MARKETING
2023 : A Year Of The Digital Creatives Revolution
By Jonathan Phillip Kyetume
In the wake of fast-changing consumer trends , and digital adoption , almost every customer and business-facing brand will be looking to establish a consistent digital footprint . Brands are going to be more focused on a content strategy that will drive awareness , action , conversion , and engagement beyond the purchase .
The digital creative revolution powered by the rapid advancement and widespread adoption of digital technology in creative fields such as graphic design , photography , and audio-visual production has led to new opportunities for creatives to explore different content formats and novel forms of distribution and monetization .
The demand for graphics designers , copywriters , user interface or user experience designers , motion graphics designers , and art directors is at an all-time high , unfortunately , most firms would not be able to have all these specialties in-house because of the cost implication .
Yes , you need a Creative Agency
Brands are becoming robust and the demand for productive engagement with consumers is growing every day . Creative agencies offer cost-efficient expertise , especially for understaffed marketing teams because brands get to use most of the agency assets from the teams , tools , technologies , and oversight in content development . Agencies could also greatly support well-structured content distribution across campaigns .
In my experience , as marketers , we tend to get biased and conservative and most times having a creative agency is one of those things that could give a fresh feel and energy to your brand collateral . Talking more about perspective , creating and executing a brand strategy is better when working with a creative agency because of the holistic and oversight approach in content development that spans ; from launch campaigns to the digital marketing plan execution using Dave Chaffey ’ s RACE model .
Content that Coverts
Content marketing just got a new player , ChatGPT which is an artificial intelligence tool that is projected to change the customer experience space , revolutionize customer support through chatbots , and create engaging content , which is a breakthrough for firms in both B2C and B2B real-time conversational marketing .
Brands that have added blogs to their content strategy are drawing increasing traffic to their websites and social media channels and this results in better engagement , better leads , and increased conversion rates . Blogs are great at supporting Search Engine Optimisation ( SEO ) and driving better website visibility and leads . Converting blogs have to resonate with the target audience and that calls for top-notch copywriting . Great copy is also key in email marketing as it results in increased open rates and leads . Demandside Advertising platforms that support rich media content formats offer more opportunities that creatives can explore to develop content with better performing Clickthrough-rates ( CTR ).
The Human side
With all the automation happening , customers are growing to demand and appreciate the human side of brands , so storytelling is going to be a game changer in driving leads and conversion . Brands are seeking repeat purchases and loyalty , hence the need to create content that appeals to the affective and emotive senses . From the consumer behaviour perspective , customers ’ motivations for purchase include but are not limited to associations , desired lifestyle , perceived value , and societal acceptance . Customers seek to understand previous user experiences , so they check reviews , and ratings , that build a basis for forming perceptions , hopefully , positive ones . Customers are always looking for a reason to choose a brand . Customers have fears , concerns , and particular reservations about not choosing your brand and this might be the turning point to win them over with compelling stories , experiences , and shared values - and creatives come in with the visual storytelling !
In as much as creative agencies seem to be the solution , proper attention must be given when developing briefs to support the delivery of the set strategic objectives as this is one of the ways to ensure that the return on investment of onboarding an agency makes sense .
Again , we do not ignore the fact that influencer marketing and the creator economy is growing , and consumers are now empowered by advancement in technologies and creator tools like TikTok . Platforms like these have also redefined content creation , consumption , and distribution .
Jonathan Phillip Kyetume is a Marketing and Communications Specialist . You can commune with him on this and related issues via email at : Jonathankyetume @ gmail . com .
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