“He’s the new digital marketing guy, so of course he’s going to try and talk about why it’s the greatest thing ever.”
Well, yeah.
Digital Marketing isn’t the greatest thing ever, but it’s way more than just a job title for me. I really do think that the tools available today through digital, social and mobile media are both powerful and misunderstood. They’re big, new, and fast-growing in ways that no one has ever seen before. To some, that’s incredibly exciting, and something to explore and learn more about. To many others, however, it can easily seem confusing at best and terrifying at worst. I’ve talked to small business managers and owners who aren’t interested in setting aside time in their already busy day to learn about the tools. I understand that sentiment. The problem, however, is that by taking that mindset, it overlooks the most important lesson I’ve learned when it comes to digital marketing:
Digital Marketing isn’t about tools. It’s not about social anything, mobile phones, or the latest trendy website. It’s about connecting people to your business in a time where people are living digital lives.
According to the Pew Internet and American Life Project, 56% of adult Americans now own a smartphone. Sales on Cyber Monday rose 15.3% this past year to $2.2 billion. Every 20 minutes, 2 million friend requests are sent on Facebook. The conversations that at one point took place at a coffee shop or on the phone are now taking place through text message and photo sharing. What hasn’t changed in any of this is what people are talking about. We haven’t changed the content, just the medium and the accessibility to be heard. The rule used to be “a customer with a bad experience will tell 8 people.” Now, that rule is “a customer with a bad experience will broadcast it to the masses.” That’s how things like “United Breaks Guitars” happen.
This is why it is so important for your business to have a digital strategy – with each day, your audience is becoming more accustomed to a digital life and is moving more and more into making it the norm. People are connecting to businesses on a personal level using digital resources, and that includes your business.
That’s one of the reasons I’m so excited to be doing what I am doing now – helping demystify and breaking down digital marketing into real, tangible plans. While I love doing research, analyzing trends, and trying to stay on the leading edge of everything, it’s not something everyone has time to do, let alone trying to apply it in a way that makes money. At Lieberman, I’m part of a team that all finds this stuff fascinating, and we can break it down for you to see exactly what it can look like for your business. By giving you the tools to connect with your audience’s digital life, we can help you engage with current customers, attract new ones, and build your brand in ways that produce tangible return on investment.
That’s why I love digital marketing, and hopefully why you will learn to love it, too.