Marketing companies and especially digital marketing companies are focused on cultivating a data-driven culture. Because digital media is famous for being the most measurable channel available to brands and marketers today, it is not surprising that agencies have become a bit obsessed with metrics. When it comes to email marketing, open and click rates are the most important, while lead acquisition and website analytics become factors in other forms of digital media as well. While metrics can provide extremely valuable information on campaign performance and keep marketers accountable and aware of company goals, there is a danger of overemphasizing the importance of metrics.

The unfortunate emergence of tunnel vision metrics

Metrics ‘tunnel vision’ is an unfortunate side effect that occurs when metrics, statistics, and numbers are overemphasized. Marketing teams can become so preoccupied with their metrics that they could end up losing sight of the big picture of marketing. This can negatively influence any strategic planning that needs to focus on more holistic ideas.

Using metrics as an excuse to follow poor marketing rules

Another major issue that could develop due to tunnel vision metrics is some poor judgment. When brands and marketers start thinking about just improving one metric or hitting a particular goal, many ethical and even logical tactics fly out the window as the hunger for metric perfection takes hold. Suddenly, devices that normally wouldn’t have even been considered are called at all for the sake of metrics. For example, a social media manager who is enthralled in the process of gaining new followers or ‘likes’ on Facebook. Now imagine if that Social Media Manager started breaking Facebook’s engagement rules to get more likes. It is not ideal and it will not reflect well on the brand that has to live with the consequences after the campaign.

Avoid tunnel vision of metrics and allow creativity to flow

One of the best ways to prevent the onset of tunnel vision when it comes to statistics, marketing metrics, and analytics is to allow brands to trust and experiment with their own creativity. By focusing on creating campaigns targeting people, subscribers, consumers, rather than numbers, you’re likely to hit your metrics goals anyway. Innovative campaigns are often considered risks that can affect the stated goals of a certain campaign in terms of metrics. But innovative and exciting campaigns are what keep people interested in a brand and get people talking.

Finding a balance between being a slave to statistics and letting everything happen as it happens is really the key to creating successful campaigns that benefit the overall goal of the company.