Why, Oh Why?

Exactly!

Digital marketers often focus on “how” — how to reach the audience, how to craft compelling messages, and how to drive conversions. Then a lot of action takes place, a bunch of ‘production stuff’ (BOP’s) – EDM’s, social media, search, landing pages. The list goes on.

Then ‘what’ usually happens when the monthly report is due?  Exactly!

“What” happened last month – clicks are up, conversions are stable, bounce rate through the roof, all resulting from lots, and lots, of BOPS. 

Phew! Reset and it starts again. BOP, BOP, BOP.

Inevitably though, another question arises from the far flung corner of the board room – Why?

Exactly!

• Why is our bounce rate higher on certain pages?

• Why did our paid ads see a sudden spike in clicks but a drop in conversions?

• Why are some email campaigns driving more repeat visits than others?

.. and the trickiest of them all to answer (that’s often whispered internally post meeting)

• Why are we spending money on this?

Digital analysts, on the other hand, have the unique job of asking and answering this "why" — why campaigns perform as they do, why users behave a certain way, and why certain metrics are high or low. Why you should be spending more on ‘x’ vs ‘y’.

Analysts look for patterns, inconsistencies, and areas for improvement that aren’t always visible on the surface – and are really difficult to spend time thinking about when you are BOP, BOP, BOPing from month to month.

This is not an either/or (us vs them, spy vs spy) proposition. It’s a partnership.

The focus on “why” uncovers hidden insights that empower digital marketers to refine their strategies with more precision. It optimises budgets. It uncovers opportunities for innovation.

So the next time you’re building a campaign, reading through the monthly ‘what’, or looking for someone’s ear to whisper into, consider how important it is to ask "why" at every stage.

With a skilled digital analyst by your side, you’ll gain deeper insights, solve complex challenges, and ultimately drive more meaningful results that make sense.

After all, in the complex world of digital marketing, it’s the "whys" that lead to wiser strategies, effective spending, and better outcomes. (and potentially get you slapped in the face for whispering into the wrong person’s ear -so be careful!)