![](\"http:\/\/mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/ctl-alt-del-book-cover.jpg\" "\\"ctl")
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Mitch Joel knows that brands\u2013 from small to large; B2B or B2C\u2013 that are trying to navigate the ever-shifting landscape of digital marketing feel like they’re in hell.<\/p>\n
But from where he\u2019s sitting\u2013 they\u2019re just in purgatory. That is to say, they see the value and importance of things like mobile, social and artificial intelligence\u2013 but doing little about it.<\/p>\n
So what do companies need to do to get out of purgatory?<\/p>\n
\u201cEverything,\u201d Joel says.<\/p>\n
He offered the example of picking up your phone to search for a store\u2019s hours.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can swipe right or left to find someone to have sex with in minutes, but you spend five minutes trying to find when a store opens.\u201d<\/p>\n
Too often, customers have to do things like spending extra time navigating a website that hasn\u2019t been optimized for their smartphone because the brand is still stuck in purgatory\u2013 partially aware of digital transformation, but not acting on it. Thinking they\u2019re focused on automation and personalization, without truly deploying automation and personalization.<\/p>\n
Joel is president of digital agency Mirum<\/a> and the author of two books on digital transformation\u2013 Six Pixels of Separation: Everyone is Connected. Connect Your Business to Everyone<\/em> and Ctrl Alt Delete: Reboot Your Business. Reboot Your Life. Your Future Depends on It<\/em>.<\/p>\n Dubbed \u201cThe Rock Star of Digital Marketing\u201d by Marketing magazine, Joel has made it his business to know what lies ahead in the world of digital. He\u2019s frequently called upon by brands including Google, Walmart, Starbucks, Proctor & Gamble and Twitter to share his insight on the always-evolving world of marketing.<\/p>\n It\u2019s not that Joel doesn\u2019t understand the frustration marketers feel as they try to embrace digital change.<\/p>\n There\u2019s not only the need to shift or even overhaul the technology infrastructure, but also the people using this new technology all have to adjust to a learning curve. The core competencies of marketing professionals have been amplified\u2013 an understanding of analytics and measurements is essential. And in the midst of all this, marketers can\u2019t just focus on the work of today; they have to focus on the work of tomorrow\u2013 looking ahead to the potential for artificial intelligence, machine learning and augmented reality. All jobs and skillsets that fall outside the traditional role of marketer.<\/p>\n It\u2019s super challenging to keep up with evolution, Joel says.<\/p>\n But it\u2019s important to remember that when it comes to these new technologies it\u2019s not as if you don\u2019t do it now, you die.<\/p>\n Joel quotes his favorite line from Wired magazine executive editor Kevin Kelly: \u201cTechnology happens very slowly and then all at once.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a sense among people that it\u2019s all happening right now,\u201d Joel adds. \u201cThere is more runway than people think.\u201d<\/p>\n Marketing professionals can prepare for the future right now by reading and re-reading. The access we all have to thinking is profound, Joel said. Whether it\u2019s blogs, podcasts or webinars there are endless opportunities for learning.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s nothing stopping anyone today from empowering themselves, for free, with the best of what\u2019s out there,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Looking in his crystal ball, Joel says there are several technology innovations that are catching his attention as a digital marketer.<\/p>\n \u201cVoice is a big bucket for me,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s going to be the next way we navigate technology.\u201d<\/p>\n He\u2019s also interested in the automation possibilities of machine learning and artificial intelligence\u2013 outsourcing tasks that a computer can do and learn on its own without human programming or direction.<\/p>\n Finally, he\u2019s looking forward to the day brands embrace mobile\u2013 offering a better mobile experience than web experience rather than just a web experience that\u2019s been adapted to mobile.<\/p>\n As they wait for the future to arrive, Joel says marketers are best served by keeping their central mission in mind: Getting new customers and growing current customers. To do this, they need to think about how they\u2019re using their data.<\/p>\n \u201cIt starts with, are you using analytics as a way to get a look and feel about what happens on a campaign as opposed to using them to benchmark what\u2019s happening in real time?\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Marketers need to go everywhere and figure out what matters most to their customers then get their 500 or 5,000 best customers to market for them. The best brands figure out who their audience is, and then becomes a part of that community.<\/p>\n As he told retailers gathered at Google Dublin in 2015:<\/p>\n \u201cEvery day you are not trying to get a conversion, you\u2019re trying to build a direct relationship with your customers.\u201d<\/p>\n Need help with your content marketing? Begin your Free Trial<\/a> today with Media Shower!<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Road Ahead<\/h2>\n
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