There is no doubt that marketing is necessary to sell products. Even the best possible products with the most pocket-friendly prices require promotions and advertising to become familiar to the target audience. The leading digital marketing technology relies on automation, big data, predictive analysis, personalization, and AI to produce groundbreaking results. It is a lot different from the marketing methods the marketing moguls of the 1960s and 1970s describe. Back then, the technique was a lot more content-intensive and mass-media oriented than it is today. Right now, the best terms that can describe the most successful marketing efforts include personalizable, adaptable and easy-to-understand.
Today, people want strategies that are quick-working. They should be able to generate commendable returns on the investment within days of going live. Now, as we have mentioned before, there are a set of buzz-words that signify the popularity and success of campaigns. While they have described uncountable campaigns in the last couple of years, the end of 2018 finally gives us the time to take a break and think. Should you step into 2019 with these buzzwords? Or, should you leave them behind?
While looking for a new digital marketing partner in 2019, here are a few phrases and buzz-terms that you should definitely shun –
Value-added
There is nothing wrong with the term “value added.” The context of this term matters. Over the last decade, all authors, copywriters, and marketers have grossly overused this term. Instead of sprinkling your content with a vague term like this one, you should think of replacing it with something that is precise. Crafting a marketing message or even a project brief using words that convey a specific message can help you reach out to the target audience. It should help add more sense to the project and eliminate the fluff.
“Content is king.”
Is there anyone in the digital world who has not heard of this phrase ad nauseam? There was a time when you could click on the 10th blog link of the 10th Google SERP on “SEO content strategies” and still find this phrase glowing on top of the webpage. There is no phrase that copywriters, content writers, bloggers, and digital marketers have used more. It may have been relevant during the organic heydays of SEO and DM, but right now, it has little gravitas. Content will never lose importance, but that is one phrase, which should never feature in your blog/article. Be sure to stay away from any digital marketing partner that still uses this catch-phrase to hook their unsuspecting clients.
Data-driven
The entire marketing strategy needs to be data-driven, but that is not a USP anymore. It is the basic necessity of all DM campaigns. Without the timely input of correct data, it will be impossible for the marketers to create personalized content for the targeted audience. For example – the updates from your clothes shopping site about a discount on your abandoned cart is a form of highly personalized, data-driven marketing that should come with every digital marketing campaign in 2019. Irrespective of the budget and reach of your future digital marketing campaigns, you should look for a digital marketing partner that always prioritizes data-driven approaches without making it their selling point. There are plenty of other fine points you have to think about including analytics reports, comparison of revenue tables and customer journey tables. Focusing your budget on DM companies that only capitalize a data-driven approach is not worth your time or resources. You can check clientsurge SEO DC.
Generates business
We have heard about campaigns that promise to create leads or business, but have we stopped to think what “business” means over here? It is a grossly generic term that fails to mention if pursuing the strategy will increase your incoming website traffic. Will the incoming traffic show significant conversion? Will it increase your brand’s social media reach? Or, will it increase your ROI by at least 50% more than the last quarter? Never settle for a pitch that promises to generate “business.” Always make it a point to ask for the specifics.
Hacking growth
We have learned about SEO hacks, digital marketing hacks and finally, it is the time for growth hacks. In reality, the world of SEO and SEM does not take kindly to hacks. While life hacks can help you organize your wardrobe, get enough exercise or save money during bill payment, growth hacks rarely do much to boost the reach and revenue of an online business. Thus, if a marketing company is promising your growth hack, be sure that it does not involve any coding. In fact, the term is so broad and vague that it can refer to any growth-hacking tactic including posting spam content on websites and social media.
Influencer marketing
Ever since the launch of Instagram and the prospect of the famous bloggers to make money from endorsing brands, the term influencer marketing has caught on like pumpkin spice lattes during the winter months. If you think about it sincerely, influencers are just social media endorsers, who receive money from a brand to advertise or promote specific products. Much like the Jenner sisters promoting weight-loss tea, there is no authenticity to the content or promotions. A lot of people might want to disagree with this, but influencer marketing only works because these social media “celebrities” are approachable and their followers can see their day-to-day lives on social media. The term is here to stay, but 2019 is the time for most marketers to rethink their budget for influencer marketing and the effectiveness of the process.
AI
We cannot roll our eyes enough when we come across any digital marketing team using algorithms that automate basic tasks like tracking bounce rate and conversion rate proclaiming themselves as experts using “AI.” Any vendor can do that! AI should never be one algorithm that does on task for a client. If your digital marketing partner is “powered by AI,” they should at least be using machine learning, predictive analysis, and big data to generate customer preferences, trends and product performance predictions for the coming weeks for their clients. AI is instrumental at finding hidden insights from regular tasks. However, not all DM teams have access to the power of true AI.
These seven terms and phrases are the most popular of 2018, but that does not mean they fall in the good graces of all veteran marketers. If you are out looking for a new digital marketing team to guide you through to success in 2019, be sure to stay away from those, who throw in these buzz-terms everywhere.
