Be Wary of “The Next Big Thing” In Marketing
Caid Christiansen•Dozens of times each year, we’re presenting with something that claims to be “the next big thing.”
Google Glass. Dippin’ Dots (it’s been the ice cream of the future for years now). Laserdisc. Zune.
And yet, time and time again we’ve seen that only a small number of the things claiming to be the next big thing actually turn into something substantive. The rest fade into the background and become talking points for conversations like these.
This is happening in marketing, too. Especially at this time of year, there’s no shortage of marketers/analysts/bloggers claiming to have a finger on the pulse of the new and the next. They know what the next thing will be, and they want to convince companies to get on board.
It’s enticing. Really. The fear of missing out on an engaging new audience is real. No one wants to be the decision-maker who waived down a marketing idea only for it to go on and be massively successful for other companies.
And yet, as more and more people claim to know what the next big thing is, it’s important to take a step back and ensure you’re making sound decisions.
Decisions about new things to try in marketing, be they tactics or strategies, should not be made on account of FOMO or emotional draw to something new. They should be rooted in data, logic, and experience. That’s how you find true ROI in your marketing efforts.
The minute you sacrifice that decision-making process–the minute you try something new just because it’s a cool-looking shiny object–you immediately hurt your chances of finding repeating success.
Does this mean that you should never try anything new? Hardly. Just the opposite, in fact. You should always be looking for new places to expand your marketing and reach new audiences in new ways. That just shouldn’t be a haphazard decision–it should be a calculated one.
It’s easy to be drawn into the next big thing in marketing, but it’s important to make sure you’re calculated in the tactics you use.
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