With great enthusiasm and expectations many Hyderabad based firms have invested in Digital marketing. Some Hyderabad based companies have continuously spent on digital marketing for years expecting something big to happen. The expectations of something big happening has not become a reality. Unfortunately, for the vast majority of Hyderabad businesses, digital marketing has not delivered the required results.
Sadly, the money spent on digital marketing has put a big hole in the financial statements.
While some company admit this in private, the vast majority just don’t reveal the truth. The undeniable truth is that for most companies ROI or Return on Investment has been elusive for Digital Marketing investments.
This does not mean that no company has got benefit of digital marketing. No doubt digital marketing is a powerful tool and can deliver positive outcomes. In this hope, still many companies are continuing investment hoping that outcomes will become favorable soon and their ROI will become strongly positive.
The fact is that the situation was not designed to win. This was a perfect ‘set to fail’ situation with high expectations, low awareness of digital marketing and semi-skilled digital marketing talent.
Digital Marketing In Recent Past – Good For Employees Not So Good For Companies
In the past few years, digital marketing professionals have had a great ride with good career and compensation growth. Digital marketing analyst and managers join a company with 20% pay hike on their previous jobs. Jobs were being changed every 6 months to 1 year, but results for their employers are not matching to investments in digital marketing. However, this professional gets a 20-30% pay hike. This situation has favored the professionals, most of whom have half-knowledge of digital marketing. Make no mistake, employees may bee good with their digital marketing tools and skills. However, it is one thing to score a century and another thing to be a man of the match – to work in a way that the company benefits from your skills.
Management Ignorance Fueled Wrong Expectations And Investment With Wrong Objectives
Initially the digital marketing area was too new an area and it was difficult to understand for the top management and owners of businesses. The terms were confusing and the employees used the terminology and many of the owners could not grasp it, they committed a budget and kept on spending. Many agencies and professionals have cashed in on this environment in the past. After a several quarters and years, now they realize that their previous employees / agencies were not exactly masters of digital marketing.
Digital Marketers Have Tool / Area Specific Knowledge, But Miss The Big Picture Strategy
If your only tool is hammer, every problem looks like a nail. Most digital marketing professionals are specialized in one area of digital marketing, they are knowing either email marketing or SEO or SMO or Google Ads (previously Google AdWords. There is a lack of good overall strategy and planning on which is the best way forward for a specific company. The strategy could be in one direction for one company and in another direction for another. To make a plan, strategy or objectives for a company’s situation needs a wide understanding of digital marketing and its various components. Working with tools and mastering a digital marketing app, tool or skill does not mean the person can define a strategy or goals for the business.
Corporate Marketing Is Organization Planning Activity
This lack of focus on client needs and limited skill sets have impaired the digital marketing efforts of Hyderabad companies. The entire digital marketing becomes an employees play area, not offering any concrete benefit to the companies committing digital marketing investment. In addition, to that there is a need to prioritize what needs to be done first and which digital marketing activity (Google Ads, Email marketing or new web design) to implement later. When someone comes with specialization in one aspect of digital marketing the natural tendency is to do that first, because they know it well rather than the client needing it first. No wonder they have the expertise with the tools but if they don’t know when to use which tool, knowledge of the tool is waste.
Most Digital Marketers Don’t Know The ABCs Of Classical Marketing
No doubt the mastery of the professionals with various aspects of digital marketing has increased by leaps and bounds. Some are masters of one or two specific areas of digital marketing. However, they are not having the judgment, skills or awareness to assess their company’s market situation or strategy. Hence, they are not be able to tailor their expertise to the needs of their companies in various situations.
Launching Digital Marketing Program Will Not Automatically Lead To Business Success Or High ROI
Like investing in software developers may help build a working app. But this app may not get popular or be a hit with the end-users. The apps remains there on Google Play with hardly any one downloading it. Similarly, investment in digital marketing may help get the programs rolled out for your company. The new site, the email campaigns, the Google Ads campaign or the Facebook campaign. However, it is different thing to get results for your digital marketing investment.
Chief Marketing Officer Mindset Cannot Be Found With Analysts Or Managers
If you are wanting to get good results, then you should choose a good digital marketing consultant. Someone who can understand a business not a digital marketing method. You need someone who thinks like a top management or C-level executive. This needs guidance of someone who has vast experience, deep knowledge of digital marketing and C-Level exposure. Taking short cuts on that and working with lower level digital marketing specialists only leads to failure not results that help you dominate your industry.
Need To Re-Examine In-House Teams, Existing Vendors And Freelancers
As outlined in the earlier part of this article, there are many reasons why the investment in digital marketing has not worked out for Hyderabad companies. The CEOs, founder and top management having gone through this experience and are a little worried and cautious about digital marketing. This is not to be surprised as their previous expectations were not met.
The road ahead is to review the current digital marketing efforts and make better choices. Even though there are some common issues, the situation for various Hyderabad based companies will not be same. There is a need to audit and examine the teams, processes, investments and digital marketing methods. This should identify areas that need fixing and areas that are doing well. Accordingly, suitable action can be taken. A major item that need to be taken care of is the need to have chief marketing officer type strategic thinking to make any meaningful change.
