As the customer journey from ‘none the wiser’, to spectator to loyal fan becomes more complex for businesses to master, so do the ways in which brands generate leads. Consumers are less attracted to ‘Sale’ style adverts these days, but instead prefer to build a connection with a brand before committing to a purchase.
I’m almost amused by the number of comments on LinkedIn recently saying ‘Don’t pay for (insert service of your choice here) … You can get it free from the internet’ or ‘from (state tangentially related profession here)’ or ‘I’ll advise you on that’ (from someone not in the relevant field).
Ever noticed how many digital marketing types talk about ‘engagement’ but put forward solutions that sound more like SPAM? You can look at the social media profile of the ‘expert’ and see a vast sea of the same message going out repeatedly.
(This month’s blog comes from our colleague, Charlotte who ran her own business and engaged marketing agencies prior to working with STO Consulting). I am in the fortunate position, having owned my own business for 3 years prior to being in marketing consulting, that I have been a customer of several digital marketing agencies. So I fully understand what the experience is like from the client’s point of view. The expectations, the optimism, and the feeling of being in safe hands when you are promised business growth and you start planning for a more affluent future.
