The future of digital marketing might seem to be heading back to its roots, and recent trends are pointing exactly in that direction. The tools and strategies we have grown accustomed to using are losing their effectiveness, and as a result, we are returning to the marketing methods of the 20th century. This article explores the current shifts in digital marketing and discusses how to adapt to these changes moving forward.
The Decline of Clicks and New Challenges
For the past 20 years, marketers have focused on tracking clicks and views, analyzing conversion rates. However, this tracking is becoming increasingly difficult. Major platforms like Google, Facebook, and Twitter are reinforcing strategies to keep users on their platforms longer, imposing penalties on external links. This change means that clicks are declining, and tracking conversion paths is becoming more complex.
Now, users spend more time on social media, email, news websites, and video platforms, consuming information through these channels. As a result, marketers find it harder to develop effective strategies based solely on search keywords. Information seen on social media or email may later be confirmed through a search, but by then, Google often takes all the credit.
Privacy and Tracking Technology Changes
Changes in Apple’s cookie policies, along with privacy laws in California, the EU, and other regions, are making it difficult for marketers to track user data. Additionally, the widespread adoption of ad blockers and the increase in multi-device usage are highlighting the limitations of traditional browser fingerprinting techniques.
These changes are making it difficult for marketers to track users’ behaviors as they did before and to optimize their marketing strategies accordingly. The importance of a multi-channel strategy is emerging, and understanding how users are entering the funnel, not just the number of clicks or views, is becoming a critical challenge.
The Case of Risotto Rice: The Limits of Attribution
The case of Acquerello, an Italian brand of Carnaroli rice, adopting various marketing strategies to succeed in the U.S. market highlights the limitations of attribution. They used PR, affiliate marketing, and collaborations with chefs to raise brand awareness, but proving that these activities directly led to increased sales was challenging.
Acquerello aimed to build brand recognition through social media and online sales channels, but proving how much these efforts contributed to sales was impossible. The lesson for marketers is not to rely solely on attribution but to explore all paths that influence the audience.
Marketing Strategies Returning to the 20th Century
Digital marketing in 2024 is starting to resemble marketing from 1964. The focus has shifted to delivering the right message to the right people in the right place at the right time. Rather than relying on attribution, it is more important to understand who the audience is and how to influence them through various channels.
The core of marketing strategy now lies in moving away from obsessing over specific platforms or channels and directly reaching out to users where they are. By doing so, better results can be achieved, and the true value of marketing activities can be understood.
Conclusion: A New Paradigm for Digital Marketing
Today’s marketing environment is more complex and harder to track than ever before. However, these challenges also offer opportunities to create new value. Marketers now need to reach out to customers where they are without relying on attribution. The time has come to embrace a new paradigm in marketing and achieve better results through fresh strategies.
Pay attention to these changes and develop appropriate strategies. Now is the time to adopt this new marketing paradigm and achieve greater success.
Reference: sparktoro, “Attribution is Dying. Clicks are Dying. Marketing is Going Back to the 20th Century.”