a good place to begin?
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Starting our digital transformation: create an operational process
It’s critical we plan content well in advance. This gives flexibility and scope. Creating an editorial calendar allows us to get an overview of the range and distribution of formats to use for content creation.
As part of this approach, we need to set clear goals and use meaningful metrics to monitor the success of the content. We can adjust content based on what works for our audience and what does not.
Next steps: digital marketing
A company’s successful digital transformation depends on two factors:
Quality is essential and any audience (even a non-specialist one) can spot substandard content a mile away. First impressions count!
Consistency contributes to meet audience’s expectations. Meanwhile, search engines recognise and reward consistency in content. Creating a series of content pieces for release on a regular basis gives us the best possible search ranking.
These pieces should serve as reactive teaser materials. The assets can be distributed on social media or via targeted email to draw our audience’s attention to longer evergreen pieces.
Conclusion
A successful digital transformation relies on a strong content roll-out plan. An organisation’s ability to engage target audiences in a way that stimulates them is also necessary.
Also, success depends on a company’s ability to create varied high-quality digital assets specifically designed to interest and appeal to their target audience. SciencePOD is here to support you in all your digital needs.