Special Feature
Digital
marketing is
more than
social media
By Cameron Martel
Since I began my career in digital marketing in 2005,
I have seen many marketing fads come and ago.
Fads in marketing have been a reality since
marketing began, but in today’s environment
of hyperactive change, they come and go at an
astonishing pace.
Social media could be viewed by some as one such
fad. While I don’t subscribe to that line of thinking,
there’s no denying that the rise of social media - and
of “influencers” in particular - has caused business
owners to do an about-face with respect to where
they allocate their marketing budgets.
But should they? That’s an important question to
answer given the impact marketing can have on
your business.
There’s been a steady pullback in offline media as
digital marketing, and increasingly social media,
have dominated marketing budgets everywhere.
38 Optical Prism | October 2019
Is this the future of marketing or are business
owners leaving money on the table by neglecting
other marketing methods?
I’d argue the latter. Let’s explore why.
THE ALLURE OF SOCIAL MEDIA
Social media is an appealing medium for numerous
reasons. It’s pervasive, ever-present and constantly
talked about in the news, at marketing conferences
and on marketing blogs.
The idea of capturing your audience with tailored
messaging is an appealing one. Being able to generate
social proof on your content can be a brand booster.
Plus, getting likes and shares just feels good.
Most importantly, the world has evolved how
it communicates. It’s no longer weird to have a
Facebook profile that broadcasts your life to the
world. Today, it’s atypical if you don’t use social
media in some fashion.
From a business point of view, marketing on social
media just makes sense. The problem is, often these
efforts don’t translate into dollars.
None of this is to say you shouldn’t build your social
media following or have a social marketing strategy
in place. Having a captive (and engaged) audience
is absolutely positive for your business. However, if
you’re building your communities at the expense of