A thriving business is virtually impossible without a digital presence today.

Social media, websites, email campaigns, and advertisements are some of the many ways in which brands reach out to their consumers and encourage them to buy their products. Digital marketing campaigns can be certainly called the lifeline of companies today. But, it might be time to rethink, as digital overload creeps up on users.

Facebook Fatigue and Digital Drowsiness

Once the beacon of human innovation and connectedness, the internet today is no longer the world’s most beloved technology. Many have begun to complain about the shallowness and data issues of social media.

The increasing shift of work to computers means that people simply want to shut everything down and relax in other ways when the day ends. And above all, the internet has become less of a means of connection and gaining information, and more of a market.

It is impossible to go  two clicks deep without a targeted ad, a sponsored product, or some other thing trying to pry money from your wallet. While such a model is now essential to survive for businesses, many consumers do not take these digital marketing tricks so well anymore.

There is a general consensus that the internet has become too much of a salesperson. Does this digital overload mean that your brand is likely to suffer?

Signs Your Brand is Suffering

Feel that your brand is suffering as a result of digital overload? Here are some signs to look out for –

• Lowered engagement is one sure shot sign that people are just not finding your content as engaging as before. Lesser number of likes and comments across a number of posts, especially on social media, can have a negative spiraling effect quickly. The lower the engagement with your posts, the farther down on the feed you are pushed, which in turn means even lower engagement.
• Losing subscriptions and followers is another alarming sign that digital overload is getting to your brand. People often take time out every week or month to clean out their phones and laptops, and if you are among those getting the chop, it suggests that people find your digital marketing to be clutter more than content.
• If the influencers you have partnered up with are receiving backlash, it is only a matter of time before it spills over to you as well. Many influencers have been accused of being too fake, inconsistent, and ”sellouts”, which means that your advertisements with them might not be taken well. This can be a major sign that your content is getting swallowed up in the general disdain towards influencer culture, which in turn can negatively impact you.

Cutting Through the Chaos

Digital overload is pushing consumers away, but that does not mean that digital marketing is no longer something viable or profitable. On contrary, the right use of these strategies can go a long way in making your brand resilient to digital overload, and appealing to even those who wish to wash their hands off the internet.

How to do this? Here are some strategies –

Offer Exclusivity and Option

It is human nature to be curious – and to feel excited and special when you get access to something others don’t. You can make use of these tendencies to revamp your digital marketing strategies.

Instead of bombarding your audience with content, give them a choice – you are free to sign up to our website/newsletter/private social media account, if you wish to do so. Additionally, you can provide special access (such as Instagram’s close friends list) where you give first peeks and special discounts.

Making some of your content exclusive will also ensure that only those truly interested in your products come through the door.

Creativity, Not Content Creators

Tying up with influencers is a good way to boost your business’ reach, but relying on influencers completely can break your brand. Many brands attempt to take a shortcut by roping dozens of influencers to promote content together, but this often makes the product look more like a scam, and people can get irritated quickly.

The fact that such mass marketing strategies are often used to dupe consumers doesn’t help either. Instead, focus on creating campaigns that rely on in-house creativity.

These can be videos, memes, content, or just funny comebacks to audience who interact with you. In other words, value lies in creating a persona, not blindly reaching out to uninterested audience members.

Drops Instead of Posts

Instead of posting something or the other every now and then, organize your content into pieces and ‘drop’ them within a short duration at a particular time.

This will help in two major ways. Firstly, it will save your digital marketing strategists the pain of developing filler content just for the sake of posting, allowing them to work on quality instead of quantity. Secondly, you are unlikely to clog your customers’ feed, especially on social media.

Additionally, such a strategy can enable you to hype up your audiences through reminders and special discounts on first-come first-serve basis. This method also allows you to experiment with different themes and styles in your content presentation.

Weather the Storms

Dipping interest in your brand and products from time to time is normal. It is important to not go into panic mode and begin a digital overload campaign, where you try to clinch every available space for your advertisements. This might work in the short run, but it will cost your brand repute in the long run.

Instead, try to hold on and rationally and statistically analyze the reason for your customers’ waning interest. Did you start a new campaign? Are your new products not up to people’s expectations? Going this route instead of flooding your audience’s feeds is a much better option to improve your engagement.

Do you think that people are indeed tired of digital marketing? Are you suffering from digital overload? If yes, on what basis do you decide to follow brands? Let us know in the comments below!