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What makes an effective Digital Strategy and Planning?
Open Planning comes associated with the concept of a solid Digital strategy in a social business environment. Being the definition of Digital associated to the idea from strategy: the process of specifying an organization’s vision, goals, opportunities and initiatives in order to maximize the business benefits for its digital investments.
In the fields of strategic management, marketing strategy and operational strategy Open Planning is a new concept we want to present as a way of preparing an effective planning of digital efforts for a given business. These efforts can range from an enterprise or organisation focus, which considers the broader opportunities and risks that digital strategies potentially creates. A solid digital strategy and planning has to include a solid insight into customer intelligence, collaboration processes, new product/market exploration, sales and service optimization, the right enterprise technology architectures, a clear and open innovation and governance. Having this in consideration can augment the results of Planning.
Open Planning some areas to highlight in a Digital Strategy
In order to have a strong digital strategy and aim towards the concept of Open Planning some areas to highlight:
1. Be focused to a given audience, network: Identify and find its key influencers and map it;
2. Understand the interactive DNA of web and social networks as a basis for planning;
3. Understand how to match the design of a given message with the perception and network of its audience;
4. Focus in creation, evaluation and implementation of ideas which delivers results;
5. Measure analytics, data, its value and what it is exactly worth;
6. Work in the long term engagement loop and how to exploit it;
7. Develop a regular calendar and programme for continuous activity and its improvement;
8. Evaluate clear KPIs and the way to ROI and ROA achievement.
A good Planning for a Digital strategy seeks to bridge the gaps between technology, the creative idea, in order to reach the right user. This has to be done with well-defined business objectives and a clear undertansing of the brand story telling.
In the present digital realm, individuals, brands, corporations, governments all participate. Social Media technology is converting viewers into active users. Thus any user is a potential advocate. Though advocacy doesn’t come with risk and responsibility, and it is not free. The creation of value comes associated with a compelling evangelism. Ultimately a digital strategy is planning the best way on how to reach an audience and have them stand to a given purpose.
The objective of Open Planning
Failling on planning a process is a problem that stops building a brand and its business. Failling in planning will not enable effective participation and utility to consumers. So the objective of Open Planning for a strong digital strategy is to create an order to unlock the value for brands. This process has to define the creating of a generous interactions for brands, businesses and their products and services.
So planning an effective Media needs to be driven by the language of actions and demands clear input on what is being required to people to do with the brand and its ideas. This in an open way that the social media graph ultimately highlights.
Identifying the digital strategy for a business and its engagement is a powerful opportunity thus it requires:
1. Understanding the business purpose that the digital planning can help solve
2. Be open and listen to consumers who talk about and use brands
3. Identify consumer needs in a given category/brand and define the role it wants people to play in its ideas, and the role of digital within the mix
4. Find the best solutions to the business problem, focusing on end user value and participation.
5. Listen, listen! to the consumer needs and reaction(s), and analyze previously defined participation paterns and metrics
Open Planning is about creating the best digital strategy for the right empowerment of a given industry, its customers and do it though the open business DNA that engages employees, the consumerization of technology, and grass-roots-based, tech-enabled innovation and solutions.
Open business: Online Activism interview with Greenpeace Social Media Team
CommentThe organisations that will succeed will use their available resources to discover people who care about the same things they do and bring them together to achieve shared goals. Charities demonstrate the model. The cause-related enterprise, the belief-driven business – an organisational model which places the customer at the heart rather than at the end of the line. Belief delivers life-long and inter-generational affinity, passionate activism harnessed for common goals. Open Business Council interviews Laura Kenyon from Greenpeace and goes through these topics.
Interviewed with Greenpeace’s Laura Kenyon
Laura Kenyonis the Digital Communications Specialist at Greenpeace, whose use of social media has caused some of the largest companies to reverse their policies whilst knocking size-able figures off their share-value. If you haven’t seen any of their work check it out. I’ve listed some in the ppt above.
Question: What you think the consequences of social media are to corporations today?
Answer: Just as corporates are establishing large social media presences, activists are also establishing online spaces to hold them to account. Social media empowers people and amplifies their voices – this can take the form of demanding change from corporations whose business practices or policies are environmentally destructive. Corporations need to be accountable to society and their customers, and therefore they need to listen, respond and engage with people’s desire for a green and peaceful future – both online and offline.
Question: How do you see your role and that of Greenpeace in this context?
Answer: Greenpeace aims to be an agent of change, we want to enable people to demand a better world and social media helps us do that. Millions of people have been able to participate in our campaigns online, and the personal actions of a motivated online supporter base were vital to successes such as Nestle’s commitment to changing its palm oil sourcing policies, or Apple’s agreement to remove toxic substances from its products.
Question: What conclusions do you make for the future?
Answer: Greenpeace will maintain a strong presence in social media – using the latest tools and communication channels where it is effective to challenge those who are involved in environmental destruction. We hope to empower more people to have civil courage and to amplify their voices when they speak out against injustice or for a better world. We are facing huge challenges in the environmental movement and will need every person and every tool available to us to keep moving forwards. Social media will no doubt continue to have an important role to play.
Many companies will and should be worried by this language. It may cause them to shift more spend into social media to combat it. But there is no company with enough money to beat the voice of the Internet just like there is no Government powerful enough.
So this is the new reality large companies are facing. But its clear the opportunities far outweigh the challenges. This is no longer about spending your way to a better reputation. It’s about building a better company – with your customers.