More than ever, brands need to be brave, nimble and defiant in digital. Modern marketing professionals need to flip their thinking upside down and think digital first.

As events all but disappeared, media consumption patterns flew out the window and out of home advertising became redundant; but courageous digital innovation thrived.

Now is the time to grab your audience's attention, from motoring to financial services, FMCG to health services, or tech companies to apparel.

Here are five, fierce tips to be valiant in your digital marketing and to unlock your online strategy's full potential:

1. Talk data to me

Data is at the key of a great, workable online plan. Marketers and agencies should be au fait with glocal insights, data tools and updates like Global Web Index, which collates and delivers the latest insights on developing trends, market reports and research.

Affiliation with premium local and international industry bodies gives you access to insights and knowledge-sharing that take a strategy from ordinary to extraordinary for effective creative.

2. Be agile from the get-go

Being brave means knowing that immediate change is sometimes necessary and the only consistent element of a digital strategy. Be fast, focused and flexible when it comes to tech.

No strategy is set in stone; trends and flavours change overnight or in a matter of days. Breaking news changes the national agenda instantly. An online plan must be made of moveable, workable parts that can be easily adapted to suit the current external environment.

3. Meet the geek

Any strategy is only as good as its weakest creative, and for a brand that wants to be unapologetically valiant, an up to speed team is central. All team members must have a clear understanding on how to create content and work within platform parameters.

Teams must understand how to use relevant platforms, as these refined skills and understanding levels are used to develop a no-mess, no-fuss strategy.

4. Use content that inspires

Brands need concepts, campaigns and creative content that audiences can't ignore. But everyone needs time for this. Change how you advertise online with software that automates high-volume content generation, freeing up your resources for creative that matters.

Creating content that can be repurposed is like a product that can be recycled. It frees up time and reduces wastage. Both the world and your creative team will thank you for being valiant in efforts to create a digital strategy that's brave enough to step up to stand out.

5. Make use of collaborations

Compelling marketing campaigns need to be integrated to reiterate your message. But, to be digital-first is to understand that parts of a strategy must work in tandem to upscale productivity and improve delivery.

As the online platform evolves at a rapid pace, creatives need to constantly understand platform and product changes. Working closely with other online partners including social platforms like Instagram and Tik Tok allow synced synergies over shared expertise.

Be it through a collaborative workshop or exploring beta versions, a second set of eyes only ensures a valiant effort in the overall strategy.

For more information, visit www.valiantagency.com. You can also follow Valiant on Facebook, Twitter or on Instagram.