Don’t get me wrong; I definitely believe in the power and prominence of digital marketing. After all, digital vehicles like eNewsletters, blogs and digital magazines are ranked as top tactics being used by marketers today, according to the Content Marketing Institute (CMI)’s “2015 Benchmarks, Budgets and Trends—North America” report. Furthermore, research from Gartner shows that digital marketing budgets will increase by 8 percent in 2015.
There’s no denying that digital marketing is here to stay, but, still, there is something exciting—inherently dynamic even—about having a face-to-face interaction.
I was reminded of this when one of my favorite clients—whose company is based out of state—stopped by the office yesterday to say hello and to collaborate with some of our team members on an upcoming project. This individual bounded into our workspace with a beaming smile and shook the hand of each and every one of our editors. This week our team also had the pleasure of ghostwriting a riveting story for him, and he made a special point to thank us personally for the fine job we had done (which put a smile on all our faces!).
Today’s 21st century marketing world is filled with digital communication and outreach channels (e.g., email, social media and IM/chat), which oftentimes give marketing a “behind the scenes” feel. Since I’m used to putting my nose to the grindstone hidden from sight, I was reminded of just how refreshed, happy and invigorating it feels to sync up with clients (especially this client, who I have not seen since January) in person, even if it was for just 10 minutes. Despite the weekly calls in which this client thanks our team for our good work, hearing praise from him in person felt so much different (and, quite frankly, more fulfilling).
In this regard, CMI’s 2015 report found that, among the many B2B marketing tactics being used, “in-person events” have the greatest effectiveness rating (69 percent). This is the fifth consecutive year that “in-person events” topped the list.
By no means am I suggesting that digital marketing is not a fabulous channel for your marketing initiatives. What I am suggesting, however, is that marketers are perhaps not putting enough emphasis on that dynamic feeling that in-person meetings, meet-and-greets and visits provide in today’s fast-paced marketing world. Perhaps take a moment to think about how you can incorporate more in-person strategies into your marketing campaigns in the months to come.
This article was syndicated from Business 2 Community: Why Marketing Is Still an ‘In Person’ Game
More Sales & Marketing articles from Business 2 Community:
- 10 Ways To Maintain A Strong Personal Brand
- What Do Your Employees Know About Customer Experience?
- You Are Your Own Best Marketer
- Why ALL The Data Matters To B2B Marketers
- Don’t Ignore These Three Customer Journey Experiences
