What digital marketers can learn from fishermen

Digital marketing has been around for around 15 years. Fishing for over a hundred thousand years, give our take the odd dry season! So what can we learn from the craft of fishing when it comes to online marketing? (Apologies in advance for using the gender specific term fisherman, but "fisherperson" doesn't flow quite so well!)

1. Pay attention to the weather and environment in general.

Fishermen choose not to fish on certain days of the lunar calendar, because they know that some days offer better fishing than others. In addition, they choose a particular time of day depending on the tide.

The same goes for online marketing and advertising. Your target market will be more receptive to your message on certain days of the week, and certain times of the day. If you don't know when these times are, then you don't know your target market. Be tactical about when you choose to engage with your audience. More time in the market does not mean you will get better results. Choose the best times. The environment may also be what your competitors are going. Don't be so focussed on your own goals that you ignore the view from above.

2. Prepare in advance

Fishermen prepare their equipment, and choose the right bait. They last thing they want is to travel to a location only to find they have tangled line, or the wrong bait for the fish in the area.

Most online marketers, and I include myself in this, are often too reactive, because we are so caught up in achieving quick results. More time needs to be taken in research, understanding then planning, so when we do start a campaign, we are setting ourselves up for success.

3. Plan what to do if you catch fish, or if you don't catch any, before it happens

Some days a fisherman will have a successful outing and catch plenty of fish, yet let them all go. Other days, they may catch just one, and keep it. Other days, they won't catch any fish, and instead go to the local fish and chip shop on the way home. Either way, a good fisherman knows what he is going to in each scenario.

The same goes for online marketing. Does your company or client have the resources to deal with outrageous success? Can you respond to spikes in demand, from a customer service, sales and distribution perspective? Is your PR company ready to deal with a deluge of results? Or what if a campaign fails . . . what then? Is there a backup campaign ready to roll as a contingency? There absolutely should be, as few businesses are able to get through disaster. Or you could do the marketing equivalent of going to the fish and chip shop - simply buy a list. However, we all know that fish caught ourselves tastes that much sweeter.

4. Focus on one location in which to fish.

Fishermen tend to go to one location and stay there. They may move up and down the banks of a river, or move along the ocean, but they focus on one main area and learn as much as they can in order to maximise their catch.

Online marketers and advertisers have a habit of using an approach that involves being in as many locations as once. This is a hangover from mass media tradition. There is no need. Focus on one main online environment, and own it. Who knows, you may even find somewhere to get your message our there that few others are aware of. In that case, keep it to yourself and market as hard and fast as you can before others start to bag your consumer base themselves.

5. Have patience

Ever seen a fisherman just standing there, appearing to do nothing? Ever fished for hours and nothing happens, then within the space of 30 minutes your start getting nibbles and bites?

Don't give up on a method or location too early. Often all it takes is slight tweaks to turn an average campaign into a good one. Premature disbandenment of a strategy or tactical situation leads to a lose/lose situation for all concerned. Let momentum grow, and be prepared to delay stopping a poorly performing campaign by a few days - you have made the investment in the campaign already, so writing it off is a huge decision.

6. Be prepared to change your bait.

Some fishermen are content with using the same bait every time, as they know what sort of fish they will get. Other fishermen are continually changing their bait in the hope of catching bigger fish.

Just because a tactic has worked in the past, and you know what results you will get, doesn't mean it is the best tactic or creative for every situation. I had a client once say to me that they were happy with the 2 percent conversion rate they were getting for their online campaigns, and that they didn't need more sales (true story!). I managed to talk them into experimenting, with a fairly small media spend, on a different strategy, and we almost doubled the conversion rate. Don't settle with the same strategy and tactics just because they work. Be prepared to continually revise, rework and experiment. I am not saying apportion most of your budget to experimentation, but 15% seems to be around the right mark.

7. Never fish alone on rocks

Fishing from rocks is fraught with danger. You could slip; a freak wave could knock you off the rocks, or worse. Never fish alone in dangerous conditions.

The same goes for tough economic conditions. Now more than ever, instead of being protective about your own clients, learn from others as much as you can, and network. Be prepared to do co-promotions with brands you may never have thought of but fit your target demographic - thus you both save on costs. Putting up the shutters and adopting a survivalist mentality will not only result on your market shrinking, it also isn't much fun. And everyone needs motivation. So go on, organise lunch with your biggest competitor - I guarantee it will be worthwhile.

Peter's addendum: There are many areas in which digital marketers should not be like fisherman, such as bonking consumers on the head with a stick, or placing consumers in a bucket of water to keep them fresh.