{"id":8186,"date":"2020-06-25T15:01:48","date_gmt":"2020-06-25T19:01:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ceros.com\/inspire\/?p=8186"},"modified":"2021-04-21T11:39:05","modified_gmt":"2021-04-21T15:39:05","slug":"effective-digital-experience","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ceros.com\/inspire\/originals\/effective-digital-experience\/","title":{"rendered":"What Makes an Effective Digital Experience?"},"content":{"rendered":"<span class=\"rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Reading Time: <\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\">4<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span>\n<p>Whether they were ready or not, this year marketers across all industries <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ceros.com\/inspire\/originals\/virtual-event-guide\/\">had to get comfortable<\/a> with digital experience creation. A number of these experiences hit the mark\u2014providing clear, helpful, easy-to-digest content to relevant audiences\u2014but many were lacking in a few key areas. We wanted to find out what set them apart, so we met with a few prominent marketers (and Ceros clients) to learn more about their hallmarks for a great digital experience. Here\u2019s what the effective pieces had in common.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2>It was created with purpose<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A scattered experience without a centralized purpose isn\u2019t one created with the audience in mind. You have a goal for the experience, and the facets of your experience\u2014<em>every<\/em> one of them\u2014point towards that same goal. Once you\u2019ve identified that audience, cater every aspect of the experience to it. It\u2019s better to be hyper-relevant to a core group of people than vaguely relevant to everyone.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cA brand\u2019s IRL and digital experiences can feel disjointed when the experiences aren\u2019t tied to an overarching brand objective,\u201d said Kristin Benson, vice president of global entertainment at Getty Images. \u201cEspecially in today\u2019s niche world, brands are rewarded when they are laser-focused and loyal to their driving objectives and core audiences. In other words, don\u2019t try to create an experience that\u2019s everything to everyone!\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Benson recommends applying the same attention to detail for a digital experience as you might have when you host a dinner party. Because it\u2019s not just about the main course\u2014you have to nail the lighting, the music, the hors d\u2019oeuvres, the cocktails. Same goes for a digital experience.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cEven though it\u2019s virtual, consider where your audience will experience this content and the journey they\u2019ll take to get to your main message,\u201d Benson said. \u201cAttention to detail\u2014even attention for simple things like consistent formatting or paragraph spacing\u2014goes a long way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style='position: relative;width: auto;padding: 0 0 62.5%;height: 0;top: 0;left: 0;bottom: 0;right: 0;margin: 0;border: 0 none' id=\"experience-5ee1313c103da\" data-aspectRatio=\"1.6\"><iframe allowfullscreen src='\/\/view.ceros.com\/editorial-content\/landing-page-1-2-1-1-2-1-1' style='position: absolute;top: 0;left: 0;bottom: 0;right: 0;margin: 0;padding: 0;border: 0 none;height: 1px;width: 1px;min-height: 100%;min-width: 100%' frameborder='0' class='ceros-experience' title='Inspire Curious Sign-up Embed' scrolling='no'><\/iframe><\/div><script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"\/\/view.ceros.com\/scroll-proxy.min.js\" data-ceros-origin-domains=\"view.ceros.com\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2>It\u2019s empathetic and connects on a human level<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Never forget that you\u2019re a human creating something for other humans, so don\u2019t overthink this. Craft something empathetic, that appeals to each viewer\u2019s humanity. Digital content loses that piece far too often, but it\u2019s one of the most important pieces to consider. Brands can educate and be thought leaders, but they can also make it clear that behind the brand is a group of humans, just like those on the other side of the interaction.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe world has quickly transitioned to a digital-over-everything mindset,\u201d said Mark Kilens, VP of content and community at Drift. \u201cIt\u2019s crucial to create digital content that educates, and is sometimes humorous and entertaining in an appropriate way, while also expressing empathy and compassion to the time and the experiences people are going through.