What Executives Need to Know About Interactive Strategy

According to Forrester, 84% of U.S. adults use the web daily. Forty-three Americans converted to smartphones in the minute it took you to read this. And with 92% of companies now incorporating social media into their marketing efforts, it’s no longer sufficient to just “be there” on social networks. Key interactive touch points are converging fast to form one all encompassing interactive experience and for brands, it better be buttoned up and in sync. How will you manage?

It’s easy to find perspectives on the key to interactive success. Having a Facebook page, launching an app and pushing keyword rich content tend to reign at the top of the list. These work, sometimes. But a step back is required to grasp the full picture and ensure success in the long run. Brands don’t fall short online because they’ve used the wrong system or chosen poor technology, they fail because they focus on the wrong things.

The key to interactive success hinges on the following equation…

This process is linear and absurdly simple.  You must first find a way to get your audience to your brand online or success is limited. Visibility is how a brand is represented online; how it’s seen, made available, noticeable, discoverable and clear. Once a brand’s channels are trafficked, what do visitors do? What do you want them to take away or look into further?  How do you ensure engaged visitors that stick around and return again and again? Strong content that adds value to and captivates your audience while facilitating an authentic, honest two-way dialogue. True engagement.

With those two components in place, a brand is on its way to the ultimate vision, the goal: relationships. Here is where you get the lead, the conversion, the new advocate, or the sale. Relationships are sales, they are dollar signs, they represent brand longevity. This vision will not change over time, and it probably hasn’t changed over the past decades as it relates to business. It’s particularly true today because most companies historically have not and still struggle to do these things [visibility and engagement] well to relate to their customer.

So, ask yourself: How do I create better relationships? Through visibility and engagement. How do I accomplish those things? You need an inspired plan. Here is where you can introduce those tactical elements that too many start with. Achieve visibility through search – the technical elements, linking elements, the right content in the right way. Begin to foster engagement through social. Be aware, share content, have conversations.

At Envano – consistent with our unconventional nature – we reverse things; this equation is also known as REV. Reverse your thinking. Revitalize your approach. Revive company Revenue.

This equation is by no means revolutionary. But it is counter corporate.

It’s Common Sense. So Why Aren’t People Doing It?

There is a corporate block fixated on what’s simple, for less money. It’s the psychology and sociology of what we do. Too often, companies jump into the latest technology, wherever they think they can get the most bang for their buck – without first looking at the bigger picture.

The bigger picture is relationships, which is synonymous with an audience focused or audience centric approach. Understanding customer needs and segmenting brand content by industry or interest helps streamline the process of relationship development – another key concept we will address in a future blog post. With a core focus on people first, Envano helps brands weave visibility, engagement and technology together, leading to deeper online customer relationships.

Because ultimately, it’s personal. It takes people to make it happen – to ensure visibility, to encourage engagement, to foster relationships. The secret to success always starts with embracing the right perspective. In the wise words of Steven Covey: “begin with the end in mind.”