Session Two: Setting your digital resolutions for 2009

Last week’s Digital Resolutions post set you on the path to outlining your digital goals with motivating examples from Monty Python, Nexon and others. We asked, “What are your motivations for getting into the digital space? What do you hope to achieve?”

Welcome to the FanTrust guide to digital success – Setting Your Digital Resolutions for 2009. December is traditionally a time for reflection and goal-setting, both personal and professional. Though you know what it takes to reach your goals for, say, losing weight (less eggnog, more yoga) or having fun (more eggnog, less yoga) –what if you’re venturing into uncharted business terrain?

For the next two weeks, we’ll walk you through short, simple exercises – complete with case studies and success stories – intended to spark transformation in your company. Set your sights on overall digital business goals, digital capacity, market niche and fan engagement strategies.

With more than two decades of experience in digital media, FanTrust can help you grow your digital lines of business. Our hope is to leave you inspired and invigorated for a happy, healthy digital business in 2009.

All the best!

Week 2: Know Your Audience

Last week’s Digital Resolutions post set you on the path to outlining your digital goals with motivating examples from Monty Python, Nexon and others. We asked, “What are your motivations for getting into the digital space? What do you hope to achieve?”

It’s also important to look outward – to get to know your fans. More specifically, to understand your fans’ online lives. This doesn’t require anything nefarious – such as creating a Second Life avatar and spying behind virtual bushes. As with any relationship, getting to know your fans simply requires that you ask the right questions, listen, observe, and draw the correct conclusions.

We recently blogged about trends in women’s and men’s online behavior. Tracking trends is important and can be incredibly valuable. But to be a real online success, you must drill down and understand your own fan base. What experiences and value are your fans seeking online?

The TV series Reality Obsessed follows the adventures of Murtz Jaffer, the most dedicated and obsessed fan of reality television. In each episode, Murtz enlists the help of reality TV stars-cum-friends to answer a burning question about the genre: Do participants really experience connections or sexual chemistry with the reality cameras rolling? How do you produce a fail-proof audition tape? What’s it like to “work” at the business featured in a hot reality TV show?

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Producers Peace Point Entertainment enlisted FanTrust’s community-building expertise for Reality Obsessed. Peace Point had clearly defined goals – they wanted the Reality Obsessed blog, penned by the host, to serve as marketing for the show – attracting international fans and sparking interest in the series.

FanTrust created a two-pronged strategy: develop a blog that would fill an untapped need for reality fans online; and roll out targeted weekly promotions.

The blog, like the show, was designed to expose the reality behind reality TV – an insider perspective, but free of the snark found on many popular TV gossip blogs. Polls and questions at the end of each blog post facilitated fan participation and discussion.

To promote the show online, we reached out to fans in their natural habitat – on fan/ gossip sites, forums, and popular social networks. We sought out fans of reality TV franchises that were airing concurrent to the show’s rollout (e.g. Big Brother, Survivor) – reasoning that these show fans would be online in droves – buzzing, chatting and searching about the latest scandals and vote offs. And of course reality stars, and the fans who love them, were promoting themselves and connecting on MySpace, so Reality Obsessed joined the fray.

The host, Murtz, parlayed his reputation to serve as reality TV expert on the Survivor Panel of National Post’s arts & culture blog, The Ampersand (owned by CanWest, the parent company of Reality Obsessed’s broadcaster, TVTropolis).

What if your property is still in development phases, with no existing fan base? Study the digital offerings of your stakeholders and competitors. What are the best offerings already on the market, and why?

FanTrust provides digital strategies, deal-making, competitive intelligence, fan tracking, online community building and social networking campaigns – establishing the best strategic partnerships, digital properties and platforms for our clients.