In the last ten years, marketing has changed almost beyond recognition. The birth of the digital age has opened up a host of new communication opportunities that need to be understood and mastered. Yet, if you think you are starting to see the wood for the trees, think again.
The impact of these technological advances is only just emerging.
Two vital pieces of data highlight the explosion that is about to hit us. Firstly, CISCO Systems predicts that internet use will grow by four times in the next four years and secondly the number of smart phones and tablets in use is about to go ballistic.
Statistics show that globally, there are some 5.6 billion ‘dumb phones’ but only 835 million smart phone users. People are switching to smart phones in their droves and it’s not hard to imagine a world where very soon tablet sales outstrip PCs.
Communication has changed for good
“And…?” you might say. Well, with global internet usage up four times and the major access platforms being mobile devices you’re going to be dead in the water unless you have a strong mobile marketing strategy.
Of course, no matter what people might try and tell you, at this early development stage, nobody really knows what are going to become the ‘must-have’ elements in your marketing strategy. What is clear, however, is that the early adaptors of these disruptive technologies will likely emerge head and shoulders above the competition.
Communication hasn’t changed at all
“But you just said it had changed for good…?” True, but what you want to achieve through your communication hasn’t changed. A successful business relies on a continuous stream of customers and your marketing has to find those prospective customers and convince them that your company is the one they should be partnering with.
Which means that what you say to these people is (and always has been) the most important element of your marketing. This ‘content’ must reflect the look, feel and tone you want to promote for your brand.
When you get it right, the blend of insightful and useful content presented in the style and character of your brand via the preferred mediums creates that all important trust and confidence that makes people want to do business with you.
Integrating Online and Offline Activities
Listening to some people you would think that the printed word is dead and your marketing should concentrate on the wonderful world of digital media. That’s not true now and probably never will be.
Fortunately, human beings are not all the same. We are switched on by different things; some of us are influenced more by visual stimuli, others by audio. Some prefer electronic diaries others swear by more traditional paper based versions. There is no right or wrong, just different preferences.
What is important, however, is that all the marketing mediums you use need to work together in a coordinated crusade if you want to cut through all the ‘noise’ that is out there.
In addition to building awareness and brand image, traditional media – print, TV and radio – must drive traffic to your website. Meanwhile, your inbound digital marketing campaign has to not only entice people to learn more about you, but it must also promote the traditional media.
On the business to business (B2B) front you need to be experimenting with the integration of the opportunities below:
Digital Traditional
Website Trade Press
– SEO – PR
– Video – Advertising
– Blogging National Press
– Lead Detective* – PR
– Podcasts – Advertising
– Webinars Sales Literature
Email Marketing – Brochures
Social Media – Case Studies
Mobile Marketing – Leaflets
– Apps Direct Marketing
– SMS Corporate Identity
– Location based TV & Radio
As has always been the case, not all of these avenues are right for your business. The skill is selecting those that work best for your business and pulling them together into a cohesive marketing campaign that delivers the right messages to the right people at the right time.
If you’d like help developing an integrated marketing strategy for your business that blends the fast moving digital media with the important traditional platforms then contact us here.