While there are many challenges when it comes to marketing, brand building is among the most complex, especially in the digital era. With so many channels to choose from, how do you create messages that resonate? And how do you decide the channels that will carry your many messages? How can you capture the attention of your target audience while leaving them hungry for more? While marketing pain points may be cumbersome, most marketing professionals would never want to work in any other industry and the challenge of figuring out how to stand out in a world full of noise often exhilarates them.
We recently held a Twitter chat where digital marketing experts explained common marketing pain points and shared some key strategies for brand building digitally. Here, we share just some of these insights.
The transformation of marketing
In our Twitter chat, we first explored how the role of marketers has changed overall from merely promoting and selling products or services in the digital age. Most experts felt that beyond just building a brand, key elements of creating successful marketing strategies are now more than ever centered around building a community and establishing connections.
The digital age has actually allowed brands to become more humanized by giving them the ability to respond to and interact with customers through digital touchpoints. And rather than customers merely reacting to marketing messages, they have a voice they never had before and brands can communicate with them in real-time and create communities.
Further, one digital marketing expert noted that while products are something customers may own, they also now hold a stake in brands they’re loyal to. “A brand is intangible ownership; it’s an outlook or lifestyle that your fans and followers choose to be a part of,” she said.
The biggest digital marketing pain points
Next, we actually discussed some of the challenges digital marketers are faced with. Some common marketing pain points mentioned included:
- Setting realistic expectations
- Finding the best metrics and measurements
- The need to stay current and on-brand with messaging
- Breaking through the digital noise
Marketers need to understand, acknowledge, and where appropriate, join conversations happening today across various digital channels in order to stay relevant and portray a positive brand image overall.
Conversations are constantly evolving and as Marketing Director of Wrk Kelsea Gust says, marketers now need to be "on" at all times and be ready to reassess and pivot efforts quickly.
To illustrate the “always on” mentality, another expert made the point that digital marketing has essentially brought an end to the 9-5 as consumers can now DM or tweet a brand at any time. Marketers need to constantly monitor channels and for smaller teams, it can be a challenge to create boundaries with time. We would argue that this is one example of ways that marketing automation can help you offer responses in a timely and efficient manner without compromising on your team’s time.
The medium is the message, or is it?
Many marketing and communications professionals are all-too-familiar with the phrase “The medium is the message.” Coined by Canadian philosopher Marshall McLuhan, this means that the forms of communication (or medium) used to deliver information significantly impact the message itself and its meaning. In essence, the method or channel chosen to deliver a message can bear more weight than the message itself.
In the chat, we asked whether this phrase still rings true today, as it was first used over 50 years ago, before the birth of the digital world as we know it. Participants were split, with some agreeing it does, some noting it’s not as vital as it was before, and even some providing the age-old answer to any marketing question, “it depends.”
One participant noted that marketers now need to understand the power of social media, and that what you say and where you say it has considerable weight on the overall impact. We were reminded that not too long ago, marketers didn’t have to consider platforms like Tik Tok, and now brands need to really think about which channels make sense for them to use and how they’ll use them.
Another participant said that she believes that this has actually flipped, with the message being more important because mediums are now largely a commodity. She said that today, there are many opportunities to reach the right audiences with tools like automation and paid search, but if the message itself doesn’t resonate, it will get lost in the noise.
Digital marketing tools and channels
In our chat, we also touched on which tools and channels marketers use to help them push past their marketing pain points and build brands digitally.
Technologies are advancing at break-neck speed and while it can be a challenge to keep up, there are also unquestionable benefits for using these tools. Now more than ever, we know it's vital for marketers everywhere to use digital channels to connect with peers and share insights to move forward.
One participant shared how certain tools help her determine online search volume and trends. Another shared how many different tools can help marketers maximize efficiency in areas like project management, social scheduling, and CRM. Our own Director of Marketing Kelsea Gust shared how Biteable is encouraging non-designers on our team to create branded and engaging video content. We couldn’t agree more!
Many participants also mentioned how online communities like Reddit and channels on Twitter are great networking resources to connect with others. Some even touched on how Twitter chats like the one we held are great opportunities to learn. And with other tools like Twitter Spaces coming down the pipeline, these connections and conversations will continue to grow.
Creating strategies for brand building that work
Marketing pain points may be overwhelming at times, but that doesn’t stop marketers from continuing to go above and beyond to overcome them. After all, marketers are known for their creative problem-solving skills and their ability to develop innovative strategies to connect with their audiences and customers, no matter where they are.
And the fact is, there are now endless ways to build connections. Email campaigns, billboards in public places, mail flyers, online communities, social media platforms, websites… the possibilities are boundless. There lies the excitement and invigorating challenge for marketers to overcome these challenges and build brands that resonate.
At Wrk, we strive to empower teams by providing powerful, simple automation solutions to challenge pain points like the ones marketers face. Visit our Marketing hub to learn how we can empower your team today.
Featured photo: Cristian Dina
