Anyone who has been in the marketing industry longer than ten years will paint the picture of a discipline completely foreign to our current practice. The channels have changed and the reach has become measurable, but there is one thing that has revolutionised the marketing landscape unlike anything else – digital innovation. So, how does a seasoned marketing professional keep up with digital innovation, and actually grow to leverage these platforms and capabilities? Let’s take a look.
Find a digital marketing agency
Behind every successful campaign is usually a savvy digital marketing agency. Fitted with a team of channel specialists, the right agency can allow you to tap into different markets and excel on all fronts. That means ranking for the right search terms, being responsive on social media, delivering relevant ads, and so much more. We’d love to do it all in-house, but the reality of that is expensive and labour intensive. Plus, working with a digital marketing agency gives you access to their knowledge. If your current marketing mix doesn’t have a healthy blend of digital, it could be time to seek a digital marketing agency.
Take out all the guesswork
Speculation and gut feelings should play no part in your marketing plan. There is simply no need for it with a plethora of platforms specialising in customer data. Google analytics is one you are likely familiar with, but you can dive even deeper into the habits and drivers of your customer segmentation with specialist data capabilities. And we’re not just talking about demographics. Values, preferences and buying drivers should be something that you are understanding and leveraging. Data scraping is another innovation that is sharpening the strategies of small and large business operations, allowing you to discern top-selling products and competitor patterns. Manual data scraping could be the missing piece holding you back from new markets. A good example: Scrape amazon seller prices to showcase them on a comparison site.
Educate yourself
If you can’t beat them, join them! The greatest way to keep up with digital innovation is to join the movement, and there are so many digital marketing courses you can take to improve in these niche areas. Remote, classroom and workshop training are the common formats, so identify which style is going to work best for you. This is also a great addition to your resume, showing future employers that you have an ongoing desire for further education. Another route to take would be to find a mentor who is dominating in the digital space, while also having ties to the traditional marketing you are accustomed to. This will allow you to build on your base knowledge while learning from someone who can relay real-world situations in the understanding and functions you are comfortable with.
Establish a cross-channel brand strategy
Understanding and applying digital innovation will not come overnight. The best way to ease yourself into new channels and platforms would be to take your existing activity and make it cross-channel. If you are working on growing your CRM through email marketing, you could also set up some retention-focused social media marketing. If you are introducing new product lines through print media, cover your bases with some Google Ads and Google Shopping. This cross-channel strategy will not only cover all the bases but lead you to think deeper about what you are trying to achieve and which activity will get the greatest cut through. if you’re digital marketing mix does not have a healthy blend of digital.
Digital innovation is not something to fear, but rather embrace. Equipping yourself with the right strategies and guidance will provide a base canvas to build on your existing knowledge, leveraging digital capabilities. Marketing does not need to be an ‘us vs. them’ situation between tradition and digital professionals, but rather a lateral cross-channel, holistic approach.
