I'll start by saying that many marketers are indeed doing digital, but even if you are or know of a business owner or marketer who is, ask yourself if they are doing the best they could be with their digital marketing efforts. Chances are you or they would say, "No." Even with the number of business and brands using digital, I still come across a number of stories where I hear about a marketer not willing to try digital, whether it be social, mobile, desktop display, or search.
The top two reasons why a marketer doesn't invest what they should in digital or doesn't invest at all are 1) they don't know enough about digital so they only go so far and/or 2) they tried it once and it didn't work.
So here are some things you can do as a marketer or business owner to help address one, two, or both of the above, which will help you increase your digital knowledge as well as execute more successful campaigns.
1. I don't know enough about digital:
It's not easy to be an expert in digital because the digital landscape changes rapidly. There always seems to be some new platform or new research you may feel you need to master before you make decisions and with so many choices, it's easy to be overwhelmed. If this is the reason you shy away from digital or don't maximize digital for your current marketing goals, try enlisting a resource who can manage this task for you. Enlist a person or group as your digital confidant(s); those who can help you strategize AND help you understand the landscape as it changes. This may be an internal person or group or a trusted partner who happens to know a thing or two about digital. If you surround yourself with the right people in digital, the lack of knowledge won't hurt you.
If you are willing to dive in and become an evolving expert on your own, here are 7 sites that will help familiarize you with what's happening in the world of digital on a regular basis:
- For search marketing, try SearchEngineLand.com
- For social, SocialMediaExaminer.com is one of my favorites
- For Mobile news, MobileMarketingWatch.com has very insightful and useful content
- eMarketer.com has lots of information on digital technology and consumer trends
- And IAB.net has overall news, trends, best practices, and definitions for all things digital
- Follow @Mashable on Twitter for the latest in breaking digital news
- Google the question to what you are looking for an answer to, and you might find more than enough to educate yourself. Also try DuckDuckGo.com for a great search experience as well.
2. I've tried digital before and it didn't work:
This reason is sometimes more painful than the first because a past endeavor into digital may have cost you money, consumers, or maybe even your job, but I promise you digital works! I've heard more success stories in digital advertising than I can count, and all the successes have a common thread — there was a clearly defined need, an integrated solution to meet that need, and set expectation prior to launch.
Take the time to really identify your most pressing marketing challenge. Driving more traffic to your site is not a key marketing challenge, but defining what specific activity you want your best customers to do once they get there and by when… is. The right marketing partner will acknowledge all media has its benefits for any business, but it's how you use it that matters most. So align yourself with a media partner best suited to meet your true needs with a buyable solution. Because consumers are evolving into Media Snackers, integrating media is key. As you determine what campaign is best suited to get the job done, discuss what expectations and return on investment looks like early and often. Don't hide or sugarcoat what you feel your challenges are or what you need the campaign to ultimately accomplish. The right media partner will need this information to prove the best recommendation and solution. Trust and partnership is essential for success!
We can all agree digital isn't going away. In fact, it's more prevalent now than ever and will continue to permeate our lives, choices, habits and more as well as those who use your products and services. Don't miss out on the growth opportunities digital provides just because something didn't work once or you don't quite know enough yet. Alina Diaz, a Senior Consultant for The Center for Sales Strategy wrote a great blog series touching on effective campaigns in more detail. Click here for more in-depth insight on addressing effective campaign development and execution.
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