Insight #1: We’re in the “pushy” direct marketing danger zone Originally, digital capabilities enabled the move from push selling to content marketing. They then connected with us, and ultimately bought our products and services. Isn’t this a sign that consumers might feel like they are getting bombarded again? It’s also tempting to build content to chase “clicks” and “opens,” rather than meet a true customer need. The TechCrunch article points out that we’re measuring digital activity, not necessarily marketing quality, which is a dangerous place to be. Remarketing, another common tactic, is both one of my favorite things and something I’d hate to explain to my mother’s generation. As with all things in life, striking the right balance is key. Insight #2: With all the data, we still don’t have good information All of us are responsible for maximizing the ROI of our overall marketing budget. In a way, each digital touch is like a single mini-campaign measured by responses with Google Analytics. Still, the foundation of good marketing is strategic, not tactical.
This past summer, there was a thought-provoking article in TechCrunch called “How Google Analytics ruined marketing,” arguing that in some cases digital marketing tools and practices, especially measurement approaches, have undermined good marketing. While I don’t entirely agree with the author, I did find two important takeaways.
Insight #1: We’re in the “pushy” direct marketing danger zone
Originally, digital capabilities enabled the move from push selling to content marketing. We engaged people with information they valued, learning more about them in true conversations and meeting them where they lived online. They then connected with us, and ultimately bought our products and services.
At the time, this seemed better than the “direct marketing” days of interrupting people with physical mail, printed billboards and TV and radio ads to lure interested consumers. But was old-school direct marketing really annoying? And are we any better today? On one side, new companies are emerging to manage modern junk mail with spam filters and blockers. On the other side, more ingenious adtech tools help marketers bypass the walls consumers are setting up. Isn’t this a sign that consumers might feel like they are getting bombarded again?
It’s also tempting to build content to chase “clicks” and “opens,” rather than meet a true customer need. The TechCrunch article points out that we’re measuring digital activity, not necessarily marketing quality, which is a dangerous place to be. Judging by how many hits fake news stories, doctored photos and nonsensical videos receive, it’s obvious that what people click isn’t necessarily what’s good for them, or your brand.
Remarketing, another common tactic, is both one of my favorite things and something I’d hate to explain to my mother’s generation. On a positive…
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