Think Disruptive: It’s time to rethink digital marketing

It’s time to rethink digital marketing

New research discussed by Campaign has found that only a third (36%) of digital marketers feel their campaigns are hitting the right targets.

What’s more, 18% of respondents admitted they don’t think their campaigns reach their intended audience, and 10% are unsure what channels are the most valuable. So, what’s the problem?

An article published by The Drum earlier this month discusses the idea that when it comes to digital media, we bundle together differing techniques, each with their own meaning and strategies, and place them all under the same umbrella. Its time to rethink digital marketing.

Digital is not a definition

By thinking of digital as a single ad unit or media channel, we “misunderstand everything about it.” As the article notes, ‘digital’ isn’t a thing, “it’s a new way of thinking and a new canvas to work with; a new series of consumer behaviours, expectations, hopes, ambitions, and possibilities.”

By limiting digital in this way, other issues are beginning to emerge, and this may be why marketers are failing to see results. More and more, marketers seem to be…

… Forgetting about context

When we think of how the internet is used as a consumer, not a marketer, it is probably unsurprising that the UK has one of the highest rates of ad blocking worldwide. Online ads tend to get in the way and, with ever-reducing attention spans, it’s no wonder that people are turning to ad blockers.

To truly embrace the opportunities the numerous digital platforms can provide, marketers need to think about ads differently. They need to place themselves in the position of the users and consumers and think how they would engage or react to an ad placement in different settings – because digital isn’t just one channel.

Lost in data? Focus on creativity

Digital platforms and technological advances have provided marketers with a wealth of opportunities to collect data, but in so many cases, we’ve become so distracted by measurement and data that we’ve forgotten about the key ingredient – creativity.

So often, numbers and figures are the driving forces behind campaigns, that creativity ends up taking a back seat. Of course, businesses and marketers want to see ROI, but perhaps they’d see greater, long-term results by getting creative with their campaigns?

Expecting immediate results from your Marketing?

With all of this data at our fingertips, we’ve begun to expect to see immediate results. Indeed, the technology is there to show us in real-time if people are clicking on our campaigns.

And if we aren’t getting the engagement or clicks straight away, there’s an immediate feeling that the ad has failed. Instead of building a brand, marketers are often busy building positive social media stats, which is in fact only a small part of the long-term goal.

What does this mean for marketers?

It isn’t all doom and gloom. And, of course, not everyone has fallen into the misunderstanding of what digital is, what it can do, and how they can use it. But there is always room for improvement.

Marketers need to take a more long-term view to see marketing success. And not just in their digital platforms. They need to take time to build and grow their brand as a whole, and not just on particular channels with short-term goals.

By viewing digital platforms as their own entities, instead of lumping digital together in one bundle, marketers can better understand each channel. In turn, we can then utilise emerging technologies to create more enticing, original and personal campaigns. Sure, you want the ROI, but engaging your target audience with your brand should be your focus, first and foremost.

If you think it’s time to rethink digital marketing, Fireworx can help you out. Why not give us a call today?