We are at a crazy turning point in marketing. Consumers are experiencing digital marketing fatigue, and they’re tuning out!
It’s incredibly frustrating. I compared similar marketing campaigns over a five year period. In 2019, compared to 2014, it is taking 10x the budget to generate 30% of the result. ????
If I look back further, the story is even more depressing. I used to be able to track lead attribution to articles. Between 2005 to 2008, I generated at least one new customer for every article I published. That translated into $15,000 in revenue for four hours of work! Plus, the lifetime value of each of those new customers.
Today, you can write a hundred articles and not generate a single lead. According to a research report by Moz, 50% of articles published have no likes, shares, comments, and probably no views.
Sure, it’s easy to say things like, “Good content rises to the top.” No it doesn’t!
You can write brilliant articles that people should actually pay for, but that doesn’t mean anyone will be compelled to buy your services. Why? Because they don’t see them!
Too Many Fishermen, Not Enough Fish
There are too many websites. There are 1,805,260,010 websites on the web. That is one website for every four people in this world. ????
Google is getting pickier. Producing more content won’t generate more traffic. Inbound marketing and content marketing have long proclaimed, “content is king.” Not anymore. There’s just too much of it. Google’s latest algorithm changes means it’s far more selective of which content and websites it presents in search results.
Digital advertising costs are increasing. Brands clued in that you have to pay-to-play, but now everyone is using Facebook and Google ads. My friend, Andrew Jenkins describes the state of Facebook advertising as, “Too many fishermen, not enough fish.” We’re all competing for access to the same feeds.
Marketing automation is making brands obnoxious. We ignored you the first time. How many times a week do you see messages like, “Did you see my last message?” “Sorry to bother you again.” “Are you still there…” Go away! Downloading an ebook or guide isn’t an excuse to bombard people’s inboxes with content they don’t want.
It’s a Race to the Bottom!
The digital marketing problem is only compounding. Brands are producing more content, paying for more ads, and bombarding your feeds with more stuff every day.
Gary Vaynerchuck says, “If you are not producing 100 pieces of content for Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, podcasts — every single day — you are leaving the greatest opportunity in the world on the table.”
I don’t subscribe to this logic, because it’s like competing on price. It sounds good on paper, until the reality sets in that there will always be someone willing to undercut you. Being noisier or being cheaper are not sustainable, and they’re not cost effective.
The noisier it gets, the more your customers are tuning out!
Sticky Brands Cut through the Noise
As we enter 2020, I am doing a lot of strategic planning with clients. Companies are asking the question: how do we stand out and attract customers in an oversaturated market?
We are using the timeless principles of Sticky Branding:
- Simple Clarity: Get your brand messaging razor sharp so everyone gets it, fast.
- Be Everywhere: Choose a few key markets to focus your marketing on so that you create the impression your brand is everywhere.
- First Call Advantage: Focus on the relationships. Get your prospects, customers, and centers of influence to know your brand, like it, and trust it so they choose it first.
The marketing strategies are going back to basics. We are finding sponsorship, events, and direct selling are proving to have higher ROI to digital marketing.
Digital marketing is still a key part of the marketing strategy, but it’s only a set of tactics. With the noise factor skyrocketing and digital fatigue setting in, you need to find new ways (or more accurately, old school ways) to engage your customers.
