Since the dawn of the advertising era, our marketing efforts have been directed towards broadcast. We wanted to get our product messages out, make people aware, encourage their interest, stimulate their desire and drive them to convert this to sales. We have built models, processes and systems that are the bedrock of marketing courses the world over.
But the social web has changed all this.
The early internet promised to level the playing field. It brought large scale publishing and commercial capability to any size business. It meant that a local retailer could have as much “presence” and online processing power as a national retailing powerhouse. Yet while the level playing field was set, not all businesses were ready for it. The innovation in the consumer market had not filtered into the businesses – the place where change is notoriously difficult to drive, measure and achieve.
Yet before businesses could catch their breath, the social web shifted the goal posts on the level playing field. You see, suddenly the barriers to entry dropped away and it wasn’t the small businesses that claimed the high ground. It was the consumers. The customers. The people like you and me when we’re not at work 😉
These days what counts isn’t how many people you reach and how frequently you do so (that’s an expensive and oh so 1990s way of doing things). Now it’s about how your business and digital strategy gravitate towards, recommend and choose your products/services in a hyper-competitive market. We call that “inbound marketing” – and if you haven’t considered its role in the future of your business, just take a moment and check out the infographic from MDG advertising. Check out the thinking, tools and practices that can help you ride the wave of this shift. Figure out how you can use this with your continuous digital strategy – and align your own business goals with the posts that shift – before they do again.