INBOX INSIGHTS, October 23, 2024: Digging Deep Into Problems, Marketing Hiring Demand - Trust Insights Marketing Analytics Consulting

INBOX INSIGHTS: Digging Deep Into Problems, Marketing Hiring Demand (10/23) :: View in browser

🎨 Grab our new free Generative AI for Image Generation Prompt Guide!

Are We Digging Deep Enough Into Our Problems?

Are we digging deep enough into our problems?

The answer is no.

But wait. What about the 5Ps? I’m using that framework! And I say, that’s amazing! You totally should be using the 5Ps to get yourself organized. However, I will be the first person to admit that the 5P Framework doesn’t go deep enough.

What does that mean, going deep enough?

It means that we need to get to the root of the problem before we can create solutions to solve it. A few months ago, I used the analogy of digging out poison ivy from my garden. The gist of the story is that on day one, I pulled the surface-level leaves. On day two, I dug out the roots. The roots were about 10 feet long, a bigger problem than I realized. Once I got to the root, the problem went away. I didn’t see the leaves again once I dug deeper.

We don’t do this enough in our businesses. We are solution-oriented, but we don’t take enough time to really understand the problems we’re solving. We want quick fixes, low-hanging fruit, and easy wins. In a lot of instances, that’s fine and works well. But when you run up against an issue that happens again and again, despite the solution, you need to dig deeper.

My friend, Brooke Sellas likes to say, “Do the deep work.” This is what she means. You need to dig deep. Deeper than you probably think you need to.

I’m currently working with a client that is doing the deep work. I will acknowledge that it is not a quick fix. That’s the rub. It’s not quick. I hear all the time, “we want to move faster!” We can only move as fast as the deep work allows.

The reason it takes time is that we have to put aside ego, find self-awareness, and admit failures. It’s hard. There are no two ways about it. People get defensive. People feel like they are being judged. Being vulnerable, especially in a business setting, can feel like an impossible ask. I get it. I’m not going to pretend it is.

So, how do you get into the deep work in a safe and professional way? When I worked in-house, one of my team members had a master’s degree in conflict resolution. I would bring them into different meetings to help facilitate conversations. The first step is to outline the rules. The rules were often around expectations of how people treated each other and how we spoke to each other. Blaming wasn’t allowed. Topics had to be stuck to. People weren’t allowed to talk over or interrupt each other. It was a lot like a group therapy session. It was hard. Some sessions went really poorly; others were more productive. There were times when the tension got really thick and people were outwardly, obviously stressed.

This is a very human thing. Sure, you could use AI to record answers, maybe even get anonymous feedback; but digging deep is not a problem caused or solved by technology. Just about every issue within an organization starts with a communication breakdown. A lack of process is a communication breakdown. What did we want to do? What expectations do we need to set? A poor technology fit is a communication breakdown. What were the goals? Did we have a clear understanding of the requirements? A failed campaign is a communication breakdown. What were the measures of success? Did we pay attention to the analytics along the way and make adjustments? Did we know we were supposed to?

To understand what happened, you need to build trust. You need to create a space free from judgment. This is not something you can drop AI into and let the tech handle it.

This is why we don’t dig deep. It’s hard. It takes time. It’s not something you can “AI” your way out of. If you want to grow, evolve, and get ahead in your business, you have to do the deep work. You have to untangle your processes. You have to open your communication channels. You need less tech, not more.

To that, I would highly recommend a neutral party to facilitate these conversations and efforts. Why? Because you’re emotionally invested. That’s a good thing. But you can’t be objective and in the weeds at the same time. Let someone else take the reins and guide the process. If you want to talk to me about doing this for you, just reach out.

Before you get swept up in annual planning, AI roadmaps, and everything else you want to do in 2025, do a gut check. Do you know what’s going on with the people in your organization? Do you know the root causes of inefficiencies and lack of collaboration? Dig deep. Do the hard things. Sort out your organizational challenges before you layer half-hearted solutions on top of existing issues. You’ll be setting you and your teams up for even more success in the coming years.

Are you digging deep enough into your problems? Reach out and tell me, or come join the conversation in our free Slack Group, Analytics for Marketers.

– Katie Robbert, CEO

Do you have a colleague or friend who needs this newsletter? Send them this link to help them get their own copy:

https://www.trustinsights.ai/newsletter

In this week’s In-Ear Insights, the TrustInsights.ai podcast, Katie and Chris discuss data protection, AI, and privacy. How do you protect your data and client/customer data when using AI tools like ChatGPT? Learn the two major protection classes and three levels of data protection in this episode. Tune in to find out more!

