Digital assets come in many shapes and sizes. When an organisation embarks on creating assets, it’s important to consider how they will add value to the business and the customer as well as enhance the brand. In the planning stages, remember to consider the lifespan of an asset and how it can be used in flexible ways.
Good assets are powerful and versatile and are always underpinned by a tactical mission. They can be used in many ways to attract, persuade, service, reinforce, inspire, strengthen and deepen customer relationships.
They should be easy to understand and engaging, ranging from answering basic things like “How can I…?” to providing experiences that entertain and inspire.
Many people think of an asset as the written word. ‘Short form’ and ‘long-form’ are familiar buzz-words for different types of written content. The length of any piece of written content is always defined by the context in which it sits and the audience you are targeting. For the most part, keep the text short and punchy and make your point quickly. This can always be supported with longer-form copy that unpacks the detail behind any given thought or idea.
Make sure you can flexibly adapt content so that it can be reused across channels and devices including
print, web, mobile and social. COPE (Create Once, Publish Everywhere) is a useful acronym to keep in mind. If you can’t ‘COPE’ institution-wide it could relate to your tactics for a specifically targeted customer journey.
Wherever and whenever your customers engage with any of your digital assets, this needs to signal the start of a consistent and rewarding journey that leads towards an action or reaction.
