We’ve seen it happen often. A new digital marketing consultant is hired by the company, and the first thing they do is criticise the digital marketing programme currently being run by the company. In many cases, this criticism is brutal, and quite unwarranted. It is usually followed by extreme changes, which may include the replacement of team members who are involved in running complex elements of the digital marketing programme.
Of course, if a campaign is not performing well, an overhaul may be a great idea. But in many cases, the modifications simply reflects the previous experience of the new digital marketing consultant, often disregarding the circumstances why the present plan was designed as it was. A different digital marketing campaign may not always be a better one. Hence, if new changes are being strongly recommended, it had better be for a good reason, and have a strong rationale behind it.
In many companies, digital marketing consultants are replaced at frequent intervals. The management simply waits for around three to six months, and if required results are not seen, then rinse and repeat. In many cases, a company’s online marketing campaign begins to be defined by the person running the show, rather than by the business needs of the organisation. In fact, some marketing consultants do not even check audience needs or performance metrics while modifying a digital marketing programme.
Such short-sighted leadership usually results in the development of online marketing campaigns, which are not tested and optimised regularly. When campaign elements are constantly shifted around, it is not possible for a consistent approach to be applied towards assessing and optimising one’s strategy. If your company is one where consultants are frequently changed, then here are some tips for you:
• Create a brief about the current plan, to help the new leadership get acquainted with the digital marketing strategy being followed by the company. Don’t hide any underperforming efforts, and remember to include details of performance metrics used in campaign analysis.
• Study the main reason why the change was needed. The management may not have confidence in the current team’s abilities, or the new consultant may be bringing new skills or knowledge to the team.
• When your strategy is being critiqued, don’t take it personally. The new consultant was brought in to improve the strategy, so he will obviously be looking for things that he can change for the better.
Qudos Digital is a leading digital marketing consultancy, and can be contacted on 0845 388 5583 or info@qudosdigital.co.uk.