Trending Now

Nobody needs both Pinterest and LinkedIn

You’ve probably seen them coming. They look very cool, dressed head to toe in black. It’s those agency people.  They’ve finally got religion on digital marketing, so now they have a list of everything you ought to be doing. Yes, search marketing. Of course, a Facebook fan page. And LinkedIn. And don’t forget Pinterest. And–hey wait a minute!  LinkedIn and Pinterest? What real business actually needs both of those? I know, I know, the same one that prints brochures for the trade show and buys ads on billboards. What? There aren’t any businesses like that? Oh.bigstock-Half-length-portrait-of-busine-52341319

This is the state of digital marketing. Your erstwhile agency is spending a lot more time thinking about the digital part than the marketing part.

If your agency is walking in with a laundry list of every blessed thing you could ever do in Internet marketing, throw them out. Nobody’s digital marketing strategy should look like a rate card. Just because your agency can do it doesn’t mean you should do it.

You wouldn’t do everything possible in offline advertising just because you can. You wouldn’t sponsor local golf tournaments and do national TV commercials, because no single business needs both of those. Lots of businesses might need one or the other, but almost none need both.

Don’t accept advice that is not tailored for you. If your agency is listing off the same tired tactics for you that they list for everyone else, show them the door. Just as you wouldn’t do every possible thing in offline marketing, you won’t do everything possible in digital. Think strategy first and digital second. And if your agency can’t do that, time for a new agency.

Mike Moran

Mike Moran is a Converseon, an AI powered consumer intelligence technology and consulting firm. He is also a senior strategist for SoloSegment, a marketing automation software solutions and services firm. Mike also served as a member of the Board of Directors of SEMPO. Mike spent 30 years at IBM, rising to Distinguished Engineer, an executive-level technical position. Mike held various roles in his IBM career, including eight years at IBM’s customer-facing website, ibm.com, most recently as the Manager of ibm.com Web Experience, where he led 65 information architects, web designers, webmasters, programmers, and technical architects around the world. Mike's newest book is Outside-In Marketing with world-renowned author James Mathewson. He is co-author of the best-selling Search Engine Marketing, Inc. (with fellow search marketing expert Bill Hunt), now in its Third Edition. Mike is also the author of the acclaimed internet marketing book, Do It Wrong Quickly: How the Web Changes the Old Marketing Rules, named one of best business books of 2007 by the Miami Herald. Mike founded and writes for Biznology® and writes regularly for other blogs. In addition to Mike’s broad technical background, he holds an Advanced Certificate in Market Management Practice from the Royal UK Charter Institute of Marketing and is a Visiting Lecturer at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business. He also teaches at Rutgers Business School. He was a Senior Fellow at the Society for New Communications Research and is now a Senior Fellow of The Conference Board. A Certified Speaking Professional, Mike regularly makes speaking appearances. Mike’s previous appearances include keynote speaking appearances worldwide

Join the Discussion

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Back to top