What Marketers Should Take Away from the Zuckerberg Hearings

Among the many issues brought to light by Mark Zuckerberg’s congressional hearings, there exists another complex concern for marketing agencies and the clients who trust them: understanding Facebook’s business model and how it’s used by advertisers.

As congressional representatives posed their questions to Facebook’s CEO, the disparity in comprehension that exists between the tech industry and the average American was made clear. Senators and house representatives from both hearings were having difficulty understanding the tactics utilized by Facebook and its advertisers, due in part to the fact that Zuckerberg wasn’t adequately explaining these tactics. The result: a lot of circular conversation and not a lot of clarification.

This problem isn’t exclusive to Mark Zuckerberg. This disconnect exists between clients and their respective marketing partners. It’s sometimes difficult to convey the high-level strategies digital marketers use. We see two common problems in our industry that relate to this breakdown in communication level. Either the marketing partner becomes frustrated that their client can’t comprehend their marketing strategy and they don’t bother explaining it, leaving their client in the dark and unsure of exactly what is happening with their marketing plan; or, the marketing partner takes advantage of this disconnect and uses complex speech to manipulate their client into more trust, more work, and ultimately more of the client’s dollars.

As marketing partners, we have a responsibility to communicate with our clients in an effective and easy-to-understand manner. If we’re able to execute these advanced technologies, we should be able to explain them to anyone, no matter their overall understanding of the field. At Timmermann Group, we know that our value to our clients is not just in the results we deliver, but also the way in which we deliver them. That’s why we take the time to answer any questions clients may have about the complex strategies we implement for them–without being under oath.