The marketing landscape is more complicated than ever—but in a way, a marketer’s goals have never been clearer. Consider the customer your North Star and the rest will fall into place. Just don’t get fooled by metrics that seems to spell success, but don’t tell you the whole story. Last-click attribution will do you no favors.
“The metrics that are the simplest are also sometimes the most deceiving—clicks, likes, followers,” says Targeted Victory cofounder Zac Moffatt, who ran digital strategy for Mitt Romney’s 2012 presidential bid. “That’s always a disconnect.”
Digital is definitely a growing focus for political marketers, but Moffatt warns against forgetting about the enduring impact of more traditional channels like direct mail and email. “We all know that mail still performs,” Moffatt says. “A media mix is the only way you’re doing to be successful.”
The temptation with digital channels is to look for the easy answer—but Moffatt advises making every effort to keep the conversation authentic, especially on social. Brands should avoid auto-tweeting and posting the same content everywhere. You need to give people a reason to follow you on Facebook versus Twitter versus Google+.
“If you’re a brand or some kind of business entity that’s looking for engagement, there’s a higher standard for you,” Moffatt says. “There are ways for brands to cheat, but as a result they cheapen themselves and give their followers a lesser experience—which could cause people to migrate off their properties. Consumers have a lot of choice, and if you’re not going to provide a good experience, you’ll get left behind.”
More from Moffatt on metrics, email, social media, and political marketing in the video below.
