"I felt an immediate connection with Draft Digital’s vision and approach, setting a new standard in digital marketing and constantly innovating with AI. They’re truly doing things differently for their clients. I was also drawn to the dynamic company culture and the room for growth within the organization, you’re never standing still!"

What’s something you can only find at Draft Digital?

"The energy within the team is incredible, everyone works with passion and dedication, and that’s highly motivating. We push each other to a higher level and get the chance to make a real impact. That dynamic, combined with the opportunity to grow together, makes this a fantastic place to work. And all of this in one of the best spots in Amsterdam: De Hallen!"

What do you enjoy most about working at Draft Digital?

"What I’ve never experienced so strongly elsewhere is the space to grow, both personally and professionally. You’re given a lot of freedom, but you also have a team that’s always there to support you. We have amazing clients with a wide range of digital challenges, and together with partners like Billy Grace, we can really make things happen!"

Making an impact is one of the reasons we started our own company. We want to deliver quick results for our clients, and one of the biggest drivers of this is team size. While many studies have been conducted on the ideal team structure, we believe a team of up to nine people is best suited for solving problems quickly and efficiently.(research)We also believe that decisions can’t be made in isolation, and that collaboration is essential for fostering creativity and innovation. That’s why we work with teams of at least four people. Small teams have countless benefits, and we’re happy to highlight them. A great example is Shopify, which eliminated large meetings and introduced a cost for every meeting, a powerful way to ensure that every meeting has a clear purpose.

The Benefits of a Small Team in Digital Marketing

Better Communication and Collaboration

Small teams make communication more effective and foster closer collaboration between team members. With fewer people, it’s easier to share ideas, give feedback, and solve problems. Shorter communication lines enable team members to respond and make decisions more quickly. We also notice that team members are more inclined to bring ideas to the table when working in smaller groups, which increases individual input. This improves overall team cohesion and allows projects to move forward more efficiently. 

Improved Engagement and Accountability

In smaller teams, team members tend to be more engaged and feel a stronger sense of responsibility for the team’s results. Everyone has a clearly defined role and set of responsibilities, which increases motivation and encourages active contribution to achieving successful outcomes. It’s also much easier to recognize and acknowledge individual efforts, further boosting motivation and overall team performance.

Flexibility and Agility

Small teams tend to be more flexible and agile than larger teams. They can respond quickly to changes, seize new opportunities, and adapt to evolving circumstances. With fewer team members, it’s easier to reach consensus and make decisions. This allows the team to pivot and take action swiftly, a critical advantage in today’s fast‑changing business environment.

More Creativity and Innovation

Small teams foster an environment where creativity and innovation can flourish. Team members have more opportunities to share ideas and brainstorm openly. Everyone has a voice and can contribute to generating new ideas. In addition, with less hierarchy and more open communication, team members feel freer to propose fresh approaches and innovative solutions.

Improved Productivity in a Marketing Team in een marketing team

With fewer team members, small teams can work more efficiently and boost productivity. Fewer meetings are required, decision‑making is faster, and less time is spent sharing information and updates. Team members can focus on their specific tasks and objectives, reducing overlap and confusion and allowing for smoother, more productive collaboration.

We can conclude that working with teams of 4 to 9 people offers many benefits, but it’s not always easy to implement. Is it possible for a large corporation to adopt small teams? Absolutely, but it’s vital to approach this thoughtfully and make the right decisions. Small groups are highly effective for tackling specific challenges and focusing on a defined task. That’s why it’s crucial to follow the right steps when setting up smaller teams. 

The Steps for Effective Collaboration

Set Clear Goals and Expectations Within a Marketing Team binnen een marketing team

Define clear objectives and expectations for the team. Make sure every team member understands what is expected of them and what the shared goals are. This keeps the team focused and ensures that everyone is working towards the same direction.

Ensure Complementary Skills and Expertise

Select team members with complementary skills and expertise. This brings a diversity of perspectives and makes it easier to solve complex challenges. Ensure that every team member can make a unique contribution, with minimal overlap in roles and responsibilities.

Encourage Collaboration, Knowledge Sharing, and Feedback

Encourage collaboration and knowledge sharing within the team. Organize regular brainstorming sessions, workshops, or informal meetings where team members can exchange ideas and learn from one another. This fosters a culture of learning and drives innovation. At the same time, provide regular feedback and recognize achievements, this helps maintain motivation and supports personal growth.

Apply Flexibility When Needed - It’s Achievable Even in a Marketing Team team

Be flexible and adjust the team when needed. If project requirements or team dynamics change, adapt the team’s composition or roles to best match these needs. It’s okay to optimize within a team, after all, achieving the right results is what truly matters.

There are countless reasons to work with small teams, and the benefits apply to every type of organization. Small teams drive efficiency and effectiveness, delivering better results at lower costs. This is one of the biggest advantages of working with Draft Digital. Our colleagues are responsible for both the strategy and execution of digital marketing channels, allowing us to maintain efficiency and guarantee quality. We ensure this by working with highly experienced and well‑trained professionals. 

