Countless emails, not a scroll without an ad, push alerts, socials pulsing with yet another batch of notifications. The sheer noise has led to a condition known as \u2018digital fatigue\u2019, with people increasingly turning to brick phones, setting their alerts to permanently off, and spending more time away from technology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But don\u2019t worry, your customers haven\u2019t completely <\/em>disconnected. They\u2019re just far more selective. The last thing you want to do is exhaust your audience with the wrong message. To build engagement, you need a plan built for customers who are now on a digital diet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Okay, so we know people think that brands are going too far with their marketing efforts. But it\u2019s important to understand why<\/em> – it\u2019ll help you when building your own plan:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The \u2018always-on\u2019 playbook doesn\u2019t work.<\/strong> The newsletters that arrive regularly? They get sent to spam, or users will hit unsubscribe. If you don\u2019t have an actual message, it\u2019s just annoying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Push notifications are overused. <\/strong>Marketers think that push notifications get seen by users. True, but only if they keep your app installed. These should be used sparingly, not as fake urgency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n AI has taken away personality. <\/strong>Marketers are using AI as a shortcut to more content. But more isn\u2019t always better. More posts, more ads, more supposedly \u2018personalized\u2019 messages that are clearly written by an LLM. Heck, we\u2019re even starting to write like bots<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Digital fatigue isn\u2019t just about losing visibility, it also leads to changed behavior. People are starting to understand that attention is a finite resource, and there\u2019s no point wasting it on empty content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To fix the problem, you don\u2019t need to go dark. Just focus on the good stuff, and get rid of the rest. Audit your message mix first:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Essential. <\/strong>That\u2019s what your business needs to run: order updates, account notices, payment notifications, that kind of thing. Customers will expect these messages, so they won\u2019t add to the annoyance meter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nice-to-receive. <\/strong>This is the sweet spot you\u2019re looking for. The marketing that sells, but is also happily received by your audience. Think special birthday discounts, for example. Never hype, but actual useful content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just noise. <\/strong>Marketers often think that doing nothing equals laziness or lost opportunities. But you need to get away from that mindset, taking away what\u2019s just noise. Do you really <\/em>need to send out the same promotion across every single channel? Hint: that will lead to digital fatigue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now, consider how you lower the pressure cooker in your marketing. Cap frequency across all channels, first of all. Segment by behavior and <\/em>demographics. And when you do decide to send something out, let people breathe. Only do so when it really <\/em>makes sense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ask yourself: Would I be happy to receive this as a customer? If it\u2019s something that would go straight into the bin without even reading it, rethink your plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When people are increasingly buying phones without social media or web browsers, it\u2019s time to rethink your marketing. It\u2019s time to go a little old school, offline<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Marketers undervalue how powerful some of these strategies still are, even without digital diets. They\u2019re personal, tangible, and they\u2019re not over-saturated. If you are no longer in touch with the physical world, we\u2019ll give you some ideas to get you started:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thank-you notes. <\/strong>The thank-you note is an effective marketing strategy<\/a> that is incredibly underutilized. It shows a personal touch, real effort, and it\u2019s entirely unexpected. It\u2019s something a customer will really remember, as hardly anyone does it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Physical emails. <\/strong>Yes, we know <\/em>the AKA is actual mail<\/em>, but we\u2019re calling them \u2018physical emails\u2019 to make a point. If you\u2019re sending an email, ask yourself whether shifting to the real thing would have a greater impact. For example, a Christmas card signed by a staff member (with a unique discount code, of course!).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Welcome packs. <\/strong>For high-value leads, put together a pack, rather than a PDF. Don\u2019t send out a big brochure, but instead focus on a powerful but easy-to-digest package. One-page summary of your product, a case study, a unique, tailored strategy for the customer, and a gift that\u2019s not made of cheap plastic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/a>Why Customers Feel Overwhelmed<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>Marketing Without Overload<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>Go Offline<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>Less Spam, More Meaning<\/h2>\n\n\n\n