Marketing has come a long way in a relatively short period of time. Not so long ago, promoting the business involved putting up posters in local stores or advertising in regional magazines and newspapers. Many traditional marketing techniques are still influential, but have evolved significantly. In this guide, we discuss the evolution of marketing and explore the role of technology in modern marketing campaigns.
digital marketing
Digital marketing has revolutionized the way businesses, brands and organizations promote their products and services. Advances in technology following the invention of the Internet have brought a host of new opportunities for companies seeking to enhance and grow their marketing strategies. Widespread access to the web, the rise of smartphones and other mobile devices, and the growth of email and search engines have led to the development of digital marketing techniques such as email marketing, SEO (search engine optimization), and paid advertising.
Digital marketing techniques enable companies and brands to enter new markets and reach large audiences through search engines, email, social media and targeted advertising. Globally, there will be more than 5 billion web users in 2022, and this number is increasing every year. Using methods such as SEO, businesses can generate high-quality leads by encouraging customers from a specific region, region, or country to visit their website, click on an ad, or contact them.
profile social media Changing the way brands market their products and services and connect with their audiences. Facebook, the original social media platform, has evolved from a social network for friends and family to keep in touch to an application that enables businesses to promote their products and services to a wide audience. Over time, new apps and platforms have emerged, offering brands great opportunities to increase awareness, drive sales, and generate leads and engage with customers. In 2022, more than 92% of US companies with more than 100 employees use social media marketing.
new content type
Technology offers a more diverse mix of marketing methods and channels. By leveraging different technologies, businesses can target specific audiences, cater to consumer preferences, and make marketing content more interesting, creative, and engaging. Video content is a particularly interesting and valuable addition. Research shows that video content is shared 1,200% more than text and images combined. One of the main advantages of video content is its versatility. You can use video clips, tutorials, interactive guides, and interviews to demonstrate how your product works, explain complex data or concepts, promote products and services, break down information, introduce your team, and bring marketing scripts to life.To harness the potential of video content, it’s wise to enlist the help of marketing experts, designers, producers and professionals narration service. When publishing video content, quality is key. It’s also important to make sure your messaging is clear and includes contact details, information about offers and incentives, and a call to action.
In addition to video content, modern technology offers businesses the option to use live chat and chatbots, interactive web features, apps and podcasts to market products and services. Brands can use a variety of methods or precise channels to reach specific audiences depending on their goals and target customers.
Improve customer engagement
One of the most important shifts in marketing is to turn customer engagement. Over the past few years, the focus has been on reaching out to customers and educating them about the business and products and services you sell. These remain key goals for businesses, but customer engagement is now a driving factor. Consumers want to know about brands, they’re interested in what they’re buying and who they’re buying from, and they want to build relationships with companies and organizations. A 2019 study showed that more than 80% of customers care as much about how brands treat them as about the products they sell.
Social media is incredibly influential in encouraging customer engagement and helping brands connect and build relationships with existing and potential customers. Social media is a great platform for promoting products and services, but it is arguably more valuable as a way to communicate and share your brand’s story and values with customers. Businesses can use posts to share news and updates, promote new products, and advertise promotions and offers, but they can also answer customer questions, respond to reviews and feedback, showcase real customers, and gather information for future campaigns.
Interacting with customers increases opportunities convert leads It also improves customer retention. Research shows that 90% of consumers buy from brands they follow on social media.
Image credit: Pexels
Data and Analysis
As technology has advanced, so has the way companies measure results and outcomes. Before the introduction of software and analysis tools, methods were limited. Businesses were able to monitor sales data and understand the overall impact of new campaigns, but today, marketing teams have access to granular data, and they can filter results based on key metrics aligned with campaign goals. Analytics provide instant access to real-time data, which offers brands the opportunity to identify weaknesses, highlight areas for improvement, identify strengths and gain precise insight into how different elements, approaches and stages are functioning. For example, if your website gets a lot of traffic but you lose customers as soon as they hit the homepage or navigate to your landing page, it could be a sign that your SEO or paid advertising campaign is working but your website is letting you down. If customers abandon their carts when they reach the checkout page, tweaking payment options, lowering shipping costs, or simplifying and speeding up the checkout process may help.
Access to data empowers marketers and business owners to make informed decisions and takes the guesswork out of developing campaign ideas and tracking performance. It’s also an effective way to better understand your customers and understand the customer experience and sales journey.
AI (Artificial Intelligence) and AR (Augmented Reality)
artificial intelligence (AI) and Augmented Reality (AR) are cutting-edge technologies that are increasingly integral to how businesses operate and how products and services are marketed. AI and AR offer marketers many benefits. Using AI, teams can collect data and create and convert sales leads by matching customers with products and services, making personalized recommendations, and providing insights into customer needs and preferences. The most important benefits of AI for businesses in terms of marketing applications and capabilities include enhancing customer engagement, developing existing products and services, and creating new ones. AI can also improve accuracy, speed up operations and processes, and reduce labor pressure by taking on tasks such as customer service roles and delivering digital ads and social posts.
Augmented reality is an effective marketing tool for brands of all kinds. This technology presents an incredible opportunity to offer customers more and provide access to unique experiences that can give businesses a competitive advantage and help increase lead conversion. A popular example is the use of AR to promote furniture sales. Previously, customers had to rely on their imaginations to imagine what a colorful sofa or a personalized chair would look like in their home when browsing online or visiting a store. Now, using AR, they can see their home decorated with new creations through their smartphones. AR can help convince customers to take the next step, provide customers with a memorable experience, and help businesses reduce the risk of returns.
voice search
Most people type words or queries into search engines from their computers, phones or tablets, but voice searches are becoming more common. Smartphones have integrated technology, and more and more homes are using voice-activated devices. Statistics show that there are more than 4 billion voice-controlled devices in use today. The rise of these devices has given businesses new ways to connect with customers and generate more leads.To take advantage of popularity voice search, marketers should optimize content for voice search. Most people ask questions when looking for information. It is wise to research FAQs, search terms and keywords and add a conversational tone to your content.
Speed and convenience are among the most important advantages of voice search technology. For example, if a customer is looking for a local plumber, they can ask their phone or voice-activated device to find one and call them instantly without having to open a browser, enter a search query, and click a link or ad.
Image credit: Pexels
For decades, marketing has played a vital role in helping businesses attract customers and make sales. While traditional techniques still apply, there have been significant developments in the field of marketing. New technologies have enabled the development of a plethora of new approaches and marketing channels, offering brands great opportunities to connect with customers and target new audiences. Technology also enables marketers to collect and analyze data to inform decision-making, explore new technologies, identify solutions to problems and pain points, and build strong, lasting relationships with customers.
(Disclaimer: The reporters of Devdiscourse were not involved in the production of this article. The facts and opinions presented in the article do not represent the views of Devdiscourse, and Devdiscourse is not responsible for it.)
