Digital Best Practices Playbook
Funnel Overview
A marketing funnel, or purchasing funnel, guides a theoretical customer on a journey from first becoming aware of your brand to making a purchase.
Because real customers can be at any point along that journey, a healthy mix of these three funnel stages produces the best results.
awareness
At this funnel stage, you can introduce your brand to potential customers who haven't heard of you, or to stay top-of-mind with current customers.
It's also a good way to introduce a new line or service, and generate awareness for location-specific sales or events.
consideration
Your brand is better than the rest, and this is your chance to brag about it. Point out the advantages of your brand, so that shoppers can “consider” them and choose you over the others.
Consideration calls to action might encourage users to visit your site, check out your collection, or sign up for an offer or perks.
Conversion
Here's where you can create a sense of urgency and motivate users to make that purchase.
Whether it's a limited-time deal or a loyalty program, this is the time to get more direct with “Shop Now, “Buy Now”, “Don’t Miss This,” or “Sign Up Now.”
Digital Best Practices
Mobile is Not TV
There’s more to it than trimming down your 30-second TV spot. A mobile phone is a portable personal space, making it more intimate than TV.
Know Your Ad Unit
Know the specs for each platform, including character limits and buffer zones.
Heightened Awareness
We process content faster when we’re on our mobile phones. Video outperforms static because it grabs attention long enough to interrupt the brain’s high-alert mode.
Shoot for Social Formats
You don’t need separate photo shoots for square and vertical formats. Just leave to room to crop for both.
Most Users Scroll with Sound Off
Design for sound off, but delight with sound on if someone happens to tap that unmute button.
Heightened Awareness
Using mobile phones has rewired our brains to go into high-alert mode whenever we pick them up. As a result, users can recall content they’ve viewed for as little as 0.25 seconds. You have to let them know, as quickly as possible, that your content is desirable.
Grab Attention Up Front
Unlike traditional storytelling that builds up to a climax, you need to front-load your story arc, with your big reveal appearing within the first 3 seconds.
Value-Driven Messaging
That big reveal should tell them why it’s worth their time to stop scrolling.
Non-Linear Messaging
Once you’ve established the main message, you can include other hooks and reveals later to reward those who hang around to view the rest of your content.
Start with the End in Mind
What’s your goal for this unit? Guide them the entire time.
Keep it Positive
In medium that can cause anxiety, make your brand a beacon of positivity for those high-alert brains scrolling for a dopamine hit.
Make it Visually Appealing
Fuel the imagination without distracting from the message.
Keep it Relevant
Engaging content draws people in.
Make it Actionable
Once you’ve drawn them in, let them know what you’d like them to do when they go back out.
Choose Clear Calls to Action
Feel free to use your own voice when space allows, but be clear and concise about what users will find when they click that button.
Enhance Awareness
Use prominent, recognizable branding, including your logo. Integrate your product in the first 3 seconds for higher recall. Always check ad unit specs to avoid placing the logo where it can
be covered by the UI.
Show Off Your Brand’s Superiority
Prominently place key brand attributes, and highlight them with text overlays. Feature your products front-and-center.
Show Versatility and Abundance
Show a mix of your products being used by people and product shots alone. Communicate what differentiates your products from your competitors.
Keep it Relatable and Casual
Include visual content that resonates with your audience. Subtle branding drives higher performance and makes it more likely to convert.
Stay Strong
Start with your logo and have a clear hook in the first few seconds. Top performing videos teach people how to do something or try something new. Pick a strong cover image to show up in the feed.
An A/V Experience
Audio and video together drive stronger brand results than video alone. Use audio to reinforce your key brand message, but make sure to use text overlay or captions to help convey your message when the sound is muted.
Hit your Goals
Tailor the length based on your goals. 6-15 seconds works best. Have a clear CTA at the end.
The Human Touch
Use on-screen talent to interact with the viewer. Human interaction can bring a significant lift to performance.
Optimize your Copy
Clear titles and descriptions help your video get discovered in search.
Stick to your Brand
You already have successful brand and voice. You don’t need to re-invent it for social media. Just keep in mind the subtle nudges you need to give users to guide them along.
Start With the End in Mind
Have in mind what you want users to do at the end of your story before you begin telling it.
Simplify, Simplify, Simplify
As you tell your story, as be thinking about how you can simplify as much as possible without losing the big idea.
Tell a Story
Create a story arc. “You’re Going Places” is aspirational, but the rest of the story might answer “What kind of places? The beach? My backyard? A state of mind?”
An Evolving Process
You don’t have to do everything at once. Work in a few best practices and add more in as you gain momentum.
