​Digital marketing is oversaturated. Brands wield billion-dollar budgets like the internet is about to go out of style—and maybe that’s because, in some ways, it is. So how can you better guide your brand through this cluttered space?
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​“Saturated” does not begin to describe the channels for digital marketing. Brands wield billion-dollar budgets like the internet is about to go out of style—and maybe that’s because, in some ways, it is.

The next wave of marketers should beware of the possible effects of digital marketing fatigue and consider getting inspired by some of the most front-running and innovative brands, like the ones who leverage physical elements as anchors in their marketing campaigns.
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Traditionally, creating physical products for the purpose of a marketing campaign would be costly and inefficient. But as tech continues to accelerate faster than ever, we’re seeing traditional processes like manufacturing become much more accessible.

Advancements in AI and robotics have significantly decreased the costs and increased the capabilities of custom manufacturing and therefore custom products. Nowadays, getting a physical product made is comparable to the process of ordering business cards online, which is arguably easier than implementing an effective digital marketing campaign.
​Perhaps, this generation of marketers may want to think twice before pouring their entire budget into digital marketing.

With each passing year, consumer audiences become harder to impress, making it increasingly difficult to leave a lasting impression on a cohort who believes they’ve seen it all. Ads can be great, but remember the feeling of finding a surprise gift in your cereal box?

Unlike fleeting digital experiences, physical products create a long-lasting emotional and nostalgic connection. Appealing to emotion is known to be an effective marketing strategy, but tapping into fond memories to serve up genuine nostalgia can truly be invaluable.

For brands already selling physical products, this kind of nostalgia-focused marketing might manifest itself as a “free gift with purchase.” Beauty powerhouse Glossier includes a pink bubble wrap makeup bag and branded sticker set in each order, not only delighting the customer with thoughtful relics of yesteryear but indoctrinating them into Glossier’s massive influencer network. Whenever that customer uses their Glossier makeup bag in public, for a brief moment, that customer is a walking talking Glossier billboard. By incorporating this kind of sustained physical touchpoint in your marketing strategy, you can stay top-of-mind in the consumer psyche.

That said, even solely digital brands can incorporate a physical element into their marketing strategy. For example, a mobile gaming company might consider moving away from an in-game rewards model and try out a physical item (think personalized trophies or figurines of the game’s characters) to give players a tangible reward for their achievements in the virtual world.
This is important because physical real-world moments are shareable in a way that digital experiences are not. Creating opportunities in your marketing strategy for physical touchpoints is more likely to help your brand’s reach than even the most nuanced and targeted ad content.
When you’re thinking long-term about your brand, opportunities to deliver a personalized experience are key. Consumers want to feel like they’re purchasing from somewhere small and from somewhere that can give them a bespoke experience—even if they’re purchasing from a giant conglomerate.

Novelty is shareable, especially when it is physical. In addition to offering limited edition and short-run specialty products, brands can go so far as to engage users with opportunities to design their own text, colors or shapes into a product. These kinds of personalized products can become treasured items.
Between digital marketing resources, insights we have about customers and flexible supply chains using digital manufacturing, there has never been a better time to add a physical layer to your brand’s marketing strategy.

A visitor takes action, a contact form is submitted, a lead is born.

It happens millions of times each day. It’s common, but not simple. There are dozens of little factors involved in lead generation. When it works, a stranger who needs help finds a webpage offering a product, service or advice. They learn, they trust and they take action.

Some websites do it well and generate leads all day long. Most don’t.

A lead generation website has a specific set of pages, each with specific elements. Each element aligns with the expectations and psychology of the visitor and the marketing program of the business.

Let's break it down. The flow often looks something like this:

Always great brainfood from our friends at Neil Patel.

Struggling to understand why your domain can’t be transferred? Frustrated that you’re being told that because of a new European Union law, your domain transfer has stalled?
You’re not alone. There are three pieces of the puzzle to understand before we proceed:

1. All domains are registered through an international non-profit corporation, ICANN, which coordinates and administers the DNS system.
2. The DNS system is impacted globally by GDPR, an EU law that went into effect on May 25th, 2018
3. Domains are one element of the DNS system. Registering or transferring a domain is an automated process. Domain registration information collected prior to when GDPR went into effect does not comply with GDPR therefore domain transfers have been stymied.

Much like filing the deed to your home or title to your automobile, a domain name must be registered to the owner. Instead of filing the deed or title through a title company or DMV with a state, your domain is registered through a registrar with ICANN. This registration is recorded and maintained in a database called WHOIS which allows any interested party to check “WHOIS” to learn who a domain name is registered to.
ICANN is the entity responsible for managing the WHOIS database. ICANN helps deliver ‘One Internet’ for the world by coordinating and administering the DNS system which is comprised of: Domain names, Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, and Protocol parameters.  The DNS system is vital - the internet simply cannot function without it. DNS enables your computer to reliably find and connect to other devices, things, or information sources on the Internet no matter where you are physically located in the world so that you can seamlessly find what you want, when you want it.
GDPR went into effect despite the fact that there were known and unresolved compliance issues. ICANN is working towards GDPR compliance. Because of the global scope and impact, a committee of 130 different entities is working to resolve these issues.  The committee has created a temporary, next generation directory known as RDAP to replace WHOIS.
Registrars are currently struggling to provide services to clients because ICANN has implemented significant changes that are not GDPR compliant and without providing guidance to registrars as to how they can use RDAP. Registrars must be extremely cautious as GDPR imposes significant fines for companies that fail to comply. Non-compliance penalties and fines can be 2-to-4% of a company’s global revenue.
ICANN has been aware of these issues since before GDPR was adopted. Unfortunately, multi-stakeholder models have a history of advancing only by taking two steps backward for every one forward. This is painfully apparent to registrars and domain owners worldwide who appear to have been abandoned without a solution in sight.