Watch/listen to this episode of In-Ear Insights here »

Last time on So What? The Marketing Analytics and Insights Livestream, we did a bake-off of AI image generation models and their biases. Catch the episode replay here!

This week, we’re looking at competitive analysis . Are you following our YouTube channel? If not, click/tap here to follow us!

Here’s some of our content from recent days that you might have missed. If you read something and enjoy it, please share it with a friend or colleague!

Take your skills to the next level with our premium courses.

Get skilled up with an assortment of our free, on-demand classes.

👉 New: Generative AI for Hospitality

In this week’s Data Diaries, let’s check in on marketing hiring demand. Every month or so, we look at Indeed.com’s hiring demand for marketing jobs across six nations – USA, UK, Canada, Germany, France, and Australia (the only 6 nations available in the API data).

As a reminder, hiring demand is benchmarked relative to the beginning of the pandemic, February 2020. What do we see in the last 12 months?

2024 has been a rough year for marketing. As of now, the only economy that is still experiencing above-benchmark demand for marketing jobs is Australia. Every other economy has seen demand fall below the benchmark. In the last month and a half since we looked at the data, we have seen demand in the USA and UK increase slightly, while the remaining nations have declined.

Here’s where things stand right now:

Australia: 101.3% of pre-pandemic demand
Canada: 65.6% of pre-pandemic demand
France: 94.2% of pre-pandemic demand
Germany: 94% of pre-pandemic demand
UK: 69% of pre-pandemic demand
USA: 76.5% of pre-pandemic demand

The obvious impacts are that marketing hiring remains constrained, so if you’re currently employed but looking to make a move, that has to be a consideration – finding new work will be challenging. This is made more challenging in some markets by AI-powered tools that, if you’re technically savvy, can complete job applications on your behalf that let you dramatically out-compete others in the job market.

The non-obvious impact from persistent low demand is wage stagnation. In a market where demand is persistently low, companies don’t have to raise wages to attract and retain talent. For job seekers, lateral moves or even steps down in terms of wages can also depress wages. As we approach the time of year when annual reviews are scheduled, use generative AI tools in safe environments to examine things like your email history and summarize your major accomplishments for the year. You’ll help insulate yourself a little more from wage stagnation by demonstrating the value you provide.

Here’s a roundup of who’s hiring, based on positions shared in the Analytics for Marketers Slack group and other communities.

Are you a member of our free Slack group, Analytics for Marketers? Join 3000+ like-minded marketers who care about data and measuring their success. Membership is free – join today. Members also receive sneak peeks of upcoming data, credible third-party studies we find and like, and much more. Join today!

Imagine a world where your marketing strategies are supercharged by the most cutting-edge technology available – Generative AI. Generative AI has the potential to save you incredible amounts of time and money, and you have the opportunity to be at the forefront. Get up to speed on using generative AI in your business in a thoughtful way with our new offering, Generative AI for Marketers, which comes in two flavors, workshops and a course.

Workshops: Offer the Generative AI for Marketers half and full day workshops at your company. These hands-on sessions are packed with exercises, resources and practical tips that you can implement immediately.

👉 Click/tap here to book a workshop

Course: We’ve turned our most popular full-day workshop into a self-paced course, available now and updated as of April 2024!

👉 Click/tap here to register for the course

Interested in sponsoring INBOX INSIGHTS? Contact us for sponsorship options to reach over 30,000 analytically-minded marketers and business professionals every week.

Where can you find Trust Insights face-to-face?

MarketingProfs B2B Forum, Boston, November 2024
AMA Houston, Online, November 2024
Social Media Marketing World, San Diego, April 2025
SMPS, Columbus, July 2025

Going to a conference we should know about? Reach out!

Want some private training at your company? Ask us!

First and most obvious – if you want to talk to us about something specific, especially something we can help with, hit up our contact form.

Where do you spend your time online? Chances are, we’re there too, and would enjoy sharing with you. Here’s where we are – see you there?

Our Featured Partners are companies we work with and promote because we love their stuff. If you’ve ever wondered how we do what we do behind the scenes, chances are we use the tools and skills of one of our partners to do it.

Read our disclosures statement for more details, but we’re also compensated by our partners if you buy something through us.

Some events and partners have purchased sponsorships in this newsletter and as a result, Trust Insights receives financial compensation for promoting them. Read our full disclosures statement on our website .

Thanks for subscribing and supporting us. Let us know if you want to see something different or have any feedback for us!

Need help with your marketing AI and analytics?

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Subscribe to our Weekly Newsletter

Pin It on Pinterest