Why Are We In the Midst of Such a Huge Marketing Shift?

[This article was written by Smith Willas.]

For a company to be successful, they need to market their business, products, services, and their brand. We all know this, right? But did you know that there’s a major marketing shift right now?

I had the opportunity to talk with Mathew Sweezey, one of the new breed of marketing thought leaders. During our conversation, Mathew explained how and why the marketing environment is changing.

Understanding this will help businesses determine which marketing strategy is best for their customer base and business goals.

Why Is Marketing Changing So Much Right Now?

Marketing is changing because our environment has changed.

In the past, businesses with a lot of capitol controlled the media. They relied on advertisements and messages about their service/product.

Then, we entered the digital age. Still, the approach was the same – telling people why they need to purchase our product or service.

Nowadays, we’re not only digital, we’re social. This means we can’t approach marketing the way we used to. People don’t simply take a company’s word for it that they need a particular product or that theirs is the best on the market.

Instead, when people are considering making a purchase, they take to Google or social media to find out more about it. In fact, people are generally ready to make a purchase when they finally contact a company because they’ve already done their research. In the past, they relied on sales people to give them information and help them make a decision.

How You Can Keep In Step with the Latest Marketing Trends

In this changing environment, how are business owners and marketers supposed to attract customers?

The best way to do this is to get onto social media. But once there, you don’t simply want to talk about your company. This is the old way of doing things.

Follow the example of companies like Kronos, a software company. They post two types of content on their Facebook page: Corporate blog posts and a series of comics. Guess which posts receive more customer engagement?

That’s right – it’s the comics. People don’t go onto social media because they want someone to sell them something. Nor do they go there with the specific purpose to read content.

People go onto social media to escape. When you post things online that are a mix of business, humor, and inspirational, this makes consumers feel like you’re not just trying to sell them something. It makes them feel like you get them. That, in turn, makes them more curious about your brand.

Marketing Will Always Evolve – Make Sure You Keep Up

The latest trends in marketing have taken some people by surprise. Keeping up-to-date on the latest trends is vital, though.

In doing so, you’ll be able to improve your online visibility when it comes to your target market. And when you give your customers an authentic, personal experience, they’ll be more likely to check out your product/service.

So, make sure your marketing team approaches their strategies thoughtfully, thinking about what the consumer wants or needs.

Continually doing this will ensure that your business continues to grow.

Do you want to stay on the cusp of the latest marketing trends? Follow Mathew on Twitter and make sure to check out his book Marketing Automation for Dummies.