With the current economic crisis a new opportunity has arisen for companies worldwide: digitalize their business and reach more customers online. Despite this great opportunity, most of the companies that are trying to effectively promote an online offer fail miserably.
Today we interview Fabio Gallerani, one of the top 100 educational leaders worldwide awarded by the GFEL and founder of Marketing Genius along with his business partner Matteo Pittaluga. Marketing Genius is the leading digital training academy in Italy that has helped since 2016 over 35000 entrepreneurs to go digital and achieve success.
We ask him his point of view on the current situation and why it is essential for entrepreneurs to acquire digital marketing skills in today's economy.
Fabio, what insights can you share about the current situation and the new digital opportunities?
In the past years, I got the chance to work side by side with entrepreneurs in many different fields and I noticed one single element that defined the difference between success and failure: the will to learn digital skills. In this historical period, entrepreneurs should learn and master digital marketing skills even if they plan to delegate their process of digitalization to a web agency or marketing agency. The reason is simple: you cannot afford just to delegate the oxygen of your company to an external entity and do nothing, in fact, the most successful case studies come from entrepreneurs that we're able to effectively monitor their marketing strategy being able to make decisions above the agencies or freelancers helping them.
Digital Marketing is often perceived as a very difficult topic, entrepreneurs tend not to have time for it. Is that true?
This is the "big lie" about digital marketing. Most agencies and industry experts continue to make it seem complex for unknown reasons while this topic is really easy to understand if learned the right way and with the right methodology. The methodology I am talking about is something called "Impact Methodology" and this is what allowed us to effectively train thousands of entrepreneurs in the past four years. You see, Digital Marketing is not meant to be taught like any other topic, Digital Marketing must be taught following one simple pillar: practicality. If I showed you every single button to click, every metric to measure, and every process to follow, then do you think you would be successful? I think so, yes. But what happens if I talk about theories, let you read books on the topic, and do not show you any practical strategy to be implemented? Then it's simple: you do not even try.
So do you think entrepreneurs in 2020 should not delegate their marketing to agencies?
I believe they can but they must keep an eye on how strategies are implemented and have someone from the internal team able to give direction to the agency and understand the marketing world. What entrepreneurs and professionals should do in 2020 first, is to get some practical knowledge in the digital space. Secondly, be able to create a strategy that may be delegated for its execution in a second moment but that is developed and planned internally. Third, they can choose: should I delegate the oxygen (leads) of my company to an agency or should I develop the entire marketing process internally? I suggest the latter.
Recently the Global Forum of Education and Learning has awarded this methodology, can you tell us more?
Sure, I am happy to do that. In December 2019, I got the honor to be awarded by the GFEL in Dubai. GDEL is a global forum that has the mission of making progress in the educational space and they decided to give me this award as one of the top 100 educational leaders. The award was not about me, even if I was the person awarded. The award was because of the success that in the past four years our students, entrepreneurs, and professionals from any field have achieved. I was able to share the exact elements of the Impact Methodology on stage in front of other experts and it was a great experience to share my point of view on how digital marketing should be effectively taught.
One last question: can you send a message to entrepreneurs facing hard times in 2020? What should they do?
In this last message, I will be honest and straight up. This crisis has accelerated an inevitable change in the way we run our businesses, making digitalization a must to survive in the new economy. My message for all entrepreneurs out there, who want to keep making a difference in the life of their customers is the following:
Be coachable, learn about this fascinating digital marketing world, acquire the skills, and get the ability to monitor the digitalization of your company. I am not telling you to do it yourself (or: I am not saying you should do it yourself), I am suggesting you become the best digital entrepreneur possible to participate in the strategy of digitalization and not just be a spectator of it, hoping the people that you contract will make a good job. Be part of the process, digital marketing is simple when you learn it through the right methodology.
Thank you so much, Fabio, it was a pleasure having you here and I believe all our audience will find your tips very valuable for their business and career. We wish you all the best for your future projects and we look forward to having you here again.
