There’s no denying that the marketing industry is improving at an unparalleled pace, creating huge, seemingly unbridgeable gaps in marketing strategies, technology, and talent. Though this improvement is favorable to consumers as companies are forced to step up, it poses serious concerns for marketers. The truth is, the pool of marketing talents is underprepared. Aside from that, the marketing mix is ever-evolving, while the technology providers are exploding.
Customers are no longer relying on traditional advertising and marketing methods. This had marketers scrambling for means to get their brands before their target markets. With the dawn of the internet, consumer data is no longer the problem — drowning in too much information is. But this is not the only problem marketers are facing. They also have to deal with real-time marketing complexities while navigating brands through social media.
If you want to be successful in marketing, it goes without saying that you need to commit to always creating exceptional user experiences, while also keeping accountability, agility, and transparency in check. Unfortunately, even the best marketing leaders struggled their way to adapt to the ever-dynamic improvements of digital marketing. What worked last year, may no longer apply today. If you find you and your team in this predicament, check these common marketing roadblocks and some actionable advice out.
Creating novel ideas
When you want your message to pique the interest of your target market, it has to be unique enough to want them to know more about your brand. And if you want to get a bigger chunk of the sales pie, you need to have effective sales funnels and make your ad campaigns go viral. But how do you do that when clearly, ideas don’t come up when you stare at a wall for hours?
So, how do you come up with fresh and unique digital marketing ideas that have the potential to go viral? Learn from content marketing resources, brush up on industry reports, stay up to date with the latest trends. Cultivate the desire to always be a step ahead of your competitors. Apply your ingenuity to the best practices you’ve learned, and do a trial test to a controlled audience to gauge how they will respond. Make changes when necessary until you perfect your marketing piece.
Striking a balance between quantity and quality
Some marketers have that nagging desire to publish content constantly in attempts to keep their industry relevance. But here’s the truth – you don’t have to publish content every single time. Just like any endeavor, quality should be given more premium over quantity. It’s better that you publish explosive, viral content once in a while than come up with a so-so piece every day.
Of course, that is no excuse to be lazy when it comes to publishing. You just need to ensure that the content you’re churning out is relevant and memorable at the same time. So, publish as frequently as you need to be remembered without compromising quality. Don’t make the common content marketing mistake of prioritizing quantity over quality.
Come up with an engaging content
Imagine how frequently you come across posts and marketing pieces that leave you cringing or feeling ‘meh.’ This is not the reaction you want from your readers. If you want to overcome passable content, you need to be able to hook your audience, engage them, and leave them wanting more. Though this seems like a doable task, it’s easier said than done. The desire to capture your target audience’s attention and engage them is basic for marketers. The real challenge is coming up with an idea to satisfy these requirements.
Here are a few points to keep in mind:
- Start your piece with something magnetic. Try an anecdote or a provocative question to engage your reader from the onset and to encourage them to read more.
- The valuable information and insights you’re providing may not be enough to keep visitors on your page, especially if your post is not reader-friendly. So, ensure that you are formatting your content to be as easy to absorb and digest as much as possible.
- Feature relevant visual content like infographics or videos to further engage your reader and make the content more digestible.
- Nudge the reader to take any action that’s favorable to your brand with a strategic Call to Action (CTA).
Keeping the momentum
Ever heard of one-hit-wonders? That’s pretty much what you call people who got lucky at first try but weren’t able to use the momentum to their advantage. Don’t ever settle to be a one-hit-wonder. Instead, always be on your feet and take your success as a challenge to outdo yourself and be better the next time. In marketing, this means that you have to reinvent your marketing strategies. Study how your target market preferences change and be with them as their interests vary.
Map your content strategy to the customer journey so that you can deliver the right content at the right time. If you understand your target markets’ purchasing mindset, it will be easier for you to curate pieces that will always win their hearts, challenge their minds, or tickle their funny bones.
Complacency
When you’re ahead of the competition, you may think that you can now simply sit on your laurels at the top spot. You may be tempted to think that you can now take your foot off the gas.
Unfortunately, in marketing, if you’re not leveling up or evolving with the trends, your competition will simply leave you behind. There is no room for complacency in marketing. Your brand may be on top today, but if you fail to up your marketing ante, the top spot might be snatched by someone else overnight. So get rid of the notion that once you’ve generated huge sales, you ease up on your marketing efforts.
Takeaway
In marketing, there is no such thing as constant. Your target markets’ preferences change, the economy rises and falls, and people’s perceptions are ever-evolving. To gain leverage in this fast-paced industry, you have to be on your feet and be at your best every single time.
Invest in your marketers. Equip them with skills, and instill in them the true marketer’s disposition. You’ll soon see that your reputation and your target market’s loyalty will remain unaltered and fixed on you.