Want to learn more about small teams or our approach to digital marketing? Contact us via this (link).

From Generalist to Specialist

In the past, when automation in platforms like Google and Meta was still minimal (several years ago), it was important to be highly specialized. Specialists were largely responsible for results in channels such as SEA, SEO, Display, and Social, and they were trained to become experts in a single channel.

More recently, marketers were trained to handle a broader range of tasks. They needed knowledge across the board, from search engine optimization (SEO) to content marketing and paid ads like Google Ads. This meant they didn’t have deep expertise in all channels, but since platforms like Meta and Google automated much of the work, this wasn’t always necessary. Staff became multi-deployable, which is valuable in a tight labor market. At Draft, we believe specialists have always been important. They still make a significant difference in campaigns and channels.

With the rise of AI, the need for these generalist skills will diminish (but not disappear). AI can handle tasks like managing ad campaigns, analyzing simple data, and even automatically generating ad copy more efficiently than humans. As a result, online marketers are pushed to specialize in areas where human creativity and strategic thinking remain indispensable. Creativity and out-of-the-box thinking ensure maximum leverage of AI tools. This requires deep knowledge of systems and a clear understanding of cause and effect within them. It’s also crucial to link data and content effectively to media channels. This way, you can steer towards better returns in usual channels while using AI to your advantage.

The Role of Creativity for Online Marketers

While AI automates more operational tasks, creativity becomes increasingly important. Creativity is a uniquely human trait that is hard to replicate by machines. The ability to develop innovative campaign ideas, create engaging content, and tell compelling brand stories will be key to online marketers’ success.

AI can assist in identifying trends and generating data-driven insights, but marketers must translate this information into creative strategies and campaigns that resonate with their audiences. AI relieves operational burdens, freeing marketers to use their imagination and help brands stand out in a digital environment crowded with competitors.

This issue has been visible for some time, as ad quality steadily declines. Especially in digital ads, hyperpersonalization is common and there’s heavy focus on digital metrics like VTR. However, these metrics don’t show whether an ad truly connects with the consumer. Consider using pretesting for digital media to improve relevance.

Conclusion: How AI Will Change Online Marketers

The role of online marketers is evolving rapidly in the AI era. From generalists, they become specialists with deep knowledge of AI systems and the creative skills to leverage these tools effectively. While AI automates more operational work, creativity will distinguish successful marketers. The online marketers of the future will not only understand and use AI but also integrate creativity into their workflows.

Want help applying AI in your organization? get in touch with us .

In the fast-paced world of digital marketing, few areas evolve as quickly as social media. The role of a social media manager has changed dramatically over the past years. Where Facebook and Instagram, both under the Meta umbrella, once dominated, today’s social media managers face a very different landscape. Let’s explore the key shifts that have transformed this role into what it is now.

The Expansion of the Social Media Platform Portfolio

The era in which Facebook and Instagram were the largest social media platforms is behind us. The rise of platforms like Snapchat, TikTok, as well as Pinterest, X (formerly Twitter), and LinkedIn, has changed the playing field. For social media managers, this means they must expand their focus and expertise to include these new platforms. The diversification of platform choices requires a broader understanding of the different target audiences, content styles, and algorithms that characterize each platform. The significant growth of these other platforms is also reflected in this research.

Content Strategies for Different Platforms

One of the most striking changes in the role of social media managers is the need to understand which content performs best on each platform. TikTok, for example, thrives on short, user-generated videos that quickly capture users’ attention. In contrast, Facebook and Instagram tend to focus more on visual storytelling. These differences require social media managers to master multiple content strategies to be effective across various platforms. Content is one of the key drivers of success in social media. There is only a very short time to grab the user’s attention, and users always have the option to skip content. This is different from online video platforms like YouTube or KIJK.

The Increasing Technical Requirements for Social Media Managers

The technical side of social media marketing is becoming increasingly important. One of the challenges social media managers now face is the growing complexity of tracking and, consequently, analysis. With privacy regulations and algorithm updates, it is becoming harder to measure and optimize campaign effectiveness. Social media managers therefore need to develop a deeper understanding of how tracking works and how to interpret this data to make strategic decisions. Here are some questions you might want to ask your social media manager:

• How does server side tagging work? You can read about the difference with client side tagging here.
• What is the impact of iOS updates on the measurability of Meta campaigns?
• Why is using a conversion lift study interesting for us?

From Performance Campaigns to Awareness Channels

In the past, social media marketing primarily focused on performance campaigns aimed at generating leads, conversions, and ROI. However, platforms like TikTok and Snapchat have opened doors to new opportunities as awareness channels. These platforms are especially suited for increasing brand awareness and engaging audiences in a more creative and informal way. As a result, social media managers need to adapt their skills and training to understand how to effectively use these platforms for brand promotion.

Owned and Paid

Although social media managers are often trained as either paid or owned managers, it is important to understand that consumers see little to no difference between owned and paid advertisements. Therefore, try to ensure that both align seamlessly with each other.

