Marketing In The Digital Age

Marketing is the aspect of business that is most like an art. It is not just that you need to employ creatives to write and illustrate why your product is worth buying, you then have to try to work out where to put your new advert. In the past, it was easier because globalization had not yet occurred and you did not have to worry about appealing to people all over the world. If you put an ad in a newspaper and adverts on phone boxes and billboards, then you were just about set. It may seem hard to believe now but phonebooks were once a major source of advertising. Every home had one and if you secured a prominent ad space, you could handsomely profit from your investment.

The internet has now largely replaced the role that phone books once played. However, the newer technology, while being advantageous in many ways, also brings with it its own difficulties. Instead of being able to send along a photo and the accompanying text, the internet allows for so many different types of media advert. Once you have decided on your content, the decisions have only begun. With over 664 million websites, there are a lot of options from which to choose. Modern business owners can not help feeling like Buridan’s ass, except their decision is not just between food or water, but literally millions of equally appealing opportunities. If you are feeling overwhelmed by choice, here are a few suggestions:   

Social media can be a business’ best friend, but it can also be a poisoned chalice. Never before in history has the court of public opinion been so open and available. Anyone can post a review of your business online, and if just one is unflattering, it can have a seriously detrimental effect. Conversely, the opportunity to reach so many people with such ease has made it simpler to get the right message to the people that you want to reach. The problem still remains however that it is quite difficult to know exactly how to target your preferred demographic. Capitalism has provided the solution though: many specialized firms will dedicate themselves to helping you optimize your online presence. Facebook advertising, in particular, is a good option because more than any other social media site, Facebook encourages its users to share information about themselves. It also happens to be the third most popular site in the world (after Google and Youtube).

Apart from social media, which by its nature, encompasses all of the foibles of the people who use it, the internet is a useful marketing tool because it also accommodates every niche interest in the world. If your business caters to a particular need, it should be easy to find forums or blogs dedicated to those subjects. Your potential future customers have done you the service of organizing themselves into a group so that you can communicate with them. All you need to do then is pick out the perfect message.

The reality of the modern world is that every business should be taking advantage of the internet. If you don’t, you will end up being as forgotten as the phone book.