Going digital

In September 2011, 1.5 per cent of people accessed the Trenchless Australasia website via a mobile device. In the month of September 2013, 18 per cent of readers accessed our website with a smart phone or tablet. It’s evident that the way people use technology is changing rapidly, and responding to these changes is a crucial part of maintaining relevance to your audience in a digital age.

Creating a digital magazine to run alongside our hardcover publication was about giving our readers and advertisers options. The hardcover version will always have a place as a display book and reference in engineering offices, contractor display rooms, and manufacturer sales rooms. It is a catalogue of accomplishments and products for those in the industry to show clients and co-workers what their business or utility has achieved.

The digital version not only responds to changing consumer behaviour in wanting a way to review publications digitally, but also offers a number of practical solutions, such as:

• Easy to reference when on-site or the hardcover publication isn’t available
• Contains search functionality to quickly look up projects, people or products
• Invites readers to be prosumers, sharing articles they like on social network sites
• Encourages readers to click with ease onto supplier pages, directories and other external reference points.
• Readers can view the magazine from an iPad, iPhone or an Android operating system (in Flash), as well as on their trusty PC or laptop.

What’s best for my business?

Companies often ask for advice and recommendations on the most effective way to market a business or product, and unfortunately there’s no uniform answer to every question. Likewise, the best answer for them today may not be the same in twelve months’ time.

Strong engagement with your audience and watching readership trends and patterns is the best way to start – knowing how your potential clients are receiving your brand message will help narrow your options on which media to use. If more than 10 per cent of your readers are accessing your website via smart device, are you catering for these readers? Are you actively seeking feedback from clients when they make a purchase about how they found your product or brand?

The next thing to consider is your potential client’s purchasing cycle (the time between two consecutive purchases). Effective frequency means getting you brand exposed to your potential client three times within a purchasing cycle for them to have a lasting memory of your message. For longer purchasing cycles, this may mean the most effective method is three print adverts, or a trade show with advertisements timed before and after the show. For shorter cycles, this may mean a combination of print and digital advertising to quickly build brand appeal.

Digital platforms open up new opportunities for companies to interact and develop relationships with their clients. As media changes, it’s important your company keeps abreast of the new developments to maintain its relevance and position in the trenchless industry.