2017 Digital Summit Recap

If you were unable to attend Digital Summit 2017, have no fear! A few of us ventured to Atlanta to submerge ourselves in all things digital. Although the two-day conference can hardly be summed up in a single blog post, we’ve narrowed it down to five key takeaways.

1. Knowing your audience is key

Nowadays, people aren’t interested in advertising but are more likely to connect when they feel they’re connecting to brands. You should already know your target audience and demographics, but creating buyer personas for a few of your top targets is a great way to personalize your content. Your ultimate goal should be to connect emotionally with your audience. People want authenticity when it comes to brands.

2. Video isn’t slowing down any time soon

As most of you may have noticed, social media videos are producing a substantial amount of engagement compared to text and photos. Within five years, it’s predicted Facebook will be completely made up of videos rather than just content and images. If your company isn’t already on this train, it’s time to hop on and start experimenting with producing video footage!

3. Pay-to-play is the new norm for social media marketing

It’s no surprise that social media is heading in this direction since organic social media posts are delivering diminishing returns. If you’re trying to figure out how to turn social media channels into something that drives real revenue, you have to spend money to make money. To track paid social ROI, you can’t just pay money to broadcast to new audiences. You have to make sure that the promoted content leads back to landing pages and product pages that convert leads to actual customers.

4. Content is king

An easy way to remember how to effectively communicate your story is the simple “TRUTH” acronym:

-T: Timely (current events, trends, seasons, holidays, etc.)

-R: Reputable (trustworthy, experienced and educated)

-U: Unique (remarkable, different and surprising)

-T: Tension (debates, struggles, questions or risks)

-H: Human Condition (humanize the story that data/facts couldn’t otherwise)

If you content follows the TRUTH approach, you’ll be good to go.

5. Web design should revolve around user experience

When designing a website, the first thing to think about should be how the user will navigate through the site. It’s smart to anticipate a user’s journey by using the letter ‘F’ when designing the page with top real estate items in that particular layout. Always try to hook viewers by making them feel like they are offering something, so they feel a sense of ownership to your website. Flowcharts and wireframes are the smartest and most effective way to establish a user-friendly design early on in the web design process.

See the full lineup of speakers and pre-register for next year!