Training of Draft Digital Social Media Managers

At Draft, we strongly believe in social media, provided the channel is used correctly. A decisive factor in this success is the quality of the social media manager, making training even more important. Broader knowledge beyond just social media is required. At Draft, we understand the importance of this process and adopt a holistic approach to effectively train and develop our social media managers. Here are some key steps and considerations we take to achieve this:

1. Thorough Platform Knowledge: At Draft, we build a strong foundation by ensuring our social media managers have deep knowledge of all major social media platforms, including the latest features and updates. We enable social specialists to spend enough time diving deeper into these platforms. Additionally, spending time with account managers from Meta, TikTok, and others helps, as they have insight into new beta features that drive innovation.
2. Technical Training: We recognize the growing importance of technical knowledge and therefore offer comprehensive training focused on understanding tracking, analytics, and the technical aspects of social media advertising. Our social media managers take courses on using tools such as Google Analytics 4 and the Conversion API.
3. Owned or Paid: To build a strong foundation, we encourage our social media managers to specialize first in owned media (organic content, community management) or paid media (advertising campaigns) before embracing the full breadth of the field. This helps them develop deep expertise. This way, you truly add value. Of course, there are also social strategists who can define the entire social direction.
4. Test & Learn Culture: At Draft, we place great value on practical experience. Our social media managers are encouraged to manage real campaigns, create content, and experiment with different strategies. We believe that learning from real situations is the key to sharpening their skills and effectively responding to market changes.
5. Continuous Education: We understand that social media never stands still. Therefore, we encourage our social media managers to stay up-to-date with trends and developments by participating in webinars, conferences, and following leading social media blogs and publications.

At Draft, we are committed to developing well-trained social media managers who are equipped to excel in the ever-changing world of social media marketing. This way, we can also add performance value to your brand. We achieve this within just a few weeks. Want to learn more? Then get in touch with us .

Short-term versus long-term: A healthy balance 

One of the key differences between Brand Marketers and Performance Marketers is their time orientation. Performance Marketers often focus on achieving short-term results, such as immediate conversions and ROI. On the other hand, Brand Marketers aim to build and strengthen brand values in the long term. 

However, the value of these different approaches should not be underestimated. Short-term insights from Performance Marketers can provide valuable data that can assist Brand Marketers in refining their long-term strategy. Similarly, Performance Marketers should also consider the impact of their actions on the brand in the long term. Every decision they make can leave a lasting impression and influence brand perception. 

Collaboration between these two groups can lead to synergy, enhancing both short-term and long-term objectives. Performance Marketers can optimize their tactics based on brand goals, while Brand Marketers can gain valuable insights to refine their brand strategy. 

The power of data and creativity 

Another important aspect of collaboration is the complementarity of skills. Performance Marketers are often analytically strong and know how to leverage data to improve results. On the other hand, Brand Marketers are experts in building a brand and its associated brand KPIs. This includes enhancing brand preference or brand intention. 

Performance Marketers can learn a lot from Brand Marketers when it comes to understanding and communicating brand values. By being aware of the brand, Performance Marketers can create more effective creatives. This way, consumers are more likely to be engaged, which is crucial in a world where users see more than 100 ads per day. This can lead to better performance in terms of conversions and ROI. 

At the same time, Brand Marketers benefit from the analytical skills of Performance Marketers. Technologies like dynamic creative optimization empower them to deliver personalized, relevant content to varied audiences, strengthening the brand message. 

Media optimization 

Collaboration is also crucial when it comes to media buying. Brand Marketers need to effectively purchase media on platforms like YouTube, Online Video, and Television to spread their brand message. Here, Performance Marketers bring invaluable expertise. They understand the nuances of different ad platforms and can help maximize campaign reach and impact. Often, Brand Marketers handle Above the Line media buying but lack deep knowledge of media metrics and KPIs. Training Performance Marketers in these media types, beyond typical digital channels like display, SEA, and social, can boost media spend effectiveness and overall impact. As mentioned earlier, keeping long-term goals in focus and maintaining good communication is vital. 

Collaborating for better results 

It's clear that the synergy between Brand Marketers and Performance Marketers can lead to improved results for advertisers. By balancing short-term and long-term objectives, combining data and creativity, and efficiently purchasing media, they can form a powerful marketing team together. 

This collaboration requires open communication and mutual understanding of each other’s goals and expertise. When Brand and Performance Marketers join forces, they create a win-win situation where the brand grows and performance improves, exactly what everyone wants. If you’d like to learn more about this, please feel free to contact us via this link.

And so it happened; a really great group came to the office in the Hallen last Friday to attend the training. It was a pleasure to welcome you, Ingelise Driehuis.

During the training, we try to make clear that there are many tasks we now perform repeatedly. Often, these are tasks that take a lot of energy. These are tasks that you might be able to automate using AI.

And what time do you free up then? For the strategic projects where you make an impact and that also give you energy.

Want to join a fun AI training like this one too?

Get in touch with us!