Dare to Deviate: Breaking Stereotypes in Digital Marketing
In our dynamic digital world, as marketers, we tend to rely on target personas when designing campaigns. While these personas are practical blueprints, they can also become limiting stereotypes.
Inspired by the book "Deviate" by Beau Lotto, my purpose with this article is to take an unconventional stand and encourage open-mindedness rather than focusing on digital dos and don'ts.
The Limits of Personas
Traditional marketing learning suggests that knowing your target persona inside and out is the key to a successful campaign. While it's true that understanding your audience is essential, attaching to these predefined categories can close the door to potential opportunities. These models are often more about control and structure and less about understanding human behavior.
A Deviated Outlook
Things are rarely absolute; they are shaped by our perceptions. As marketers, we should not solely depend on predefined models. Instead, the ever-changing landscape should be seen as a crash course in human behavior. Paid or organic, our campaigns should reflect this dynamism.
Testing the Waters & Questioning Expertise
When we believe we've mastered the art of digital marketing, the Backwards Brain Bicycle comes along to shake things up. Created by Destin Sandlin of Smarter Every Day, this bike operates opposite to how a regular bike works. To ride it, you have to turn the handlebars in the opposite direction to go where you want—a simple change that completely disorients even the most seasoned cyclists.
This experiment demonstrates that our expertise is often built on unexamined assumptions. When those assumptions are challenged, even experts need to relearn almost from scratch, highlighting the importance of adaptive strategies.
Expertise is not a destination; it's a journey. Just like how AI is revolutionizing the way we approach life, marketing strategies need to adapt and progress aligned with our human evolution.
Beyond the Visible
In a sector continually redefined by emerging technologies like AI, it's always a good practice to let go of rigid marketing strategies. While analytics provide valuable insights, they only scratch the surface.
What about the "6 Degrees of Impact," the invisible web of influence that content casts? Not everyone who sees your post will interact visibly. Some may archive it for later, others may search for your website independently, and others may be silent advocates for your brand. Privacy also plays a significant role in this less measurable impact.
It's time to deviate from the conventional to challenge our rooted notions of what works in digital marketing and everything else. We operate in a multi-layered reality where the rules are not set in stone but are continually evolving. Our strategies should reflect this fluidity and welcome complexity, not shy away from it.
Beyond the visible, we should question the 'knowns' to align with the limitless human possibilities. Dare to deviate; our future depends on it.
