Why It’s Never Been Harder to Work in Digital Marketing

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Digital marketing is in a silent crisis.

Clients expect miracles. AI floods the market with noise. Trust is eroding.

As marketers, we’re expected to wear 12 hats and smile while doing it.

I’ve spent 12 years in this game.

Here’s what’s broken and what real operators are doing about it:

Here are the five fault lines every 3.0 marketer is up against:

1. The AI Delusion

Problem: 

AI is everywhere and it's undermining perceived value. Now that anything can be done with a prompt, the depth and nuance of real marketing work gets dismissed. Clients don’t want to pay for thinking, strategy, or craft when ChatGPT can spit something out in 30 seconds.

Why It Matters: 

Marketers are paid for strategic thinking, nuance, and differentiation. That is precisely what's being erased.

What To Do: 

Use a simple 3-slide deck to reframe value for clients:

• Slide 1: “Here’s what AI gives you (fast, generic content)”

• Slide 2: “Here’s what we bring (strategy, depth, differentiation)”

• Slide 3: “Together: smarter execution, faster”

This shifts the conversation from outputs to partnership, and makes it crystal clear why AI alone isn’t enough.

Tie-Back: 

Only 1 in 5 developers would turn to a colleague over AI, a sign of how fast real expertise is being replaced in perception.

If you read one take on AI and marketing today, make it this one:

2. The Talkers Drowning Out the Doers

Problem: 

The market is a tidal wave of noise. The market is flooded with “gurus,” robodialers, spammy cold emails, and AI clickbait promising impossible results. Everyone’s selling a miracle playbook. Everyone’s a growth expert now.

Why It Matters: 

The ones actually doing the work are forced to justify their existence while the loudest voices get the clicks.

What To Do: 

Build quiet authority. Case studies, behind-the-scenes insights, genuine thought leadership. Let the work show why it matters.

Tie-Back: 

The antidote to the loudest voice is proof of actual work.

3. Selling Feels Like Snake Oil

Problem: 

We’re stuck in a lose-lose sales environment. When we simplify, we’re accused of being vague. When we get technical, we’re accused of being manipulative.

Why It Matters: 

Trust fades when offers aren't clearly grounded in skill and systems.

What To Do: 

Center your messaging on process and outcomes. Think reusable frameworks, past results, and transparent methodology.

Tie-Back: 

No matter how we frame it - deliverables, outcomes, strategy - it always feels like we’re selling a magic potion. Not a service built on skill, experience, and real-world results.

4. “Everything Is a Marketing Problem”

Problem: 

Marketing roles now list PPC, SEO, CRO, social media, email, creative direction, analytics, brand strategy, copywriting, coding. All wrapped into one job description (and often at sub-$60K budgets).

Why It Matters: 

Marketers bear the fallout from misaligned expectations - pricing, ops, product issues - yet have no authority to fix them.

What To Do: 

• Set boundaries

• Document your scope

• Push back (constructively) when responsibilities fall out of domain.

Tie-Back: 

When everything is a marketing problem, marketers get blamed for things they were never hired to control. Product, sales, pricing, ops, you name it.

5. The Disrespect Runs Deep

Problem:

Marketers have invested years mastering their craft: SEO, design, CRO, dev, content, analytics. They’ve spent thousands on tools, training, and testing. They know what works, what doesn’t, and why. But what’s the response from clients? “Just get me more leads.”

Why It Matters: 

Undervalue the craft, and you strip the work of its depth and credibility.

What To Do: 

Educate stakeholders:

• Share roadmaps

• Traffic funnels

• Testing frameworks

Demand understanding as the prerequisite for investment.

Tie-Back: 

Marketing has always been a thankless job. But lately, it feels like the craft itself is being erased.

Treasure Data

One reason it’s never been harder to work in digital marketing is the sheer sprawl of disconnected data.

Marketers spend more time reconciling dashboards than driving results.

Treasure Data eliminates that busywork by unifying customer data into a single source, so teams can focus on strategy instead of spreadsheets.

• Unify: Centralizes all touchpoints (web, ads, mobile, retail, email, CRM) into a single view.

• Analyze: Uses AI/ML to surface patterns and segment customers intelligently.

• Activate: Pushes insights directly into tools marketers already use: ads platforms, automation systems, personalization engines.

This tool gives leaders a real-time foundation for decision-making.

TechRadar: Bad news - most devs believe AI is going to kill 'most or all' of their company's marketing department

“The study also found 20% believe at least some marketing roles could be shifted over to AI, but a minority, 5%, said AI should play no role in replacing marketing.”

This article illustrates the existential dread AI hype induces, even among tech-savvy professionals. As one survey found, nearly three-quarters of developers think AI will replace most or all marketing functions.

For modern marketers, that’s the opportunity.

Prove that AI doesn’t replace the craft, it amplifies it, and the leaders who embrace that truth will be the ones who thrive.

Marketing has never been harder. That’s exactly why it matters more than ever.

Here’s how to navigate the noise and lead forward:

• Don’t compete with AI, just out-think it. Show clients the strategy and nuance a prompt can’t replicate.

• Let your work speak louder than the noise. Proof > promises.

• Sell clarity, not confusion. Frame your process and outcomes so trust grows, not fades.

• Draw the line. Push back on misaligned expectations and keep the role of marketing focused.

• Protect the craft. Educate stakeholders, demand collaboration, and showcase the systems behind results.

The future belongs to the marketers who protect the value of the craft.

— Mac

When you’re ready, here’s how I can help you:

1. Schedule a session with me. Discover how Foster & Co. can drive your company towards peak growth.

2. Foster & Co. services. I work with marketing teams inside agencies, growth-stage startups and public companies.

3. Share CMO 3.0 with your team or network – Know someone who’d benefit from smarter marketing insights? Send them this link and help them level up.