As a marketing pro, you know how tough it can be to capture the attention of potential clients and keep them. There are more than 10,700 digital advertising agencies in the U.S., giving business owners a lot of options. So, if you want to stand out, you need to be more than an expert in digital marketing. You need to be an expert in marketing science.

If you’ve spent years promoting your agency as the go-to for all things digital marketing, this can be a hard pill to swallow. But the fact is the landscape has changed. To be successful, you have to position yourself as a true marketer—who happens to love digital marketing. 

Why Digital Marketing Expertise Isn’t Enough

No marketer wants to hear that their digital marketing expertise isn’t enough. I get it. You’ve likely put a lot of effort into studying proven frameworks, staying on top of trends, and even recruiting top talent for your agency. And chances are, that effort has paid off. However, having an agency adept at digital marketing won’t bring you to the pinnacle of success—not without marketing science savvy.

Here’s why…

• Digital marketing has been around for a long time. 

Although digital marketing has evolved, it’s not a new concept. The history of digital marketing spans more than 30 years. In fact, the term was introduced back in 1990, around the time the first search engine (Archie) was launched. 

In short, everyone knows about it by now. And many agencies are doing it. Unfortunately, that means your digital marketing know-how isn’t anything novel or unique. 

• Business owners get digital marketing (for the most part). 

Today’s business owners are more knowledgeable about digital marketing. Of course, they don’t necessarily have a clear grasp of it. And there are still plenty of marketing misconceptions out there. But research shows that 47% of small business owners handle their marketing efforts themselves. So, it’s fair to say they get it—more or less. 

In most cases, potential clients aren’t impressed by an agency’s ability to handle social media, implement SEO tactics, manage paid advertising, etc. They’ve heard it all before. Even if you can do it better, that may not be reason enough to outsource to your agency. 

• Marketers have to work extra hard to earn respect.

DigitalMarketer’s own Mark de Grasse has talked about how marketers don’t get the respect they deserve, and it’s true. As marketers, we have to work harder than other professionals to demonstrate our worth and prove we know what we’re doing. Claiming digital marketing expertise—even if you do have it—just won’t cut it. You need to have broad marketing knowledge and use marketing science to back up your recommendations. 

• Tools and tactics change, but the principles of good marketing don’t.

As touched on previously, digital marketing is constantly evolving. New tools and channels are constantly being introduced, resulting in new tactics to adopt. But if you focus too much on what’s changing, you lose sight of what doesn’t. Being on top of every new “shiny object” doesn’t matter much if you can’t follow the principles of good marketing. And that only comes with an understanding of marketing science. 

What Do We Mean by Marketing Science?

Many believe that marketing is both an art and a science. And they’re right. But for now, we’re focusing on the latter. After all, it’s the piece of the puzzle your digital marketing agency is likely missing. 

There are several different takes on marketing science out there. But when we talk about it, this is what we mean…

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Making Decisions Based on Data—Not Guesswork

Those who embrace marketing science know that data is key. That doesn’t mean a marketer’s knowledge and experience should be tossed aside. However, data should play a critical role in decision-making.

Leveraging data just makes sense. 

• It allows us to see what’s working and what’s not. 
• It provides valuable insights that help us answer tough questions.
• It ensures we’re making the right decisions for each client.

Science-driven marketers are skilled at compiling, analyzing, and interpreting data from various sources. They apply their findings accordingly, using facts and figures to support their choices. As a result, they can serve their clients better—and with more confidence. 

Applying Techniques from Other Disciplines

Digital marketing can be bolstered by other practices. Science-driven marketers know that. They see the value in disciplines like psychology, sociology, economics, and neuroscience (the last of which is combined with marketing to create neuromarketing). That’s why they look at research from those disciplines to see what they can leverage. Then, they apply techniques to make their marketing efforts even stronger. 

Conducting Well-Designed Experiments

Experts in marketing science realize that experimentation is essential to improvement. After all, you can’t ensure the best result if you don’t do some testing first. So, they conduct experiments using the scientific method to determine if their initial choice (or hypothesis) is correct. 

The most successful marketers tend to be those who are constantly testing. On a granular level, they create different variations of assets, analyze the data, and make improvements as needed. They view every test as a source of valuable information and use it to their clients’ advantage. 

