We're Entering a Digital Marketing Renassaince
This Feels Long Overdue... Bye-Bye Bro-Marketers
I’ve been feeling this coming for a while.
The key word here is “feeling”… I have zero data on this, but after 16.5 years in the digital marketing space, I can see the writing on the wall (so, take this with a grain of salt).
And I’m not just talking about things being harder:
Organic traffic (but let’s keep Substack out of that because daaaannng! This place is like a breath of fresh air)
Paid traffic costs more
AI impacting every aspect of content (I love AI - when used for good 😉)
Social feeling “noisier”
Add to that the mess Matt Mullenweg has made of WordPress lately (if you’re not familiar with that drama, just Google Matt Mullenweg and WPEngine), and it’s easy to see that people want something different.
Let’s face it…
All of the platforms, methodologies, and marketing-speak aren’t *new*, and digital marketing isn’t its own category anymore.
It’s just marketing.
Things like funnels, webinars, and summits (to name a few) aren’t cutting edge, and consumers see them coming a mile away (especially if you’re a marketer consuming a marketing funnel, webinar, or summit).
I couldn’t tell you the last time I attended a live webinar I registered for.
The majority of the time, I wait for the replay.
Obviously, someone who is new to this space or new to creating and growing a business online will have a completely different perspective, but unless they’ve been ‘offline’ for years, consumer awareness of marketing tactics has increased.
A great example is the Federal Trade Commission’s recent announcement of the “Click to Cancel” rule.
I LOVE everything about this, especially since it happened because the FTC received 16k comments from the public.
The public is calling bullshit, and I love it.
Here’s why this is good for YOU.
Quality matters.
There will always be newbies.
People who are just getting started share what they’re learning and focus more on the topical side of what they’re learning.
That’s fantastic… that’s how we learn.
But ideally, once we know better, we do better.
For example, Instead of buying “plug and play templates,” - you decide to master the psychology of marketing and dig into understanding good copy.
Instead of buying another course on writing, you commit to writing every day and hitting publish (nothing wrong with buying courses, provided you act on what you’re learning instead of ‘collecting more knowledge’).
You take the time to engage and have conversations with people instead of simply pushing out what you’re producing.
You streamline your platforms because you’d rather be on the select few you enjoy instead of trying to be “everywhere.”
And for the love of all that is good… you want to enjoy more time off the computer than on it.
(Maybe that was my version of “get off my lawn!” 😂- welcome to midlife)
Another piece to what I’m calling a “renaissance” (I was calling it an implosion from the inside out but decided to reframe it into something less violent, lol) is the demographic of people succeeding online.
I have no doubt this is because of my awareness and age (I’m GenX), but still, it’s fantastic.
I’ve seen more mid-50s women blowing up on YouTube than 20-something bro marketers (and I know - that’s how algorithms work. Once you watch a video or two in a specific category, more start popping up), and it feels like finally.
Something else I’ve been observing is how much more enjoyable social can be when you start curating your feeds more.
Again, I know I’m stating the obvious, but the way I used to curate my feeds was simply on negativity. I tend to be a bit of a Pollyanna, so anything negative was out.
Now I’m eliminating things like:
Productivity: I get shit done. I don’t need a single twenty-something man or a man whose wife manages his home life telling me how to squeeze more out of my day. I want more white space.
Funnel Hackers: Enough said.
High—ticket coaches: There's nothing wrong with high prices, but if you’re selling the idea of “high ticket,” peace out.
Influencer-anything: Also, enough said.
Things I’m adding in:
Going deeper: I’m fascinated by going deeper into things I already do/understand. I don’t want new; I want better.
Hobbies: Art & creativity have been a part of my life since I was a child. I want more time to pursue this, and seeing this content in my feed reminds me to get off the computer (as contrarian as that may sound).
Learning: I have become a complete geek about the intersection of neuroscience and spirituality… so anything that adds a little “awe” to my life is added.
Humor: We can all agree that a good laugh goes a long way (I highly recommend videos of Scottish toddlers on TikTok 😉).
Nature: It’s hard to beat the beauty of nature and its restorative powers. Seeing anything about nature in my feeds also reminds me to get off the computer and get outside more.
You get the idea.
I think we’ll always have “shiny-object syndrome” in this space, but that’s more human nature than it is marketing (think fitness equipment… who hasn’t bought the latest, greatest fitness gadget only to have it collect dust after a while?).
Despite the bit of ranty-ness I have about bro marketers or the things I’m curating out of my feeds, the truth is I’m incredibly excited about this shift.
There are so many amazing people to connect with and support.
It’s starting to feel fun again, and I can’t help but feel grateful for the change in the air.