New research has suggested that many of the UK’s marketing professionals are suffering from tech-induced anxiety as they struggle to keep up with the lightning-fast pace of digital transformation.
The study from Adobe as part of its annual Digital Roadblock report revealed that over half of the UK marketers it surveyed felt unable to cope with the pace that digital marketing has accelerated at over the last few years. Figures suggest that digital transformation in the UK has increased by 7% since 2015 and is up 11% compared to the marketing industry across Europe.
Marketers are worried that they don’t have the skills to keep up, and 47% of those surveyed had concerns that their digital marketing campaigns weren’t as effective as they’d hoped. While the data is undoubtedly there for brands to analyse and learn from, only 49% of marketing professionals are making decisions about campaigns based on hard facts and statistics.
Are companies failing their digital marketing teams?
Another notable statistic that emerged from the Adobe study was that a huge 65% of marketers felt that their companies were putting huge pressure on marketing as a vital tool for boosting company revenue. However, a further 38% of respondents said that their employers simply weren’t investing enough in training to improve digital skills within marketing departments. Adding to this pressure is consumer expectation, as 77% of marketers reported customers demanding immediate responses to online queries and 74% saying that users expect a better quality of digital content.
These pressures are likely to be at the heart of the rise of ‘digital anxiety’ among marketers in the UK, along with very real fears about a tech skills gap in the years to come. Commenting on the research, marketing pro John Watton said:
“It’s clear from what marketers are telling us is that they are really feeling squeezed,”
“On the one hand they are expected to contribute more to the business and on the other, they have customers expecting instant responses and incredible experiences each and every time they interact with a brand.
Ways to calm digital anxiety
As well as brands making that all-important investment in organisational support and training for digital marketing, including hiring specialists or outsourcing to professional digital marketing agencies, there are ways for marketers to regain their excitement for the digital world. Top tips, provided by business psychology professor Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic to Net Imperative, include:
- Taking a much-needed digital detox to regain your creativity, reduce stress and approach your work with fresh eyes
- Keep thinking and coming up with fresh ideas – you don’t have to always do everything the same way
- Harness the impressive tech knowledge of those around you
- Learn – if you’re feeling overwhelmed by something, conquer your fears and get on top of the task in hand by taking the time to learn all about it.
Have you found yourself lying awake at night worrying whether your digital campaigns are actually working? Please feel free to share your thoughts.
