How Business And Marketing Are Changing
With technology advancing at an astounding speed, it is easy to get overwhelmed. New features and tools seem to roll off the tongue faster than you can read about them!
In fact, we’ve become so accustomed to having access to virtually anything anytime anywhere that we sometimes forget what life was like without it.
It’s hard not to notice all of the flashy advertisements telling us how our lives will be incomplete if we don’t have this gadget or service.
But while overused marketing strategies are annoying, they also pose another important question: just because you have one thing doesn’t mean someone else won’t go out and buy something totally different– but similar -without knowing much about the first product.
So why should you care? Because even though these gadgets may make your life easier, there is a risk that they might do more harm than good.
Customers are becoming more informed
Over the past few years, there has been an explosion in availability of information anywhere you look on the internet. With every passing day, we as humans have less and less control over our knowledge bases, due to technology.
From reading about politics to learning how to bake a cake, everyone seems to have a place they visit for answers that help them feel better about themselves and their world.
This is great news if you’re looking to improve your personal life or career! But what about business? What kind of changes will businesses need to make to remain relevant in this new era of digital literacy?
In fact, one such change already exists. And it’s not just about finding out what people want — something most marketers focus heavily on these days. It’s also about providing alternatives to whatever people are currently using to fulfill that desire.
By offering a different solution than the competition, you’ll likely win some loyal customers. Plus, you’ll push out another brand who didn’t strengthen their position by staying in the game.
The internet is a powerful tool
As we mentioned before, the way people spend their time has shifted dramatically due to the influence of technology. Because they are no longer limited to working from 9-5, most can afford to be self-employed or work part-time if they choose. With access to almost anywhere and any information at any time, individuals have grown accustomed to always being connected.
In fact, one study found that over half of all adults in developed countries use the internet for more than an hour a day! That’s nearly two hours per week! In addition to helping you stay in touch with friends and family, the internet allows you to do business virtually anytime and anywhere.
It also gives you the opportunity to create your own platform by offering and marketing what you know – which could mean making money online. Or maybe it’s about starting your own business via social media or the web. Either way, the internet is a rich source of knowledge and opportunities for you.
Customers are becoming savvier
As technology becomes more advanced, so can your business! Companies that were once thought to be “okay” have fallen by the wayside as people begin to realize how much of an influence they have over a company’s success or failure.
In this day and age, customers expect better service than ever before. Technology has made it possible for anyone to research a company thoroughly and find out all sorts of things about them.
This is very different from years past when only large corporations could afford expensive advertising campaigns and media coverage.
Now anyone with a smartphone can do some quick research and see what kind of reviews a company has received- even if those reviews are negative!
It is important to note that no matter what sort of business you run, bad reviews will hurt your reputation. Even worse, fake positive comments may go unnoticed until someone does their due diligence and looks into it further.
Researching online reviews can be tricky because not everyone lists every detail in their review. What seems like a compliment might actually contain a slight insult, or vice versa.
That is why it is best to focus on the positives and negatives and then make decisions based off of that. More and more companies are doing just that, which makes it easier for potential clients to get quality services.
Customers are becoming more demanding
As technology has advanced, so have our options when it comes to shopping. With every passing year, we get faster internet connections, better smartphone apps that do the same things as previous ones, and social media platforms that let us connect with people and advertise for companies easily.
With all of these new tools in hand, customers have become increasingly aware of their power. They know they can find almost anything online, so they no longer need to go out to buy it.
And since they’ve seen what other brands look like, they expect the exact same quality from yours.
That may be why there is a growing trend of “no-budget” marketing. This refers to businesses that use strategies such as posting pictures and videos of themselves or their products along with catchy slogans and self-descriptions.
These types of marketing approaches may not cost a lot, but they’re very effective because they don’t require expensive advertising.
Digital marketing is becoming mainstream
Over past years, there was an argument to be made that if you wanted to market your business, you needed to have a big budget and use expensive advertising methods like TV ads or billboards.
But with the explosion of digital technology, this no longer seems quite as true. On line advertisements are way more effective than old-fashioned billboard posters, and instead of spending money on television commercials, you can create your own advertisement through blogs, social media sites, and other platforms.
This article will talk about some ways that businesses are using online technology for marketing purposes and what it means for your company.
The future of marketing
Technology has always played an integral part in our daily lives, from talking phones to emailing via MMS messages. With the evolution of technology, it is becoming more evident that we are moving into a period where technology will continue to influence how people interact with each other and the world around them.
Technology like social media, texting, and voice-comms have become prevalent in our culture, which means they’re now a fundamental piece of every individual’s life. Marketers use these tools to connect with their audience, promote their products, and spread their message!
With all this talk about how important tech is, it seems pretty obvious that marketers will be using it more frequently. But what kind of job role is there for someone who isn’t technologically savvy?
It sounds crazy but the truth is there are actually very few jobs out there that don’t require you to be familiar with computers or at least use them regularly. And while some positions may not necessarily ask about your technical knowledge, if you don’t have any then you can probably expect to be screened during interview or hiring processes.
Marketing strategies evolve
Over the past few years, we have seen some major shifts in how business are conducted and marketed. Technology has seeped into every aspect of our lives, making it possible to reach more people at a much faster pace than ever before.
Businesses use technology for everything from creating an online presence to communicating with customers to managing their supply chains and logistics.
It is impossible to ignore the power that tech has when it comes to marketing. Technology makes it easy to produce quality content, distribute it, measure its effect, and re-purpose it.
Consumers expect constant updates, engagement, new features, and intuitive interfaces. If you’re not giving your audience what they want, then someone else will!
And because technology is so pervasive, there’s no escaping it. It is everywhere – from TV sets, computers, phones, and tablets to search engines, social media sites, and apps.
That means marketers don’t get to pick where their messages go or who gets them–the algorithms do. The best way to respond to this changing landscape is to remain nimble and experiment with new approaches.
What about all those clichés like ‘be direct’ and ‘don’t be boring?’ They might make sense, but unfortunately they aren’t very productive when half the population has access to mobile devices and fast internet connections.
Develop a firm grasp of marketing fundamentals
With the growth of technology, there are now more ways to market your business than ever before. Gone are the days when you could stick a “business” in the word “marketing” and people would understand what you were talking about!
These days, it is almost impossible to not know how important branding, advertising, social media, influencer marketing, content creation, SEO, email marketing and so on are to successful marketing.
They all play different roles depending on what kind of product or service you sell and who you want to buy them from. Creating quality content that appeals to your audience and promoting that content using relevant channels is key to success.
And don’t forget about making calls, sending emails and taking other non-digital approaches to marketing either.