Using Technology Wisely

True marketers who understand the science side use technology to their advantage. They don’t get hung up on every new tool that arrives on the scene. Instead, they conduct in-depth research to create a marketing technology stack that benefits them and their clients. 

At the most basic level, they find technology to assist with the following:

• Data tracking
• Automation
• Keyword research
• Model building
• Wireframing

Although most marketers understand the importance of marketing technology in serving their clients, scientific ones don’t suffer waste. They only invest in tools that will enhance their efforts. And they strive to get the most out of each one they use. 

Taking a Holistic Approach to Marketing

There are many different facets of marketing—social media, paid advertising, SEO, email, copywriting, web design, etc. But science-savvy marketers don’t see them as individual pieces. Instead, they view them as parts of a much larger whole. They know that each one contributes to a business’s online presence. 

That’s why they take a holistic approach. 

They ensure consistency in all assets across all channels, connecting them for maximum impact. Every part is working together to promote the client’s business. More than that, every team member is doing the same. 

How Marketing Science Yields Success for Agencies

When you’re an expert not only in digital marketing but also in marketing science, you position your agency for success. It helps set the stage for being known as unique and smart.

Here’s how…

• You can frame your agency as an authority in the space.
• You can demonstrate your understanding of marketing as a whole. 
• You can encourage your team to start thinking about the big picture. 
• You become more strategic in marketing for each individual client.
• You can provide proof that your efforts are yielding results. 
• You can gain a competitive advantage over tactical marketers.

Ultimately, it doesn’t just make your agency better. It makes your agency appear better to current and potential clients. 

Takeaway

These days, digital marketing expertise isn’t enough to stand out from the crowd. If you really want to take your agency to the next level, you need to embrace marketing science. You need to show you have what it takes to build a business, develop a brand, and achieve long-term results. By convincing clients you’re a true marketer who offers digital marketing services, you’ll have an easier time acquiring and retaining them.

The post How Marketing Science Yields Success for Agencies appeared first on DigitalMarketer.

They say employees are a company’s greatest asset, and it’s just as true for marketing agencies as any other business. The right team can help prove your agency’s quality, credibility, and competency to potential clients. So, it just makes sense that you want to find qualified candidates and, more importantly, ensure they’re in it for the long haul. 

Unfortunately, it’s easier said than done. Chances are, you’ve experienced this firsthand. Maybe you’ve lost one of your most talented employees or been disappointed by a lack of interest from candidates. Whatever the case, it’s worth looking at why this is and how you can change your approach for greater success. 

Why Finding and Keeping Qualified Candidates Is Tough

There are many reasons marketing agencies struggle to find qualified candidates and retain them. The two biggest factors are as follows:

1. Competition in the labor market
2. Employee expectations 

For starters, consider the competition in the labor market. There are more than 14,000 marketing and advertising agencies in the U.S. alone. And according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, marketing job demand is expected to increase 10% by 2026. However, there’s a limited pool of candidates willing and able to perform at the desired level.

We’re all looking for a specific type of professional, right? At a minimum, the ideal team member is knowledgeable about marketing, has skills in one or more areas, and possesses the right attitude for success. A person with these traits who cares about helping clients grow is a hot commodity. Every agency that’s hiring wants them!

In short, the competition is fierce. Your competitors are trying to attract the same high-quality candidates as you are. So, you have to work extra hard to stand out and encourage them to apply for a position at your agency. And if you manage to bring them on board, you need to prove their decision was the right one. After all, there’s no shortage of options available to them.

But that’s not the hurdle you have to overcome…

There’s also the fact that the wants and needs of today’s marketing professionals (and workers in general) have changed. 

For instance, employee expectations include more than just a salary reflecting their value. People are looking for things like…

• Positive work culture
• Recognition 
• Flexibility
• Transparency
• Respect
• Purpose 

Unfortunately, these are things that many agencies neglect to highlight when recruiting—or worse, fail to deliver in the workplace. And in the second scenario, it leads to great talent leaving for other opportunities. In fact, 2022 showed 62% of professionals considering a job change.

To say that finding strong, qualified candidates and holding on to them is a challenge would be an understatement. But here’s the good news—it’s not impossible. It’s just a matter of changing your approach, putting your marketing skills to good use, and offering value to your team.

