Curing The Fallacies Of Your Clients : Confessions Of Digital Marketers

As a Digital marketer, what I find most nerve-wracking is NOT working beyond working hours or putting up with every silly demand of my client—it is to cure their fallacies!

Most clients, because they are ‘the client’ would ridicule and bicker rather than put their heads together with you to find a way out.

One of the most important skills of a service provider is to correct their customers if they’re going wrong without making them feel embarrassed.

Image Credit : https://www.flickr.com/photos/kt/

I’m sharing 4 such fallacies that as a Digital marketer, I face quite often.

1) Same strategies don’t work everywhere

LinkedIn and Facebook are entirely different social media platforms where the same audience comes with separate mindsets. Your client needs to know that marketing effort for one cannot fit the other. On LinkedIn, business minded people come with a purpose of attracting clients or finding new business partners.

Facebook, on the other hand is casual; visitors here unwind and look for interesting things to engage with. Business is hardly on their mind, which is why even a commercial ad on Facebook must be wrapped up in an entertaining way, according to the demographics, interests, etc., of the target group.

Since I’m the expert they’ve hired, I keep clearing the air for them.

2) Quantity vs. Quality !

Most clients are accustomed to go by the numbers.

Oftentimes, they can’t figure out how quantity and quality serve a separate purpose in digital marketing.

If they’re looking for better sales; I tell them instead of having huge number of followers on Twitter or fans on their Facebook page, focusing on lead generating quality traffic should be their concern.

If they are still insistent upon quantity, then either they’re  blindly imitating their competitors (who in turn are broadening their digital footprint) or following a brilliant strategy advice from an ‘expert’ close friend or simply missing the point.

I tell them that having a huge amount of unrelated traffic on their site will be futile, as only relevant traffic can imply solid returns.

3) Fighting their preconceived notion!

The starting point of a discussion is usually preconceived notions.

I once had a baby Boomer client; a self made, hard-nosed individual who from somewhere got an idea that content marketing is suitable for increasing his sales.

It took me close to 4 presentations and half a dozen of examples to persuade him that content marketing is apt if he wants to be a thought leader and promote his brand. Paid ads on Google, LinkedIn and Facebook are a better choice to garner sales.

4) Cluelessness about a suitable technique!

I keep correcting their choice of a Digital Marketing technique all the time!

When clients take services from the industries they don’t understand much, they seek solutions they’ve heard of in their social circles or are in the trend. Unfortunately, many a times, it’s not the right fit.

When I find a client going off target by choosing an incorrect strategy over my advice, let’s say by insisting on paid ads instead of going for Social Media Marketing; I have to persuade them against it, while glossing over their error in judgement.

I comfort them by saying it’s quite normal, and happens with everyone.

Final Thoughts

Although the problem is an old one and can be related to any industry, where the Digital Marketing landscape differs is that every client has a certain degree of exposure in it, which forms the basis of an opinion (instinctive, borrowed or carefully thought-out).

It is the job of a service provider to carefully ascertain the problem areas and address them without giving in to the clients’ wishes, which may momentarily make them happy.

It’s about showing them the way without making them feel ill at ease. Well, nobody said it was easy!