Learning to duck and dive in digital marketing
Anyone who works in digital marketing will laugh at this quote:
[bctt tweet=”‘Everyone has a plan until they’re punched in the face.’ Mike Tyson”]
Ready? Seconds out, round 3 of digital marketing 2016! There are number of reasons why I join in the joke because my plans are trashed almost daily. As someone remarked today: ‘Well, you’re not doing a great job of selling yourself.’ But for me that’s the point. [bctt tweet=”I don’t believe you can necessarily sell yourself based on past successes in digital marketing.”] To me that’s pretty obvious. Just look at 2016s current digital marketing trends as an example
This is digital marketing brilliance! Or is it?
We’re brilliant and we’re going to impose our digital marketing plan/ ideas on your business
If you feel skeptical then ask yourself: ‘How many websites have you seen that say: ‘We’ve worked for Clients A-Z and we’re brilliant so buy from us.’ For many savvy customers that means ‘your prices are high and I can get the same stuff done far cheaper from someone that doesn’t have posh offices and a significant champagne reception habit.’
Customers are looking for digital marketing value
It’s almost a new take on Darwin’s natural selection. We have all evolved so quickly in the digital space. We know what we want and have a very shrewd idea where to get it. Ask anyone earning a living as a digital marketer in the digital marketing sphere will probably say things they were certain of 5 years ago, even 6 months ago, have changed beyond recognition. Take a look at this current trends infographic 2016
Back a digital marketer who’s a winnerTherefore, when hiring a digital marketer the the digital marketing skills you need to watch out for are now slightly different. The species needs to:
- Understand your business like you would
- Should research and know your audience as if she’s known them forever.
- They should know where the audience hangs out, what they like, dislike and what approaches might work for this particular group.
- They should also know what they need why that might differ from other competitor offerings and how customer service might make the sale.
- A digital marketer should have plenty of ideas, approaches, strategies and experience of digital marketing up their sleeve but be prepared to pivot in a moment. Yes it’s great to have a simple offering and do just that but digital marketers need to understand the whole digital marketing landscape and have the ability to spot a predator, like a Meerkat.
- A digital marketer must be prepared to listen, to evolve, to experiment to find that zero moment of truth or is it now termed a micro moment?
- By the same token a client needs to understand that failure is part of this new digital marketing landscape. You can’t know the effect until you try. The importance of failure cannot be underestimated.
So, don’t be lead astray by pitch decks and 101 stats
Ask the question: [bctt tweet=”what will you do specifically for my company and in my niche?”] How will you measure outcomes? Is it possible to measure them? What kind of research will you undertake before you begin to work on my strategy?
Understand that digital marketers are punched in the face regularly. Algorithms change, Facebook tweaks its offering, a new platform emerges, some research demonstrates that Fintech or proptech should use a different approach to digital marketing. The list is endless and ongoing.
Don’t trust anyone that mentions data
Unless, of course they are prepared to a talk through just how they use data to highlight trends, behaviours and how they impact on YOUR business specifically. Ask them to find the story beneath the story in the data.
If your digital marketer is worth her salt she will have been knocked out cold, been almost out for the count, been battered and bruised but still comes back for more with another strategy.
The new breed of digital marketer has evolved. The species has already undergone natural selection and continues to evolve. Do make sure you choose the right one to undertake your marketing.
About the author:
Vivienne Neale is a digital marketing professional and strategist Vivienne Neale is a digital marketer with a left field approach but can speak Russian and Greek if you need it it. She is happy to experiment and works hard to offer the most appropriate solution for the target audience.
