The “Digital Cascade” is a useful way of looking at and explaining how information can be communicated online through a range and diversity of platforms. The far-reaching advantages of Digital Media are still a closed book to many businesses today, but with such huge benefits and enormous potential for even a low level of investment, the cascade can be as powerful and as far-reaching as a budget demands.
In today’s online environment, a company’s message can flow from a source idea or project – anything from a product launch to a scientific paper – down a variety of conduits to reach both narrow and wide constituencies and be presented in ways that different interest groups will appreciate and absorb. This is the beauty of the cascade – it can be directed to any place with any message; the essence of segmentation and targeting that digital delivery can provide. It puts a whole new meaning to the phrase ‘a flow of information’. At last it can be controlled, directed, delivered and measured. Powerful stuff.
In principle, this process is similar to serialising a novel in newspaper, attracting the attention of a wider audience because the story is presented in easily digestible chunks. In turn, the episodic format may encourage more people to eventually read the whole book. It worked for Charles Dickens, who came to fame through serialising works such as Oliver Twist in the press. If he had lived today, he probably would have used his talents to create a blog on social issues, would have twittered his heart out and still had time to write magnificent novels. The cascade doesn’t necessarily mean that one means of communication is cut off to individuals or companies; it’s no longer ‘either/or’, it’s ‘this, too’.
The expanding range of communicators themselves can act as a complement to existing media, which in turn have their own online capabilities in the process of continual development. Marketing and PR strategists, with more elements at their disposal, are honing their techniques and skills to the new environment. This includes adapting writing styles for SEO.
Specific content for specific audiences can be written and delivered as never before, but there is still an onus on skilled copywriting. The need to avoid spam classification - as much as possible anyway – when producing text for e-shots/email is a crucial advantage to getting your message out there, through the Firewalls and read by the right people. The list of Spam-Sensitive words changes all the time, with programmes like Spam-Assassin monitoring and testing via various email sending services. The main areas that spam filters are concerned with include adult material, medical supply references, weight loss goods – the obvious terms as well as the use of bold font, exclamation points and a whole host of different words that are spammed.
However, mail recipients are increasingly experienced in how spam filters work and will generally pick up on material they wish to view or read. While being conscious of the filtering process, it is important not to let it damage or diffuse marketing or communications objectives.
Communicating online is relatively inexpensive and very flexible. Campaigns can be made to maintain direction or change tack according to target audience reaction, which can now be evaluated very rapidly. Web analytics offers the opportunity to accurately measure the effectiveness of projects and targeting. Continual testing and adjustment allows for new approaches to be tried, reviewed and revised, fine-tuning the message for specific audiences and market developments.
Social networks can provide useful communication channels, particularly for reaching younger audiences. A 2008 Ofcom Research Report found that social networking sites were used by 22% of adult internet users aged 16 and over. Going into detail, the Report’s take on socio economic profiling indicated that ABC1s were more likely to use Facebook and C2DEs showed a preference for MySpace. Social networks therefore have their own style requirements and success with them means genuinely communicating rather than going for a hard sell on a given message, including with networks for professionals like LinkedIn.
Additionally, the global power of online platforms is breaking down barriers of distance, language and secrecy, with Twitter effective in transmitting flashes of news from the Iranian opposition to the outside world following the recent disputed presidential election, and the Chinese Government taking swift action to cut off digital media from the recently affected North Western Province of Xinjiang.
Online communication is continually making the world smaller and opening up access to ideas, news, opinions and innovations to ever increasing audiences. In spite of the recession, it is a feature of life that is likely to progress with unstoppable momentum.
Author: Adam Wilsher, MPS & BBI International