Let’s start with recruiting…

5 Tips to Find Qualified Candidates for Your Agency

As marketers, we’re always looking for ways to level up and do better for our clients. And the same should apply to the recruitment process. If you’re having a hard time sourcing and inviting top talent to work for your agency, you need to make some improvements. 

With that said, here are five tips you can use to find qualified candidates:

Create True Job Descriptions

A job description is just that—a description of a job. Yet, most marketing agencies (and businesses in general) get this wrong. If you’re trying to build a solid digital marketing team, you probably have a lengthy list of requirements for the ideal candidate.

But that’s not explaining the job, is it?

Jason Weseman, Certified Business Coach at FocalPoint Consulting, put it best during a workshop hosted by Viral Solutions: “A job description should define the work that needs to be performed, not the skills needed to do the work.” 

To explain why this is so important, Weseman went on to say, “You can find people that meet your exact description—your requirements, your skills, your experience—that couldn’t do the work.”

Plus, if you’re strict with your criteria, you could miss on great talent. For example, research has shown that women only apply to jobs if they’re 100% qualified. 

So, focus on outlining what the job entails rather than what characteristics you’re looking for in a candidate. 

Brand the Job, Not Your Agency

As marketers, we’re no strangers to branding. And we all know how vital employer branding is. But a common mistake agencies make when trying to find suitable candidates is not branding a job. 

According to Weseman, “Top talent already knows about their competition. They know about other companies in their space… What they need to be sold on is the job itself.”

So, in each job description you write, focus on answering the following questions:

• What can they do? 
• What can they become?
• What does success look like?
• What does the future hold?

Brand the job by explaining how it will benefit them and make life better. Use storytelling to take them on a journey!

Spread the Word Wide

When you have written your job description and are ready to look for candidates, spread the word wide. Go beyond popular platforms such as LinkedIn, Monster, Glassdoor, and Indeed. Consider posting the position on marketing-specific sites like MarketingHire, the American Marketing Association, and Digital Agency Network. 

And don’t forget about the other resources you have available! You can post about the job on your social media channels and encourage current employees to refer qualified candidates they may know.  

Don’t Ignore the Passive Market

To find qualified candidates to join your team, Weseman also recommends looking at the passive market. 

What does that mean?

It means considering those who aren’t actively searching for a new job. 

This gives you a wider pool of potential candidates. More importantly, it gives you a wider pool of top talent, as they likely have the knowledge, skills, and attitude you’re looking for. After all, another agency hired them!

The key to convincing someone to change jobs (apart from making sure they see your opening) is to show that a position at your agency can offer more. A career move needs to provide a 30% nonmonetary increase. That includes job growth, job stretch, and job satisfaction. 

By proving that a talented marketing professional can have greater opportunities, a bigger impact, and higher satisfaction with your agency, you can reach more exceptional candidates.

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Rethink Your Interviews

The last tip for finding good candidates is to rethink your interviews. (This is another nugget of wisdom from Weseman.) You’ll have a better chance of filling an open slot with the perfect person if you…

• Ask the right questions. 

“What is your biggest accomplishment?” is the most critical and effective interview question you can ask. It gives insight into what a candidate views as an accomplishment and helps you see if they’d be a good fit. If their answer is irrelevant to the position or doesn’t align with your agency’s goals, they’re probably not the right choice. 

• Wait to make a final decision. 

People come to an interview as the best version of themselves, so first impressions aren’t always reliable. That’s why Weseman recommends waiting 30 minutes. If you love them after three minutes, give them tougher questions for the remaining 27. If you’re unsure after three minutes, give them easier questions for the rest of the interview.  

How to Retain Good Marketing Talent After Hiring

Finding qualified candidates is one thing, but retaining them is another. And it’s arguably more important! When a team member leaves, you miss out on everything they bring to the table. Plus, it can cost you—big time. Replacing a salaried employee costs an average of 6-9 months’ salary. 

So, what can you do to retain good marketing talent once you’ve brought them on board?

• Offer training opportunities.

Great team members strive to learn and grow in their careers. That’s why you should offer training opportunities to enhance their knowledge and skills. Ask what they want to do better or take a deeper dive into. Then, source appropriate training for them. 

• Create a healthy company culture.

Fostering a healthy company culture can go a long way in retaining team members long term. It can boost satisfaction and keep employees engaged. So, make sure your culture passes the test by prioritizing wellness, promoting diversity and inclusion, being transparent, and ensuring everyone aligns with the agency’s values. 

