In November 2023,
Think King Institute exhibited at the Great British Business Show, in the Retrain Expo area, at Excel, London in November 2023.
It went well and we’ve developed some great new partnerships, (more about those later). I, Kathryn McMann, delivered a talk on ‘How to Create a Digital Marketing Dynamo Team’ - offering invaluable insights for businesses navigating the complex world of digital marketing in an era increasingly influenced by AI, rapid technological changes.
There are several reasons I picked this topic in particular because managing virtual digital teams, whether they are permanent members of staff, seasonal freelancers, or out-sourced VA's, it takes a lot of time and experience to keep a campaign focused, consistent and timely.
Another reason is that there is also a ill-informed assumption that AI can do it all, from ideation to creation and direction, leaving it in the hands of an intern to run your social media (digital marketing is so much more than social media).
So, here’s a quick recap of the talk.
Kathryn McMann's presentation delved into the multifaceted challenges presented to digital marketing teams in today's always-on/fast-paced environment:
- Exponential Technological Growth: The digital landscape is evolving at an unprecedented rate, presenting a significant challenge for marketing teams. Keeping abreast of the latest tools, platforms, and trends requires constant vigilance and adaptability. This rapid growth can often lead to a skills gap within teams, as new technologies emerge faster than the workforce can learn and adapt to them.
- Shifting Technologies and Consumer Habits: The digital world is not static. New technologies continually reshape how consumers interact with brands and make purchasing decisions. This constant flux means that marketing strategies must be flexible and responsive to these changes. Understanding and predicting consumer behaviour becomes a complex task, requiring teams to be both proactive and reactive in their approach.
- Virtual Teams and Communication Gaps: The rise of remote working has brought many advantages, including flexibility and access to a broader talent pool. However, it also introduces challenges to communication. Without the nuances of face-to-face interaction, misunderstandings occur regularly, leading to inefficiencies and a potential dilution of the team's collaborative spirit.
- Varying Expertise Levels: In a digital team, members often come from diverse backgrounds, with varying levels of expertise and experience. This diversity can be a strength, bringing different perspectives and skills. However, it also poses a challenge in ensuring that the team operates cohesively and that knowledge gaps do not hinder the team's overall performance.
- Always-On Environments: The digital world never sleeps, and this creates an 'always-on' environment for marketing teams. While this can lead to increased opportunities for engagement and responsiveness, it also means that teams become overwhelmed with the constant demand for content, updates, and interaction. This environment is detrimental to their health, can stifle creativity and lead to burnout.
1. Centralise All Communications: Building Your Virtual War-Room Centralizing communications to overcome isolation and missed opportunities is crucial. She suggested systemizing processes and using tools like M365, Dropbox, Loom, Otter, Asana, and Monday.com to streamline workflow and enhance team coordination.
2. Start with 'Why?' Asking 'Why?' is crucial to building a focused plan of action. It helps teams understanding the rationale behind choosing specific tools or strategies, to be able to make educated and timely decisions and thereby cutting out the hype and setting realistic data targets and KPIs. I apply this principle to all of the
Think King courses. This helps students understand and make smarter business decisions, set the goals they need, and in turn, stay focused on the actionable steps required.
3. Build your own Unique Strategy (don't follow the hype).I warned against blindly following free advice or trendy strategies, without seeing the whole picture behind the scenes. You need to understand the importance of resources, the type of business model, and the target audience, to build a strategy that is sustainable and effective for you and your business.
4. Foster Continuous Learning In a rapidly evolving digital landscape, fostering a culture of continuous learning and creativity is vital to retaining great employees by supporting their passions as well as helping to grow their knowledge and experience. Think King advocates a lean learning approach, encouraging action on ideas in an agile manner to stay ahead of digital trends.
5. The Role of AI in Digital Marketing Now it wouldn't be right if I didn't mention AI's integration with digital. 'AI is a tool, well, many tools, many brilliant tools that will save a lot of time. But they are not a complete solution. It needs momentum. It needs creativity and solution development. You must start with the 'why', the objectives of AI and ensure it integrates with complimenting tools. AI can assist in creating diverse content from copy and research to customer service responses and websites.
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Kathryn McMann's talk at the Great British Business Show was not just informative but transformative for businesses looking to navigate the complex world of digital marketing. By centralizing communication, starting with 'Why?', designing a unique strategy, and supporting continuous learning, businesses can create a dynamic and effective digital marketing team.
AI, while a powerful tool, still requires human creativity and decision making, and leadership to have the powerful impact companies are expecting.
For more information or to enrol in one of our Think King Institute courses or grouped bundles.
Or if you need help managing your digital team, call Kathryn on
01737-306-610 or
book a call at a time that suits you.
