We are living in a digital world. Cell phones, computers, the internet, television—we interact with electronics daily, digital signals permeate our air and few can fathom communication without a battery or power source involved. It has changed the way business works, it has changed language and it has created its own culture. As technology continues to develop, marketing has had to change as well, and the steps marketing professionals take to prepare for an increasingly more digital world can be helpful to your own marketing efforts, as well.
Experiment. Marketing isn’t straightforward anymore and, as time goes on, it will continue to become less and less so. Traditional advertisements still have their place, but it will take more than a well-placed ad to catch anyone’s eye nowadays. Think of creative, non-traditional or even plain odd ways to launch your campaign. People constantly want to see something new, something different and something impressive. If you can deliver this and grab their attention, your marketing message will reach the masses.
Create content, not just ads. Whether it’s a magazine ad, short radio spot or even something as massive as a billboard, ads are—generally—static. You can come up with something compelling but once it’s out there it will probably just sit there unchanging. Regularly creating original content will consistently keep people engaged as opposed to catching their eye once. Video, blogs and articles, interactive content such as polls, live chats and discussions can, essentially, function as dynamic, engaging ads that evolve with your company and with your customers.
As technology continues to advance, adapting to and being prepared for future changes will continue to become more and more important. Creativity, however, will always need to be at the core of your campaign, and using this creativity to fuel experimental, engaging content will help bring you long-term success.
