Entertainment vs. Actionable Expertise
So, you’ve been trying to learn digital marketing on your own. Let me guess, you’ve probably tried downloading endless white papers, reading articles on how you NEED to do this one highly technical tactic or you will FAIL, following influencers, and watching videos on secret “hacks” that allow people to trick Google into ranking your site higher. Most importantly, after trying all of these things, you’ve gotten exactly ZERO results for your own business.
How can we control our brand image online, while not spending a lot of time planning out the execution? The short answer is, pay for it. The long answer is to learn the difference between entertaining articles and actionable expertise.
The Struggle is Real!
When the article title is so catchy and seems so tactically straightforward, it must be great information right? Wrong.
The reason articles, blogs, and videos are written with an engaging headline is to get your attention. The top five tips to (insert tactical promise), how to best position your brand to (insert strategic promise), and are you following the latest trends in (insert industry).
While intriguing, these articles are mostly for entertainment and provide no tangible instructions in a strategic or tactical roadmap. On the other hand, watching how-to videos, reading interviews from industry thought leaders provide more guidance but miss the mark.
Why Are They Doing This?
Given the varying practices and multitude of “experts” in the field, it might seem as if digital marketing has no true structure. The truth of the matter is much less sinister and more strategic. As technology evolves, marketing goes along for the ride. The end goal is to exchange value with the consumer. In the case of catchy headlines, the value exchange is your click traffic for their insight. The more helpful information a company posts on its page be it social, or native, the better chance it has to E-A-T (See E-A-T Google article).
Bottom Line
If your goal is to find actionable insights that will provide results, it will require spending both time and money. Even if you want to spearhead this thing on your own and do it yourself, you’re going to have to pay for actionable items. Industry expertise, effective tactical experience, and industry foresight take time to acquire, which is why agencies and experts exist. If you have more time than money, by all means use your time to become an expert. But, if you find (like most business owners) that all of your time must be dedicated to operating your business, it’s time to hire a marketing expert.
