Ways to stay ahead in Digital Advertising

In the last three decades, the evolution of the advertising industry has accelerated almost unimaginably. The gradual movement from Print to Audio, and then to Television, has been replaced by the leaps and bounds of the digital age. If we are going to continue to meet the industry’s needs, it’s vital that we adapt quickly to keep up. No matter how much support executives offer, though, a big part of learning is self-directed. Here are some tips:-

Be Curious – Research shows that not only are we better at learning things we are interested in, but we’re also actually more receptive to new information, regardless of subject, when we’re working on something that inspires our curiosity. With practice, we can cultivate curiosity as a habit.

Emulate – When we see something that works, whether it’s a stunning ad campaign or an innovative workflow, replication alone will yield few results. When we come across a successful campaign it behooves us to ask what problem was solved or what challenge was overcome. By bringing this curiosity to bear effective solutions, we can better understand which pieces are relevant to our work.

Learn from Mistakes – Our brains are wired to learn from the decisions of others, and the kick we get when they stumble may be an evolutionary incentive to take note of where they fell short. Understanding why a seemingly airtight presentation missed its mark can help us avoid making similar mistakes in the future and can point us to areas with high growth potential.

Stay Informed – Keeping up on developments in the industry is critical to our own growth.

Be Attentive – While the toolkits and strategies our competitors use to forge ahead are often secret, their impact on the product is visible to anyone who takes the time to look.

Experiment – It’s important to continuously experiment with new workflows and techniques. There is no need to throw out the rulebook, but adding your own flourish to a tied and true tool or including a new approach in an otherwise conventional project, can be a great learning opportunity.

Plan Learning Time – By blocking out time in our busy schedules and setting concrete benchmarks, we can make learning a more engaged and rewarding experience.

Be Proactive – If there is a question you have, asking for a training module, or even just a clarifying comment, could benefit not just you, but the whole team.

Find a Mentor – Mentors can help situate developments in a broader view of the industry, not only helping us triangulate where we are but also building a more nuanced picture of what is to come.

Know yourself – We can only become truly effective learners by focusing the same critical eye on our own work that we do on the work of others.

Using these insights to set goals for ourselves and to inform an evolving strategy of success is the only way to effectively apply the learning techniques we integrate into our lives.