Musings of a Modern Marketer in a Post-Modern, (semi) Post-COVID Era

Let's discuss the elephant in the room, y'all. It's been a rough few years. Especially as a digital marketer in the post-modern era. That's me on the far left - fully engaged in meeting with associates at the first mask-free business networking event I'd attended in two years. My soul was rejoicing if it isn't apparent in the photo. ;)

Pre-2020, virtual communication platforms were an add-on, facilitating communication between clients, prospects, vendors, partners and colleagues. We were eager to provide 'options' to our expanding prospecting bases and more eager to lead the charge as brand ambassadors by incentivizing connection via online communication.

We pledged allegiance to paid platforms such as Go-To-Meeting and rapidly adapted Slack, Zoom and other interoffice communication technologies to accelerate the building of brands, foster communication with our colleagues and clients, and establish an unprecedented level of face-to-face communication independent of geography and time zones. We had the best of both worlds! We were collaborating onsite at corporate HQ, and engaging regionally, nationally and internationally to fill the gaps.

Enter 2020

Traumatized by the culture shock of the COVID-19 crisis, mayhem ensued. For marketers, that meant mass layoffs, budget cuts, loss of production and ill-fated, revenue-increasing strategies. In the aftermath, we were tasked with rebuilding - brick by brick - and leveling the playing field, doubling down to prove our value and efficacy after a year of silence. Marketing is all about connection, after all.

We, as marketers, are faced with a new challenge today. Especially those of us in the realm of B2B Indirect Sales.

Introducing the Dichotomy of Human-centric Marketing

From globalization to digitalization, to personalization, and many other avenues, many of us are still working from our homes, connecting with our peers and colleagues in business casual tops and pajama pants, searching for work/life balance which is far less linear than in previous years. And as we consider how to push forward with prospecting and client engagement - the world of digital marketing provides a far greater challenge. Digital communication is no longer an add-on - it's a necessity.

In a remote workforce, we must compete for time and attention, while delivering a clear and concise message that resonates with our target audience. Human-centric marketing is the art of personalizing business incentives and value proposition to prospects by means of real-time interaction and genuine connection.

My Top 5 Tactical Ingenuity Methods for Survival in the Modern Era of Digital Marketing:

1. Gloves off - Clear communication saves the day. Say what needs to be said - directly, clearly and concisely. Do not mince words.
2. Persistence - Consistent dialogue between leadership, sales, business development, and all other client-facing team members is a must.
3. Willingness - Keeping an open mind, even when ideas go against status quo.
4. Forgiveness - To self and others when challenging a paradigm shift. We are all in this together.
5. Perseverance - Determination to try unconventional methods, assess our failures, measure our wins and losses.

“A bend in the road is not the end of the road… unless you fail to make the turn.”

– Helen Keller

Success is inevitable as long as we remain resilient. Fellow digital marketers, please feel free to share any and all methods that are working for you!

All the best,

A