“Pivot!” - Ross Geller, 1999
When we talk about digital marketing, one of the major points we focus on is the speed of change and how successful past approaches aren’t guaranteed to work in the future.
It’s a tough environment to operate in. On the one hand, we want to build smart, well thought out strategies that set our clients up for long term success. On the other hand, we know that we need to build space into our plans for changes, updates and new opportunities as they arise.
So, how can we as digital marketers do this efficiently and effectively while still maintaining the great results we’re already getting from our accounts? Luckily, there are a few straightforward steps we can follow to maximise our chances of success.
1) Building Strong Fundamentals
In a previous post we discussed the importance of having strong fundamentals in place for a well performing account. We used a house of cards analogy where you can have the most complex and well segmented campaign structure but, if you’re targeting the wrong people, none of this will have a positive impact on performance.
Keeping this in mind is crucial when new developments happen. Whatever the change, go back to basics and ensure that your account is set up correctly and you have the right kind of traffic coming through. Whether it’s a new campaign type, a new targeting method, changes to automation options or anything else, having the essential building blocks in place will ensure that performance remains stable as you learn about the longer term impact of a new feature.
2 Do Your Research
One of the best parts of our industry is the culture of openness and knowledge sharing. While you might not have dealt with a particular challenge before, someone else in the industry almost certainly has and they’ve shared a video, article or diagram on the best way to address and solve the problem.
When a change comes up, remember that everyone is in the same boat and working hard on finding ways to use this change to drive results for their clients. Rather than rushing in, take a day or two to research how other experts have approached this change, any lessons they’ve learned so far and what unexpected challenges have come up. Using this time for deep research will help you work out exactly where your account might benefit from a strategic tweak and is almost certain to drive better long term outcomes for your client.
3) Set The Scene Early
While we don’t always know the details of changes that will happen in any given year, we do know that they’re going to happen. To ease the impact, factoring potential changes and updates into your planning can help to create space while you analyse the best response.
As you forecast at the beginning of the year, allocate a small percentage of your budget as testing spend where results will be reported separately to your existing activity. This means less pressure to get things right immediately and encourages a forward thinking approach to account management.
In line with this, be open and honest with your client when discussing the plan for the year. Addressing the fact that there will be unplanned changes in the industry helps to tell your story and gives a great opportunity to prove expertise by showing you’re already thinking ahead.
It’s not easy to adjust on the fly and we’re not always going to get things right. However, it doesn’t need to be an emergency or a major cause for concern. Slowing down, thinking deliberately about next steps and addressing that change is the reality of our industry means a better chance of success and growth for your account.
For forward thinking, proactive digital marketing, get in touch.