To understand how all this got started, you have to consider how human information consumption and behavior has always, in large part, been shaped around the technology available in society. When the printing press was first established, most of what was consumed as information was in the form of books and predominately word of mouth or even large physical signage. After newspapers started being distributed, most people relied on information consumption from the distribution of newspapers, and so marketing became the most prevalent form in that channel… As more and more technology was introduced into our society, consumers continued to shift their consumption patterns inline with what was available at the time.
The Norms of Human Behavior as It Relates to Information Consumption Has Shifted Yet Again Thanks to Technology
With the advent of the smartphone, the tablet, and the increasing usability of laptops and smaller technological form factors… consuming information over digital medians has become increasingly easier and more convenient to do (not to mention the internet infrastructure created). When you start to consider that most people are using these devices on a daily basis as a means to accomplish work, to socially communicate, and even to enjoy their leisure time… It’s not hard to imagine why the shift in digital marketing has become so dramatic.
Marketing is All About Messaging and Distribution
Marketing has, and always will be, a messaging process – no matter what the channel of distribution there is; without a vehicle for this message to be communicated in, the end result will be lackluster. What’s even more compelling though, outside of the sheer volume of content and consumer distribution, which is now instantly available at our fingertips from massive social media platforms like, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, Google Search and much more – is the fact that marketers have the ability to both target, and gain insight rapidly like never before on their customer base.
It’s No Longer a Guessing Game – Fine Tuned Digital Targeting Is Revolutionizing Marketing
Because digital marketing is now developed and pushed in the digital domain of programming and programmed logic – the platforms that are available to today’s marketers have become increasingly complex and now offers a suite of unimaginable fine-tuning and targeting. If your customer segment is a stay at home mom who owns a dog, you can literally size up the geographical market and measure potential impacts in just a few seconds. Being able to directly target customer segments in this dynamic way is something we’ve never truly had access to on this scale (outside of some legacy direct mailers which were costly and imperfect).
But even more so, the bigger and more fascinating aspect of this new digital frontier is the ability to test messaging and creative impact from conversion results like never before. No longer do you have to sit in a focus group and determine whether something will work or connect with your target customer. Now you can directly “micro-test” your marketing on the fly, in front of your customers, for extremely affordable rates, it’s almost incomprehensible to imagine the benefits over other dated marketing channels.
In The Future Marketing Channels Will Continue to Shift
For now, digital and social media channels have overtaken the marketing landscape– and even into the foreseeable future. But as new frontiers open up, the game of marketing will continue to change as consumers will shift their focus on information consumption to yet another form factor. As marketers, our job is to follow that shift, and deliver a compelling message that connects with our targeted audience – there’s no better time to be alive than today to do precisely that.
Don’t know where to start? Contact us today at sales@tampahype.com