• Commit to job advancement.

If you’ve promised a candidate that your agency can provide them with job advancement, commit to it. Give them a chance to move up the ladder once they’ve shown they’re capable. Having the option for vertical career growth will increase the chances they stay on. Plus, it proves you stay true to your word. 

• Reevaluate to stay competitive.

Put in the effort to show your agency is one of the best to work for.

How?

Reevaluate what you offer your team members every so often. In addition to compensation and benefits, look at the perks other agencies provide their teams. Even giving increased flexibility by allowing team members to work from home can be seen as an advantage. 

• Prioritize employee recognition.

Team members need to feel valued, which is why you should make it a point to recognize and reward their hard work. How you do this is up to you. It could be as simple as congratulating someone on a project completed without a hitch or setting up a bonus program for hitting set goals.  

In Summary

If you’re struggling to find qualified candidates to work at your agency and stay on for years, you need to change things up. We tell our clients it’s not about them, and the same goes for us! Show how a particular job can benefit a potential candidate, and don’t forget to deliver on your promises. That way, you can build the strongest team possible and position your agency for success.

The post Unlocking the Secrets to Recruiting and Retaining Top Talent in Your Agency appeared first on DigitalMarketer.

Once ChatGPT made its debut, the discussion about what it will do to marketing agencies started almost immediately. There have been tons of articles, videos, and podcasts on this topic. As a result, those in the industry are getting a lot of mixed messages about the impact and use of ChatGPT for marketing purposes.

If you’re feeling confused (and concerned for your business’s future), you’re not alone.

So, let’s talk about it…

How ChatGPT Can Be Used for Marketing

ChatGPT is an AI-powered chatbot that gives conversational responses to questions and prompts, making it a valuable tool for marketing purposes. Instead of typing a query into Google and reviewing each result, you can head over to ChatGPT and get a single answer. Plus, you can keep the conversation going to dive deeper into the topic or refine the responses.

Here are some common applications of ChatGPT for marketing:

• It can help brainstorm new content ideas.
• It can aid in keyword research for SEO.
• It can generate ad copy.
• It can be used to draft business emails and letters.
• It can provide short descriptions for videos.
• It can produce content for blogs, ebooks, etc.
• It can assist in debugging code errors.
• It can analyze customer data.
• It can offer responses for customer service automation.

As you can see, there’s a lot of potential in applying ChatGPT for various marketing tasks. But that’s part of the problem—at least for some marketers. The fact that this transformative software can do all the above (and more) has left many marketing professionals scared.

Why Some Marketers Are Afraid of ChatGPT

One of the biggest concerns in the whole debate about ChatGPT is that the tool will negatively affect marketers. There’s a fear it will replace specific roles, including writers, programmers, PPC experts, and SEO specialists. But there’s also a fear it will wipe out marketing agencies entirely.

Basically, marketing professionals are worried that ChatGPT will make their jobs obsolete.

Part of this is because the applications of ChatGPT for marketing are growing by the day. As mentioned earlier, it can be used to complete a number of tasks that people usually handle. Its current capabilities are already impressive, and it will only improve with time.

The other part is the idea that ChatGPT might become a substitute for Google and other search engines. After all, it is more convenient to generate one answer than to scroll through multiple results on a SERP. So if more people opt for ChatGPT than Google, it could spell trouble for marketers specializing in SEO and paid advertising.

This isn’t the first time we’ve been threatened by new technology, and it probably won’t be the last. But that’s why it’s worth examining what we, as marketers, can do that ChatGPT can’t.

Where ChatGPT Falls Short

Despite its speed, convenience, and capabilities, ChatGPT has its fair share of limitations. There’s no doubt about that. It’s not quite sophisticated enough to take on some tasks completely. Plus, it has the potential to be…well, wrong.

Here are a few examples:

• The answers aren’t always reliable or available.

If you ask ChatGPT a question, there’s a chance you’ll get an incorrect answer. The tool doesn’t actually know if an answer is accurate or not. Sometimes (about 15-20% of the time), it “hallucinates” and just makes things up.
Additionally, ChatGPT can’t always generate a response to a question. This often happens when you ask about current events. ChatGPT’s training data was cut off in 2021, which means up-to-date knowledge may not be available.

