How much spam do you get in your email box each day?  Probably too much.  How many Social Media “updates” do you read each day?  Probably too many.  And how relevant are they?  Not.

In the past, the challenge that marketers faced – cutting through the clutter – was solved by shouting louder, and shouting in more places.  If only you noticed their message, and did so often, the more likely you would act on it.

The promise of digital marketing was simple: deliver the right message, to the right person, at the right time.  This was achieved through four main strategies:

1) Search Engine Marketing meant that the message would only appear in context.  If you were searching for widgets, then only advertisements related to widgets would appear. The ads would not be intrusive, and, so the theory went, they would be welcomed.

2) Social Media Marketing meant that the message would arrive with validation from your connections.  Your trusted circle would like or share a commercial message that resonated with them, and you would be more open to it because of this.  You would appreciate the heads up, and view the message (or brand) positively.

3) Content Marketing meant that the message would arrive, either via email or on the web, as stealth “branded content”.  Supposedly educational, this content would contain seeds of bias – or sometimes even a blatant marketing message near the end of the article.  Because these generally sought to educate or entertain, you would view the brand as positive.  That is, however, if you didn’t feel used or cheated by the hidden motives behind the content.

4) Exceptionally low execution cost.  Compared with a TV ad campaign, sending an email or posting online is practically free.  And at the same time, user behavior can be tracked, resulting in exceptionally powerful “big data” that can later be mined.

It seems as if technology has gone wild: just because a marketer can do something, they feel compelled to do it.  As a result of these factors, individuals again face the problem digital marketing was supposed to fix: too much clutter and intrusive “shouting” by marketers.  Users have become numb.

Is there a solution?  Perhaps digital marketers need to reconsider the “old”, precisely because it can cut through the digital clutter.  This can mean anything from brochures, to radio spots, personalized direct mail, or product sampling.  And it means actually picking up the phone and reaching out to prospective clients directly – not through an offshore call center.  The power of Social Media is in the relationships, not in the technology, and certainly not the campaign.  But the power of other channels is in the relationship too.

Does this topic resonate? Reach out to Randall: he can present it to your group.  (More presentation topics)
Download Randall’s professional credentials: Speaker credentials one-sheet or Management Advisory credentials.

Content Authenticity Statement: 100% original content: no AI was used in creating this content.

@RandallCraig (Follow me for daily insights)
www.RandallCraig.com: Professional credentials site.