Workplace Engagement in the Age of Digital Marketing

“At a moment in time when everyone is perpetually in touch, it is more important than ever that employees are engaged in corporate culture.”

According to New York branding and marketing firm Desantis Breindel, we work in environments in which, “everyone knows everything at all times.”

In the midst of fast-paced communication and constant information exchange, transparency is the key to focusing on workplace engagement–with both employees and customers–in the digital age.

TECHNOLOGY AND WORKPLACE ENGAGEMENT: WHEN DID THIS ALL START?

In the 1990s, marketers thought about digital marketing the same way they thought about billboards or posters in train stations. According to OneSpot CEO Steve Sachs, companies’ strategy was limited to finding sites with relevant traffic and flooding them with display ads. Since then, companies have learned that digital engagement doesn’t come from constant presence but rather provision. In “What Will Brand Engagement Look Like in 2020?,” Sachs points out that providing useful and valuable content is what really glues consumers to your brand.

“It’s a highly personal experience when a consumer receives a message on a digital platform, whether it’s on a PC or a mobile device, on the open web or in social media. For maximum impact, content needs to feel as personal and relevant as the delivery channel allows.”

Read more and discover the top three ways your workplace can stay on top of digital-age employee and consumer engagement.

1. MEANINGFUL CONTENT: THE POWER OF STORYTELLING IN DIGITAL MARKETING

Brands have only seconds to capture consumers’ attention via digital media, which creates a demand for human-centered stories! To craft these powerful digital messages, marketers have to think differently than they did with static media.

Companies and their marketing partners are seeking journalists and the like–storytellers–to create meaningful digital content. Although there’s a learning curve for people adapting to digital channels, Sachs’ article says:

“We’re taking great strides in reaching that point where branding and storytelling intersect in a way that feels seamless and relevant to consumers.”

Fortunately, in 2020, the best new marketers will have grown up in the digital world, erasing the learning curve today’s marketers and employers face. They’ll be steeped in an environment where companies routinely engage with consumers in meaningful ways with content of all formats and lengths, and where messages don’t intrude and interrupt. As Sachs says:

“Digital marketing will be in the hands of people who are unfettered by the expectations and hang-ups of the ‘old ways’ of doing things.”

This has implications for your workplace engagement efforts and what’s expected by employees.  What stories can you tell that will resonate?  How do you take advantage of different forms of communication to engage and build strong connection?  How do you evolve your organization voice to be both appropriate and current?

2. YOUNGER THAN EVER BEFORE

Brace yourselves! The incoming generation will take targeted, relevant content marketing to a whole new level. Sachs reminds us that although today’s 20-somethings are digital natives, the young workforce of 2020 will be “flooded with inherently digitally savvy talent.” They’ll create compelling digital messages on all platforms with greater ease than ever before.

Appreciate those people! Whether a short-term intern or full-time employee, these younger members of your workforce are a tremendous asset to your company’s presence both on and offline!

3. REMEMBER THAT NOTHING REPLACES THE REAL THING

From marketing to managing employees, technology is revolutionizing the way companies communicate and engage with customers and employees. Technology also provides new ways to collect feedback from those audiences and track the effectiveness of marketing campaigns and engagement efforts.
But, as Annabel Jones, HR director at ADP UK, observes in “Employee Engagement in the Digital Age“:

 “Technology can’t replace the factors that are truly important for employee engagement, whether it’s praise and recognition, inspirational leadership or career development.”

The same is true for engaging and communicating with customers. It’s the human touch that personalizes messages and makes them meaningful, and this is still at the core of content. Whether you’re helping employees understand and live your company’s mission and vision or making a product come alive for customers, nothing replaces the authentic, sincere human voice. “Technology can only support and facilitate,” Jones writes.
As you embrace new technologies in the coming years, remember that they’re constantly evolving! In the meantime, use digital channels and other innovations to deliver your messages in relevant, compelling ways.
For more great tips and insights into building a vibrant culture of engagement and recognition, be sure to download our free e-book, “The Top 20 Employee Engagement Blogs You Should be Reading.”
 

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