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The world we live in now, Kilens says, is especially appropriate for empathetic brand content. He recommends making sure your storefront and website are in a position to engage with people, especially since most of your website is valuable content and information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAt the end of the day, you should focus on making it as easy as possible to find something, get an answer, and get in touch with you,\u201d he said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2>It solves for the customer<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When things get crazy and plans start changing, don\u2019t lose sight of the initial goal\u2014that <em>why<\/em>. When it comes to bringing experiential marketing online, those in the industry are so quick to think about <em>how <\/em>to translate something to digital, that <em>why<\/em> someone might want to engage with that campaign is often overlooked. Once you have a good reason for creating this digital experience, and you\u2019re sure that it solves for the customer, be intentional about representing that in every stage of your experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cPutting the customer first starts by taking the time to deeply and fully understand what defines value for your audience at any given point in their lifecycle with your company,\u201d said Juliana Nicholson, senior program manager at HubSpot. \u201cIt&#8217;s your job to then translate that need into more specific programming that maps to each unique stage. It&#8217;s important to remember that while your customer&#8217;s needs differ at each stage (education, support, community), the journey as a whole should feel like one cohesive brand experience.\u201d&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Digital transformations only work, Nicholson said, when the end-user experience mimics that of your original plan. As you go through the creative process, pause to ask yourself,<em> does this still make sense? Is the impact on my customer the same as it was before?<\/em> If so, charge ahead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2>It\u2019s focused on a specific audience<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The experiences you create should be unmistakably yours, with your audience in mind throughout the process. Whatever that group looks like, it needs to make sense for them. While it\u2019s untenable to create personalized content for every single one of your prospects, your experience shouldn\u2019t be one-size-fits-all.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAs marketers, we understand the importance of personalizing each channel,\u201d said Randy Frisch, CMO at Uberflip. \u201cBut let\u2019s be honest\u2014creating landing pages with content relevant to each prospect is exhausting <em>and<\/em> expensive. No one has unlimited resources.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s why he recommends leveraging your existing content, but doing so carefully and thoughtfully so that the right people see the right things. That not only curates a tailored story for each prospect, but it encourages mass content consumption. \u201cThe more a prospect consumes your content, the more likely they are to buy,\u201d Frisch says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2>It\u2019s well designed and built<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When you think about a digital experience, the important part isn\u2019t the \u201cdigital\u201d\u2014it\u2019s the <em>experience<\/em>. Design isn\u2019t just an afterthought that someone else takes care of once the copy is written. When you think about copy, about general purpose, about overall layout, it\u2019s really important to recognize that your content needs to be <em>well designed.<\/em>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Someone is experiencing your content for the first time. If your design is overwhelming, confusing, or downright bad, they may not take that next step. If your content isn\u2019t built for the device they\u2019re using, loads slowly, or feels incomplete, good luck getting them to engage at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAs consumers, we want our products to be well crafted, aesthetically pleasing, and sturdy,\u201d said Alex Kelly, director of digital marketing at Ceros. \u201cWe want the same things from our digital content, we just don\u2019t think about it in the same sense. That hunger for good design and craftsmanship is there, so use it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So yes, the words and story matter\u2014but, the design and packaging of your content signals to the other person how they should feel about it and what actions they should take.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2>Be intentional, empathetic, and creative<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Ultimately, creating a truly compelling digital experience comes down to thinking thoughtfully about your audience in different two ways\u2014as a fellow human being engaging with content on the Internet, and as a potential buyer of your offering engaging with your brand. Be consistent, address business concerns, and ensure that the experience is relevant to those viewing it\u2014but don\u2019t be afraid to express some personality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you can check those boxes, you\u2019re well on your way.&nbsp;&nbsp;<br><\/p>\n<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on the_content --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on the_content -->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"myclass\">We spoke with a few prominent marketers to learn more about their hallmarks for a great digital experience. Here\u2019s what the effective pieces had in common.<\/div>\n<p><!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on get_the_excerpt --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on get_the_excerpt --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":102,"featured_media":8187,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v15.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>What Makes an Effective Digital Experience? - Ceros Inspi<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"We spoke with a few prominent marketers to learn more about their hallmarks for a great digital experience. 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