The Digital Marketing Landscape New Rules

The Shift in Work Dynamics

Since the onset of COVID-19, the workload in many sectors, particularly in digital marketing, has dramatically increased. Budgets previously allocated for physical events have been redirected into digital spaces, leading to a burgeoning demand for online marketing strategies. This change represents both a challenge and an opportunity for digital marketing professionals and B2B marketers to prove the efficacy of digital strategies and garner further investment in these areas.

Interviewer: What prompted your shift to digital?

CEO: A well thought out stratgey including many hours analysing cost of acquisition.

Marketer: COVID

Identifying Customer Profiles

The task of defining ideal customer profiles (ICPs) has become more complex with the diversification of products and services. Many businesses now adopt a more nuanced approach, creating multiple ICPs to cater to the varied use cases and demands within their business units. The challenge lies in the aggregation of these profiles into a coherent marketing strategy without losing the specificities that make each customer segment unique.

The Array of Digital Marketing Tactics

In adapting to the new normal, digital marketing teams have expanded their use of various channels and strategies. From leveraging paid media across platforms like LinkedIn to adopting Account-Based Marketing (ABM) with tools like 6sense, the tactics have become more sophisticated. These approaches, coupled with traditional strategies like PPC and SEO, have been integral in top-of-the-funnel marketing activities, while webinars and hybrid events have played a crucial role in mid-funnel strategies.

Rethinking Marketing Incentives

The conversation also delves into the pitfalls of incentivizing marketing teams solely based on Marketing Qualified Leads (MQLs). This single-focus metric often led to a quantity-over-quality issue, where the leads generated did not necessarily align with sales needs, leading to low conversion rates and strained resources. In response, many organizations have shifted towards more nuanced metrics like Sales Qualified Opportunities (SQOs) and goals, emphasizing the quality of leads and the alignment between marketing and sales objectives.

The Collaboration Between Marketing and Sales

The integration of marketing and sales efforts has become more pronounced, with both departments working closely to align on strategies, goals, and metrics. This collaboration is crucial in ensuring that leads are not only generated but are also of high quality and fit the profiles that sales teams are equipped to convert into customers. Regular meetings, shared incentives, and joint planning sessions have become standard practice in fostering this collaboration.

Looking Ahead

As the business landscape continues to evolve, so too does the digital marketing domain. The discussion points towards the future, hinting at the exploration of influencer marketing in the B2B space, the increasing importance of content syndication, and the need for businesses to adapt to a cookie-less world. The focus is on leveraging existing data more effectively and exploring new tools and platforms that can provide more targeted and personalized marketing strategies.

The shifting paradigms of digital marketing post-COVID are much more pronounced than the above. It reflects the ongoing journey of adaptation, innovation, and collaboration that businesses must undertake to thrive in an increasingly digital world. As we look forward to more insights and developments, the digital marketing community continues to push the boundaries, ensuring that businesses can effectively reach and engage their target audiences in meaningful and impactful ways.