You put up a query around DigitalMarketing services or Social Media services on a portal (job, social network, gig-based networks or simply a freelance network), and within minutes you are being hounded by social media “experts”. You receive calls, direct messages, messages on WhatsApp. Some of these service providers are really affordable, and from a pricing standpoint, you have hit the jackpot! There are multiple agencies/freelancers working under the garb of an agency willing to work for free, almost!
This may be appealing initially but in almost all of the cases, this model is not sustainable and cannot work for too long. The service received is poor. The ROI is minimal and the time that has been wasted in the engagement is lost forever.
The Current Digital Marketing Industry
Before we look at how to address this, let’s try to look at the history of what forced us to end up here.
The low hanging fruit – In reality, the barrier to entry for entering this profession is extremely low. Excelling is a different ball game together (which I will discuss in the latter part of this article). Anyone born in the ’80s and ’90s has a good command over technology and has seen and used these platforms, can become a so-called “digital marketer”.
No capital expenditure needed – Who does not like this? Starting a business without investment.
Design is cheap – No, the design is not cheap! In fact, I find that good design is the most expensive part. It is rather unfortunate that the way tools and software have been exploited and rampant piracy has been used. Clearly, ethics have taken a back seat.
Packaging and selling Digital Marketing courses – A lot of Digital Marketing training institutes mushroomed across India where the focus was on making a quick buck, rather than building marketers with a strong foundation. It was always quantity over quality, and these courses were not at all cheap. The graduates from these programs proudly claim to be digital marketers. We interview them for job interviews and trust me, finding a good marketer is like finding a diamond in a coal mine.
So, now we are in a situation where we have people selling services at less than $2 per hour. We have been successful in creating an extremely mediocre talent pool fighting for that $2 per hour.
How can the Agency and Brands Stay Strong in This Ever-Changing Game!
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