Digital Communication has made its mark on our modern world. Where would we be without emailing, instant messaging, websites, texts, and videos? How will we get back to the basics of digital communication? It has elevated education, business, and politics and ultimately changed how we operate and collaborate. It is ever-evolving, and new elements are coming to the surface every day.

Understanding the ins and outs of digital communications and social media is critical. There are several layers to digital communication, all of which hold significance to professional and personal users. The of those layers we tend to overlook, and we forget their importance—the first layer. The first layer is made up of the basics, and there are three in particular basics every business underestimates: connection, trends, and target.

Connection

We speak to an audience when we use social media and digital communication channels. The words we use engage the audience in the conversation, the images we choose bring the engagement to life, and the voice we project builds an authentic connection. Across all platforms, this rule applies; make a connection. We want to get back to the basics of making connections that stem across all markets to all people.

Trends

Trends are more than the popular dance on TikTok. They are the driving force of what brings customers in. They are languages and topics. They are behaviors that can make or break a business. As a business, we want to stay on top of trends. We want to use the momentum of trends to keep us up to date. What does that look like? Trends can be spotted in hashtags on Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram. Social media platforms use algorithms to keep popular content popular. The struggle with trends and business is timing. Trends come and go quickly. We want to be proactive in monitoring and anticipating changes.

Target

Target has several meanings in business. It is customer, planning, goals, etc. Regardless staying on target is essential. It is easy to lose focus on maintaining a content calendar or changing language on campaigns, ads, and posts. It is also easy to get distracted by opposing social strategies, data, and metrics. Research, weekly goals, and listening to customers’ wants and needs are three of several ways to keep your eyes on the prize.

The basics may be easy to forget but easy to get a refresher on. Remind your colleagues and peers, and even remind your boss to get back to the basics with social media and digital communication.