Marketing has been a cornerstone of business for decades but it has undergone a rapid transformation during the last decade due to the digital revolution. Modern enterprises now have the opportunity to connect and engage with potential customers via a vast number of different platforms due to the advent of the Internet, proliferation of mobile tech and apps, big data and the rise of social media.

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Brands now have to create and manage the campaigns that help them to promote and sell their products and services across e-commerce, display advertising and other channels. As Seen on TV is an example of how to effectively run a digital marketing campaign to bring both offline and online customers together.

Technology has transformed the speed, relevance and reach of marketing in an ever-evolving landscape.

Email

Email marketing paved the way for more diverse digital campaigns. It was once the primary means to communicate with audiences online and while its influence has diminished in recent years due to the emergence of social, video and mobile, it can still be extremely powerful as part of a targeted marketing campaign. Emails are used to drive engagement by offering deals and other incentives. The arrival of wearable tech such as smartwatches could change how email is used once again as marketers focus on delivering the right message at the right time.

Mobile

Mobile is the latest frontier for marketing strategies and it is becoming an increasingly critical component due to a “mobile first world”. Responsive web design and small screen optimization are just two of the factors that organizations need to prioritize to capture the interest of users on smartphones and tablets. The digital age and mobile tech now go hand in handbecause users want to search for content to make an informed decision, search for products and complete the buying process on the go. Fast loading times are essential and customers now prefer the ability to navigate from a call to action in an email to a landing page seamlessly and this has been made possible by tech including cloud software and 4G internet.

Social media

Social media has enabled enterprises of all sizes to run cost effective and engaging marketing campaigns. Sites such as Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram have a collective user base of billions across the globe, which provides brands with hugely lucrative opportunities for brand reach and engagement. When coupled with mobile, businesses can target users 24/7 with relevant and insightful marketing content based on data and analytics.

Big data

The last point leads into big data and analytics. Technology has allowed corporations to amass a wealth of data that can be extracted and used to power marketing campaigns. Demographics, browsing history, online purchases and other information can all be collated and used to deliver timely content that speaks to each individual. Mobile apps, for example, help brands to send push notifications based on the location of an individual. This real-time marketing has only been facilitated by the ongoing march of new tech during the last ten years.
All this data can be used to generate incredibly useful visualizations like maps to gain better insights.

Video

YouTube and the rise of online video have given brands a platform to deliver visual marketing content to potential customers. These videos can also be shared across social media sites for increased engagement. While TV adverts have long been a foundation for a successful marketing strategy for large corporations, video allows micro businesses and SMEs to create content that is longer than adverts and it has the chance of going “viral” and becoming the latest internet phenomenon.

Website ads and search

Website ads, along with email, were one of the first channels for digital marketing. These ads were traditionally banner ads, but like tech they have evolved significantly in recent years. Search ads came to the fore after the turn of the millennium and are now a key marketing strategy. Appearing on the first page of search engine page results (SERPs) is very important for enterprises as it increases the visibility of web pages, so search engine optimization (SEO) is an equally critical marketing consideration for all.

Has tech made marketing more complex?

The rising standards of customers and the growing number of digital channels suggest tech has made marketing more complex and difficult to manage. It is true that brands will have to adapt in the digital age to remain competitive but modern enterprises that focus on the core principles of high quality marketing practices and that get to grips with data analysis, content marketing and new tech innovations will be able to take advantage of the increasing opportunities to thrive.