The influence that digital marketing has on people’s behaviour and habits is incredible. We only need to look around. There are place where people don’t have running water, but own smart phones – such is the need for people to be connected to those around them. Now more than ever, businesses need to understand how to utilise this new digital universe and the role that marketing plays in it. We look at some of the biggest ways that digital marketing has changed business forever.
Transparency – customers are no longer happy to just take what companies say for face value. They want to know about the companies they interact with. This is particularly relevant when it comes to food products with consumers wanting to know exactly what’s in the things they eat. Companies now have a whole new list of priorities which can range from their packaging to how they treat they employees and the information they give their customers.
Adaptability – Digital changes at an incredibly fast pace. This requires employees across departments to be agile, work together and most importantly keep up to date with development so they have the skills to adapt and use these changes to the company’s advantage. Provided ongoing education is a great way to achieve this. Ultimately, if a business wants to succeed with its digital strategy it needs to empower it’s work force to be at the cutting edge of digital technology and skills.
Innovation – The rise of the digital era has forced us all in some way or another to move out of our comfort zones, learn new applications and communicate with people in a way we never thought possible. The pressure on businesses to be innovate is huge, and those who fail will be left behind.
A new kind of celebrity – Social media and video outlets like YouTube have enabled ’regular’ people to become incredibly influential. Companies no longer need to hire celebrities to endorse their products in order to get millions of people interested in their product or service.
Data = personalization – Companies now consists of enormous amounts of data about their customers, their behaviour and what drives them. This allows businesses to personalize their message to consumers on a whole new level. New research shows that 85% of users are more likely to buy a product if the message is personalized and supported by social.
Content overload – Marketers have their work cut out for them with 3.3 million people making a Facebook post every 60 seconds, and 29 million messages being distributed via Whatsapp. Brands need to be more creative than ever to get their message through to the right customers.
So what is our strategy for grabbing potential customers’ attention?
The Editor
