SOS! Is Digital Marketing Effective?

Holy smokes, if the results of a recent Adobe study entitled Digital Distress: What Keeps Marketers Up at Night? are anything to go by, us marketers are in quite a state.

Here's an animated infographic highlighting some of the study's key findings.

What has us so rattled? And what can we do about it?

A number of key concerns were expressed:

Marketing as a discipline has changed drastically - and quickly!

• 76% of respondents agreed that marketing has changed more in the last 2 years than in the last 50.

We are in the midst of an industry evolution and for any profession that is going to be somewhat frightening. Change, at any level, is uncomfortable. We understand that we need to adapt but for the most part we feel like we can't keep up, let alone get ahead of our competition!

The only solution I see to this is to welcome that we are the forerunners of a fresh approach to our discipline and accept that we are going to be on a learning curve for quite some time while we navigate new territory. So, while yes, it's a stressful time to be a marketer, it is also a very exciting to be a part of the revolution.

Doubt about our effectiveness and ability to measure impact.

• Marketers have low confidence in their companies’ marketing performance. Only 40% think their company’s marketing is effective.
• Sixty-eight percent of marketing professionals feel more pressured to show return on investment on marketing spend.
• Most digital marketers don’t have formal training; 82% learn on the job.
• 92% of respondents could not confidently state: “I know our digital marketing is working.

Clearly the rapid changes in the marketing front and the manner in which we have had to adapt our strategies and campaigns is leaving us feeling a little uncertain about our capabilities. We are, after all, having to learn new approaches without much in the way of formal training. Furthermore, boards are putting far more pressure on us to show contributions in monetary terms - brand awareness and 'feel good' type results just aren't cutting it anymore. We are accountable for every penny that is spent and we are struggling to show how that translated into pounds for the business. Moreover, we aren't even that certain that we are doing the right thing.

To remedy this uncertainty, we would do well to embrace marketing technology that provides us with the tools to track, measure and analyse our campaigns effectively. The adage, "You can't manage what you don't measure" springs to mind. With marketing software such as HubSpot in place, we are able to easily extract campaigns or tactics that deliver better return on investment. Yes, there is undoubtably going to be a certain level of trial and error as we get to grips with our respective markets - and probably for the first time geniunely getting to understand who they are as well as what their needs are - but with effective tracking in place, you will be able to minimise the 'error' element and focus on testing tweaks on already well-performing tactics.

From Stress To Success

We know that implementing a digital marketing strategy is the only sure fire-way to ensure business success yet only 48% of digital marketers feel highly proficient in their field. That means that 52% are still grappling with the ins and outs, best practice and the skill-sets required to implement and maintain an Inbound Marketing campaign.  And for you, dear 52%, we have written the Get To Grips with Marketing in a Digital Age eBook! Get your free copy now.