The Demystification Series: Experts, not Witchdoctors

I like that our agency has a variety of clients. Some are big, some small. They come from different industries. Each client contact has a different job description. That variety helps keep our work fresh. But it also allows us to see how smart our clients are, each in their own ways. They know their business, customers and business goals like the back of their hands. The reason they hire us is because they value what we do, and what we do falls outside of their areas of expertise. I would like to think that we do a good job of forming partnerships with our clients, to become the means to extend their brand, their presence and their business goals to exciting new markets. I hope that we help them articulate their frustrations and aspirations to find unique and successful solutions for them. I hope this is the case, because the alternative scares the hell out of me.

The digital and interactive sphere that we live and work in is constantly changing. We do a lot of research and a lot of experimenting to make sure that we stay ahead of the curve. We want to be experts. However, there are a lot of shops in our world who take the opposite approach. They see a world that is frequently misunderstood as an opportunity to sell digital snake oil. These vendors promise to work their black magic voodoo to send millions of visitors to your site through SEO or Social Media or Synergistic Buzzwordy Ninjery. If you feel like you are making a deal with the devil, be careful: you aren’t selling your soul, but you are probably being taken.

This digital wild west survives thanks to one thing: fear. Maybe you are afraid that your potential customers or competitors will pass you by in this crazy online/interactive/social landscape. Maybe you’re afraid that your boss or board or stakeholders will demand to know why you aren’t on Twitter, or why your site looks awful on a blackberry. Maybe you have seen your web traffic numbers for the first time and are shocked by the lack of impressions. But whatever you do, don’t hire a firm based on fear. Tackle this problem like you would any other business challenge: with strategic thinking and partners who have your best interests in mind.

You see, SEO or social media or many other seemingly crazy interactive strategies may be exactly what you need. The problem is that there is no miracle cure in this space. Every challenge demands an appropriate solution. But this appropriate solution is rarely the hot trend de jour.  We spend a lot of time and energy to ensure that we know the ins and outs of your situation and every possible option. At the end of the day we are going to recommend options that may seem like witchcraft, but we did not arrive at them through tarot or crystal balls or animal sacrifice. We want our clients to take our recommendations out of trust, not fear.

To that end, I am laying the groundwork for a series of posts that demystify what we do. My goal is to catch you up to speed on the latest trends and technology because they may actually be legitimate solutions for you. While you may not end up with enough technical skills to create your own HTML alternative to flash, you may be able to understand why we would advocate avoiding flash in some instances. Hopefully my collegues can chime in and cover their own areas of expertise. And even if you chose to work with a different firm, I hope that you are armed with the knowledge you need to make solid business decisions with a company you trust.