Photo Credit: UnSplash – Jeff Sheldon
It appears that non-marketing executives and even some marketers think “digital marketing” is the silver bullet answer to solving all lead generation problems. Instant and easy comes to mind and is heard in conversations about digital marketing. Why does digital marketing appear to make everyone think it’s instant and easy?
In reality, there is no such thing as instant and easy. Digital really means data, and tons of it. If a marketer does not carve out a lot of time to sift through the volumes of multi-data points especially as it relates to all the varying consumer digital touch points, there’s going to be a breakdown in what the marketing team is to create next to be more effective.
Digital marketing requires an acute understanding of what data you need to capture. It also means you need to be ready to find new data sets that you previously missed. Then you need to incorporate both findings into a new deployment strategy. This process never stops.
An average digital strategy could have dozens of digital consumer touch points and datasets to measure and study, daily, weekly or monthly… you decide. But it must be done. Then, the marketer must re-tool their messaging and deployment strategy to make it more effective based on the new findings.
What Is A Digital Marketer Anyway?
A digital marketer is part archeologist, part scientist, part journalist, part artist, part puzzle-maker, part psychologist, part technologist, part analyst, part circus juggler, and part business strategist. Hmm… have you ever seen those ten terms in a job description before? — I haven’t. Very few people really understand that today’s digital marketer must wear many hats that integrate so many complex variables that are tangible, tactical, humanly social, technologically anti-social, and even beyond their control. A brand today, contrary to the past, may rely on consumers to help steer the ebb and flow of online content. This is a complete paradigm shift from the pre-digital and pre-social days of marketing.
If a marketer does not have the knowledge and toolsets to help them see what data is most valuable, and additionally, does not have the budget to purchase these tools… well… you’ve got a problem. Welcome to the world of digital marketing, where all things aren’t created equal, and all things digital does not mean a marketer’s job becomes easier and instant – at least not from a marketer’s perspective anyway.
YourBrandExposed is designed to look at digital with an eye into the future using a creative, analytical, innovative marketing perspective. We’re a consultative and tactical resource for companies looking to leverage the power of digital, web, social and content marketing strategies. Contact us if you’re feeling the digital squeeze on how to best market your company.
Scott MacFarland
Linkedin | Huffington Post | Twitter: @scmacfarland
Email: Yourbrandexposed@yahoo.com
Photo Credit: UnSplash – Jeff Sheldon