We’re used to resurrection in the fashion world. No sooner have we breathed a sigh of relief at the passing of crop tops or high heels or mullets than they’re back. Claimed by a younger generation and getting a new lease of life. The same thing is happening in marketing for different reasons. We’re drawn to ‘in real life’ experiences once more. We’re realising we’ve missed the vital sense of connection – to real people, actual writers, and genuine influencers. Digital – the medium, the manipulation, the monetisation – is beginning to suck.
The pandemic put a big nail in the coffin for live events and face-to-face networking. But we found everything could be done on LinkedIn or in other online spaces. No more trekking to function rooms in big hotels, the webinar was the future of industry events. We could connect with experts, further our careers, solve our business challenges all from the comfort of our own home. What’s not to love?
But now we’re back embracing face-to-face, and gratefully so. You still couldn’t get me to a 7.30 am breakfast networking event for anything, but I’m delighted to meet, learn, and connect IRL. The online world has become so crowded, so distracting and so ultimately unfulfilling that we’re stepping away from it wherever we can.
Trust in the digital space has plummeted and it’s still dropping. There’s an uneasiness over the Tech Bros who own the big platforms. Huge power, questionable agendas, and terrible customer service doesn’t make for a safe place to set up your camp. And if you do decide to stay on social media, the endless sales bots, fake news, and AI generated content, leaves us unsure that what we’re seeing or reading is real.
"The online world has become so crowded, so distracting and so ultimately unfulfilling that we’re stepping away from it wherever we can."
It’s unsettling, and so we’re seeking out people and experiences in places that we trust. And frequently that’s not online.
The desire to learn and to be entertained hasn’t changed – we still want to know stuff and connect with people. But the online reading experience is so distracting and difficult and shallow that it’s not worth the hassle. Pop-ups ads, suggested content, sign up forms. The moment you try to read anything on your phone, you hit barriers. Fight your way past them and you’re prompted towards the next thing and the next thing and the next thing. Served up an endless torrent of content designed to keep you watching, and passive.
It might be free, but it’s not worth the cost of being constantly sold to. So what does that mean for those of us with businesses to market and clients to find? For a generation of marketers who’ve grown up believing digital marketing is the future?
"Creativity, culture, authenticity - and joy - all come more naturally when we’re together."
We’re having to resurrect some old school approaches. Face to face is back. Industry events, live experiences – getting lots of people in a room together to connect and learn has come back in a way that didn’t seem possible a few years ago. Creativity, culture, authenticity – and joy – all come more naturally when we’re together.
In the online world, the desire for information and perspective that we can trust has driven a huge growth in authored newsletters. Often published on Substack, these are words that you can read without distraction, and feel a sense of connection with the writer. Now more than ever, we want to know that the sentences we’re reading are written by a real person with lived experience. Pages where you can almost see the fingerprints and the smudges.
There’s still time to contribute to this survey but early results are showing a rush of love for the return of the Ezine and other totally off-line real world publications. Community driven, lovingly crafted, and deeply personal, we want to give our attention to things that matter.
If you’re marketing services or selling your expertise, then old school personal (not personalized at scale), and in-person are back.
What do you think?