• It can introduce plagiarism issues.

If you use content from ChatGPT as is, you may end up plagiarizing. Tests have shown the tool has a tendency to paraphrase or outright copy text without citing the original source. Remember that every response is based on training data. So, it’s pulling and distilling information into its own language rather than producing it outright.

• It often requires very specific instructions.
  

When you use ChatGPT for marketing purposes, you still have to be pretty hands on. The tool gets confused by ambiguity, so you need to provide specific instructions. Depending on the scope of work, it may be faster to handle it manually…

Ultimately, ChatGPT’s limitations prevent it from matching us as marketers. And even ChatGPT agrees…

What Experts Are Saying about ChatGPT

As discussed in the beginning, there are a lot of conflicting viewpoints about the use of ChatGPT for marketing and whether it bodes well for us or not. So, here’s what some of the experts are saying…

Karen Hite of Hite Digital

“I think that ChatGPT (currently at least) is as good as the person feeding the prompt to it. Which tells you the tool itself is not ready to make (on its own) an amazing copy right off the bat with just a question… I believe that true marketers will use this tool to make their lives easier AND add to it to make amazing copy that adds value.”

Perry Belcher

“ChatGPT is just the tip of the iceberg of what the automaton tsunami that’s coming quick, fast and in a hurry… For the smart ones of us who grasp these 4.0 smart technologies and keep our eyes on the horizon for what is next, this is an exciting time because we see what is ahead.”

Mark de Grasse of DigitalMarketer

In a previous article about AI’s impact on marketing careers, DigitalMarketer’s own Mark de Grasse had this to say: “You don’t have be afraid of the coming changes, but you do need to be open and aware of them. Start using AI right now, and really start to think about what makes you special as a person.”

Ann Gynn of Content Marketing Institute

In an article about a content marketing experiment with ChatGPT, Ann Gynn stated, “ChatGPT can be a useful tool, but it’s no replacement for human creativity and judgment.”

Dr. Peter J. Meyers of Moz

Soothing fears about ChatGPT replacing Google, Moz Marketing Scientist Dr. Peter J. Meyers said, “While Google isn’t going anywhere, we can expect the landscape of search to change in unexpected (and occasionally unwanted) ways in the next year.”

As for me, I think ChatGPT is just another tool. It’s something we can use to streamline our efforts and become more efficient. Of course, this is only true if you’re focused on delivering valuable, educational content (and high-quality work overall) for your clients.

How the Use of ChatGPT for Marketing Will Affect Agencies

Ultimately, ChatGPT will prove beneficial for some and harmful for others.

Here’s what I mean…

True marketers and legitimate agencies work hard for their clients. They invest in themselves and their teams, taking every opportunity to improve their skills. And they do all this to ensure they’re equipped to help their clients grow.

Becoming a successful marketing professional—no matter the specialty—takes time, effort, and passion. And despite how great a tool like ChatGPT may seem, it can’t replace years of training and experience. It can’t tackle every task or even deliver the same level of service as marketers.

Why?

Because it’s not able to do things such as the following:

• Take brand guidelines into consideration
• Apply principles learned from training
• Double-check the accuracy of information
• Speak to customers’ emotions
• Create great copy right off the bat

What it can do is help great agencies become even better. By leveraging ChatGPT for marketing, teams can work even smarter and faster. The time normally spent on simple or repetitive tasks can be shifted to those that require a personal touch. And on top of all that, there’s also the potential to work more efficiently while keeping pricing the same.

Just to hit the point home, here’s the response from ChatGPT when asked how it will impact marketing agencies:

On to the bad news…

For agencies that do the bare minimum for their clients, ChatGPT could be problematic. But that’s primarily because those types of agencies might rely on it completely. And as we’ve already covered, that’s not the way to go. Doing so will just worsen results, cause job losses, and drive away customers.

You shouldn’t run from ChatGPT and other AI technology, but you also shouldn’t depend on it.

Bottom Line

There’s virtually no chance that ChatGPT will wipe out legitimate marketing agencies. If you strive to create high-quality work for your clients, you can rest easy knowing this is just another tool you can use to your advantage. And if applied correctly, it can go a long way toward reducing expenses and streamlining your efforts.

The post ChatGPT for Marketing: How This AI Tool Will Impact Agencies appeared first on DigitalMarketer.