There is no such thing as a digital marketer

LOGAN WEDGWOOD EXPLAINS WHY MARKETING IS A PROCESS AND WHY BUSINESS OWNERS MUST DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN MARKETING AND CHANNELS TO GET THE RIGHT RESULT.

THIS IS A controversial subject, but I feel obliged to shed some light on it – for the sake of removing doubts around the role of marketing.

First of all, I believe there is no such thing as a digital marketer. By that I mean that there is no marketing job that is specific (and exclusive) to digital, and nor should there be.

There are not multiple marketing jobs. They are just one job – and that is marketing.

You see, marketing is a process. It’s not a job title and it certainly isn’t a channel (which is all digital is).

Don’t get me wrong, digital marketing is important, but it’s one channel within a comprehensive marketing mix.

I feel as though the more we advertise for and look for a ‘digital marketer’ specifically, the more we perpetuate the misunderstanding of what marketing is. Marketing, at its essence, is simply a process of identifying a market opportunity, drilling down to a target market customer within that market, and delivering value to that customer through relevant and timely channels, with the goal of creating a return on investment for the business or brand.

Digital is not some fancy new way of marketing; it is just a channel in the same way that print media is a channel or television is a channel. And hence, there is no such thing as a specialist digital marketer. (Just really good marketers!)

We must get clear on the difference between marketing and channels.

Doing good business has and always will be about connecting your business and your products or services with your best target market customers. But please, do not spend money on channels without understanding your market opportunity and your target market customer.

Chances are some digital channels will make up your marketing mix, but they're not the be all and end all.”

Don’t get fooled into fads and trickery designed to get you on some new bandwagon; there are no magic bullets.

When you are meeting with marketing partners and providers, you need to ensure you are talking to a qualified professional who is going to take the time to understand your business, your market, your customers and do the foundational work to ensure you are spending money on the right channels.

Here are three signs you might be talking to a pretender: 1. If the first thing discussed is ad

spend. 2. If you are spending more time talking about fancy headlines than your customer. 3. If they are focusing on a channel instead of understanding those points above.

Marketers who don’t know what they are doing will jump to trying to sell solutions or discuss promotions, ad spend and channels, before they have put in the work to understand your business. The best marketers I know won’t even engage in a discussion about potential solutions if they aren’t clear on who your target market customer is and what the opportunity is in the market. They won’t discuss channels or budget because they know they need a thorough understanding of the outcomes you seek, so that they can best deploy their skills to work for you across the most effective channels.

And don’t just say “sales”, when it comes to outcomes either. We all want sales. But at what cost? Are you throwing money at channels you don’t understand because of FOMO (a Fear Of Missing Out)? Have you been sold a jig because of a well put-together slide deck on technology you don’t understand?

KNOW THE PROCESS

Chances are some digital channels will make up your marketing mix, but they’re not the be all and end all. If you do one thing, please slow down and take the time to go through the process. Take the time to profile your best five customers and look for their commonalities.

Understand what different channels are good for and what sort of ROI can be expected from them, so you don’t jump to spending money in the wrong (or too many!) places.

And lastly, if you don’t know the process well enough, engage with a marketing partner or supplier who does – and who will – work alongside you with perspective across your entire marketing mix.