The digital services gap is alive and kickin.’
It doesn’t matter how grand your title is, it’s hard to find good, managed services in the digital space. Programmatic and social still seem to be especially elusive.
Within the next few years, I expect the learning gap for principles at brands and agencies to close. There is a growing understanding that simply having the tools available is not enough – you must have a skilled team to utilize those tools effectively.
This is not some secret discovery. Most industries have a clear hierarchy of tools, and skillsets to wield those tools.
Many industries have formal education followed most often by extensive on the job training. The programmatic and DSP space, not so much! If you’ve got a computer – google, Facebook and plenty of programmatic access providers will let your team attempt to “learn as you go” with a pretty consistent buyer beware approach.
It’s no wonder these campaigns often fail to achieve their KPI’s when they were somewhat doomed to begin with.
You should also consider campaign investment levels. If it’s something small, it’s your choice to “tinker as you go.” Start getting larger and you might ask yourself would you trust a just starting mechanic to fix your Lamborghini?
The best advice is to continue to educate yourself on the difference between the tools themselves and the realization these are not “set-it-and-forget-it” opportunities.
Finding a skilled managed service provider in the space is next, even if it’s for a limited period of time while you determine the true resources needed to manage these software tools.
If you’ve made it this far in this blog you’re well on your way.
