The Second Pivot Point: Sustaining Digital Continuity in Uncertain Times

Back in 2001, I started a new job on Monday, September 10. The next day, the world, the reason I was hired, and the focus of my work changed forever. The same can be said for all of us as we work through these unprecedented times.

In times of business turmoil, the first pivot point revolves around securing people, infrastructure, and assets. But the second shift comes quickly behind it, as companies look for new and innovative ways to support their clients and manage through crisis.

In 2020, social distancing has led to the largest cancellation of live events in the history event planning. Thousands of businesses that rely on people getting together with people are suffering as we try to sort out the best way to maintain interpersonal and business communications. Very quickly, we’re learning that digital continuity is a key to sustaining the relationships that are the lifeblood of our work.

Sadly, many companies have no digital continuity plan and have been caught off guard by the sudden catastrophe that’s upon us. As event dates loom, they either have to scramble for some remote or virtual version of their program, or just cancel it altogether, often losing major brand and communication opportunities for the rest of the year.

There are many different ways to approach a digital continuity plan. Marketing guru, Stephen Sadler, relies on a Content/Frequency/Influencer (CFI) model to build sustainable digital strategies for his clients. This three-pillared approach combines high-end content delivered on an ongoing basis while leveraging an influencer network.

As Sadler explains it:

Impactful digital marketing begins with understanding that there are three pillars to digital media — CONTENT/FREQUENCY/INFLUENCE. These pillars all need to work together for your message to really gain hold. Here is how they break down separately -

Content — Everything you post, share and make available to your audience including:

Event coverage, Websites, Videos, Blogs, Social Media, Product materials, Reference Tools, and Training

Frequency — How often you share your content across all digital platforms

Influencers — Who is leveraging your content and sharing it with others. Influencers are super users of your content and/or people that have a powerful network to accelerate the growth, impact, and awareness of your content.

As multiple communication scenarios play out right before our eyes, it’s clear that every service organization has a great opportunity to add new value for their clients in the area of digital communications.

The key to future success will rely upon the proper planning and execution that accelerates customers past the second pivot point, while providing the innovation necessary to compete in the new world that lies on the other side of this crisis.

It’s clear that businesses will emerge from this crisis eventually, but what remains to be seen is who will lead, follow, or get left behind altogether when all the doors open again.