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If there’s one thing you should know about the world of digital marketing, it's that the word “guru" is often NOT to be trusted.
*Shocking, we know.*
Even though this title should represent uncountable years of experience and conclusive proof of a positive impact in the industry, we are sad to say it is definitely not the case.
The rise of self-proclaimed “digital marketing gurus" has flooded the online sphere with individuals whose expertise often extends no further than completing an online certification course and maintaining a mediocre social media presence, mainly consisting of Canva-edited motivational quotes and made-up words.
That’s the problem with social media and personal branding: not only does it provide a platform for genuine experts, but it is also a gateway for opportunistic charlatans and wannabes.
Unfortunately, this trend has found fertile ground in the field of digital marketing, where the complexity of the industry is often underestimated and people are easily misled by these so-called gurus.
To truly understand the extent of this plague, we need to ponder what it actually means to be an “expert”. Authentic experts, in any field for that matter, typically have years of hands-on experience and a deep understanding of a specific industry under their belts. In the case of digital marketing, this involves more than a couple of weekly social media posts and blogs.
Being a marketing expert requires an extensive grasp of multifaceted knowledge of the entire umbrella of “digital marketing" – which, trust us when we say, is not an easy-peasy job.
As the number of self-titled digital marketing “experts” continues to grow, it becomes increasingly challenging for people to distinguish between legitimate marketing professionals and reckless “gurus” seeking a quick payday with their copy-paste, one-size-fits-all solutions. This misconception, which further blurs the line between true expertise and the fables of self-proclaimed gurus, can lead to devastating consequences both financially and reputationally for those who choose to trust the wrong crowd.
While the term “guru" should imply a certain level of mastery (or a simple ounce of knowledge, for that matter), reality is far from it. All these self-proclaimed experts really do is oversimplify the complexity and depth behind digital marketing, promote cookie-cutter strategies with no foundation, and use one-size-fits-all approaches filled with gaps and mistakes (often easy to fix if they actually knew what they were doing).
To spot these charlatans, businesses should engage in thorough research and ask pertinent questions. “Gurus” often rely on scripted responses and generic recommendations, lacking the ability to delve into the specific challenges each unique business might face. So, requesting case studies or other examples of previous work can be a key step when looking for indicators of genuine expertise. Also, it never hurts to look out for reviews from previous clients (just make sure the source is trustworthy).
However, the popularity of these seductive “gurus” makes it hard for companies to pinpoint their genuine skills.
In his 2014 paper called “Marketing Gurus and Fads – How to Avoid Them", Dr. John Dawes shares a few of the deceptive techniques employed by marketing gurus in order to persuade businesses to fall under their spell.
Despite being slightly outdated, a few of the key tactics identified by Dawes are still relevant to this day:
Even though the techniques of these charlatans have been identified by many, a fundamental question remains:
Why (and how) do marketing gurus still exist?
The answer lies in the existence of marketing MORONS—individuals seeking easy answers to complex problems. As long as a demand for simplistic solutions exists, the supply of marketing gurus will prevail.
Thankfully, and as a happy consequence of the evolution of science in the marketing field, the morons are disappearing, and with them go the gurus, leading the easy-fix solutions era to start fading away.
More often than not, the marketing landscape is dominated by creativity, (which don’t get us wrong, is still VERY important), however, a transition towards evidence-based decision science could be the key when it comes to combating pseudo-gurus, as it challenges people to stop relaying on vague promises and creative flairs and start looking for… DATA and transparency.
In this scenario, the traditional marketing “gurus” become unfortunately obsolete, as they definetly lack the knowledge and expertise to sustain such innovative methods.
*Upsy, daisy*
In conclusion, the landscape of digital marketing has become a battleground where genuine experts are trying to combat the facade of self-proclaimed gurus. The rise of these charlatans has made it difficult for businesses to distinguish between substance and the nonsense of oversimplified strategies, cookie-cutter approaches, and untailored solutions.
But a silver lining is emerging with the evolution of decision science and the transition towards evidence-based marketing approaches. In this new era, where marketing transcends creative flairs to embrace the intricacies of human behavior, the traditional gurus will find themselves obsolete. The call for smarter marketing tactics begins, urging businesses to prioritize knowledge, research, and evidence over the allure of easy answers.
So, as the dust settles in the battle field, true experts armed with knowledge, know-how, and a plethora of successful case studies to prove their abilities, will emerge victorious in steering businesses towards genuine success (we should know, as we are one of them).
