In an effort to lead the conversation on the evolving digital landscape, OPIN launched a new podcast, “Reshape Digital,” where Chris Liko and Stephen Boucher, part of the digital marketing team at OPIN Software, discuss new ideas shaping the marketing landscape. The podcast features different partners and clients in the digital world.
The podcast will address ideas that are reshaping the digital landscape. “We want to talk about ideas people have never heard of,” Liko says.
The ideas stem from OPIN’s expertise. As Canada’s fastest-growing digital agency, they help clients navigate the changing digital landscape.
“Our community has given us a lot and we want to give value back to the community with our insights,” says Liko.
Reshape Digital takes a different approach by looking at the process of generating ideas and using your marketing strategy to determine what technology is best suited to deliver your message.
“People are bogged down with how stuff works, but they’re not sure why they are doing it in the first place,” says Boucher. “Instead of chasing the latest tech, start with the ideas first.”
What sets Reshape Digital apart from other agency podcasts is the emphasis on the decision-making process and how ideas shape the use of technology. Boucher says the focus of marketing has shifted from adopting new technology to finding groundbreaking ideas.
“You want to start with why you’re doing something instead of rushing to buy new technology,” he says. “In the past, the focus in digital marketing has been too technical. We want to take a more philosophical look at marketing.”
To subscribe to the podcast, please visit opin.ca/reshape-digital
Marketing anti-trends reshaping your digital strategy
Many trends in the digital world are not what they seem. The digital marketing team at OPIN outlines what you need to avoid when revamping your marketing strategy.
Breaking the rules
It’s an old cliché – break the rules to get ahead – but what rules are worth breaking? Liko points out that the most innovative thing a company can do is choose a rule that works and stand by it. For OPIN, that means being committed to the Drupal content management system as the backbone of all their client projects. OPIN is well known in the industry for its unique commitment to the software. “Good rules are good because they work,” says OPIN’s Stephen Boucher. “This is what separates trendy companies from lasting institutions.”
Artificial intelligence
Many companies are trying to leverage AI technology. The question is what value, if any, can AI bring to your organization? A report from London-based venture capitalist group MMC Ventures revealed that 40 per cent of European AI startups don’t use the technology in a significant way in their products. The report raised the concern that AI is simply a buzzword used to attract investment. Instead of using buzzwords in your content, be authentic in your messaging. “Startups use AI as a catch-all term for complex technology,” says Liko. “Your users aren’t dumb – tell them how the technology actually works.”
Listicles
Listicles have been popular for years because they performed well on search engines, but the proliferation of the style has made it so common it’s hard to stand out.
“We have arrived at a point where listicle production has outpaced real innovation,” says Boucher. “Everyone is writing the same thing all the time, and it cheapens your brand to jump on that bandwagon.”
Liko says a more impactful SEO metric is measuring the amount of time a reader stays on the page.
Meanwhile, the growing trend in content marketing is to use long-form articles that demonstrate thought leadership. HubSpot, a marketing software developer, analyzed more than 6,000 of its own blogs and found that posts of between 2,250 and 2,500 words generated the most organic traffic.
“Having your company recognized in search engines is about creating high-quality, evergreen content, not hopping on trends,” says Boucher.
Automation
Automation has been an absolute game-changer in nearly every industry, and businesses are obsessed with it for good reason. In practice, automation results in an average of 15% increased sales and 12% decreased marketing costs. Naturally, everyone wants to automate everything, but this can be a trap in itself. Some processes are not as effective when automated, but more importantly, some automation takes longer to configure than the amount of time they actually save.
