By Susan Richter, Marketing Communications Manager
The pandemic has hastened the adoption of digital marketing. Those who were already firmly rooted in it had a competitive advantage, while slower adopters ramped up budgets and efforts.
In our The Question of Trust research, the increased adoption of digital marketing was a common theme. More content, more social, more webinars. That’s not surprising because we all lived it.
However, now, as we move to some form of equilibrium, the question is: do we keep this intense focus on digital marketing? Is it still the cure-all for brands?
If the answer is yes, then the next question is how do you fight digital fatigue? How do you make sure your brand stands head and shoulders above its competitors? And if the answer is no, is it really a case of getting back to “normal”? What needs to happen next?
Looking at digital fatigue – it’s real, we’ve all experienced it to some degree. How does your brand differentiate itself when everyone is using the same tactics? How do you continue to build customer trust? Much like other marketing and PR efforts it comes down to doing what you do well. That means creating content that is valuable and informative, that can be consumed on different platforms in formats that appeal to your different audiences. Creative needs to be eye-catching, relevant and distinctive — and importantly, integrated into everything you do.
It also means you need to know your audience; who they are, what their challenges are, what they are looking for, and (of course) where they are in the buying journey. That includes your current customers, knowing their objectives and how best you can add value to their business. Inherent in all of that is the implied promise to deliver what you’re offering.
On the other hand, if getting back to normal means a return to events and more face-to-face activities surely digital marketing can work in conjunction with those tactics? The market sentiment is very much a hybrid approach to events at the moment anyway.
But here’s a thought, what if instead of fully embracing getting back to so-called normal, marketers think more retro? Whatever happened to the creative desk drop? Surely something tangible to combat those 1s and 0s would be valuable and well received? Something well thought out, valuable and memorable?
For us, the answer isn’t as easy as a simple yes or no, one or the other. Rather, it’s continuing to meet (exceed) expectations forging a new path using a new strategy based on experience, current demand and future need. Something that can be effectively executed, measured and reported on.
It also doesn’t necessarily need to be all about digital marketing in isolation. Digital marketing is a key component in a wider strategy that can incorporate traditional marketing tactics as well as PR.
So what approach will you take? We think we know the answer!
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