Connor BrookeDrawing from Columbus Day and the celebration of his multiple voyages to the New World, we were inspired to pay tribute to all of the innovative ideas that have paved the way for the new world of marketing that we live in today.
Here are three comparisons we found between today’s digital marketers and the journey of Christopher Columbus.
1) Narrow mindsets will lead to a lack of innovation
Columbus was inspired to tackle multiple expeditions around the world in his quest for knowledge of the Earth and its inhabitants. Comparing this to marketing may seem like a bit of a stretch, but it goes back to the principle of the idea. Columbus thought about things in terms of possibility, and as innovative marketers, the same thought applies. For example, the Internet has only been used by the mass public for less than 20 years. As a result, marketing has transformed from traditional print to digitally focused. There is always something new to be discovered in the world of marketing. Marketers will almost always be working with the future in mind, and like Columbus, refuse to be stuck in traditional mindsets.
2) If at first you don’t succeed, try again…and then again
Columbus first approached King John II of Portugal to acquire financial backing for his projected voyage, but the king rejected the request. Even though digital marketer’s requests may not be left up to the mercy of a king, there are still many hoops necessary to jump, or pitch through to get campaigns approved and launched. Unfortunately, innovative ideas may often be rejected due to either improbability of success or fear of failure. However, it is innovative marketing tactics that have progressed the digital age so rapidly. Even if your pitch or campaign fails the first time or multiple times, learn from each experience and grow and adapt your new tactics from your resulting insights.
3) Patience can be bitter, but its payoffs can be sweet
Two days before the Columbus voyage reached the new world, the crew exhausted their patience and wanted to return home. Columbus then reminded them that their hard work would reap benefits and that they had come too far to give up. It is imperative to practice patience when running new marketing campaigns, even with the mounting pressure of proving ROI and an increase in leads or conversions. If you abandon a campaign too early, not only will you lose the future benefits of its success, but also the time and budget that encompassed the overall process.
So what’s next big thing to discover in the world of digital marketing?
According to the 2013 marketing study by the Content Marketing Institute and MarketingProfs, the most effective B2B content marketers plan to “tailor content to specific profiles/personas much more frequently.”
This means that the most innovative, effective marketers are looking for solutions that will consistently allow them to provide relevant content to each of their audience personas.
The next big thing to discover in marketing is content personalization on your website. 72% of marketers see the importance of online personalization but aren’t sure how to integrate it into their existing campaigns.
Take the next step to discover the potential increase in site engagement, conversions and ROI that content personalization can accomplish for your unique brand.
This article was written for Business 2 Community by Connor Brooke.
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Awesome article! Not only is it well-written, but it brings together two completely different concepts seamlessly.