Why are adaptable digital marketing strategies beneficial for businesses? When you hear somebody say or write, "The world of digital marketing moves fast," they're actually reiterating that the world adapts and changes with incredible frequency. And, if the last twenty years are any indication, that frequency is getting more aggressive every day.
Sure, lots of new technology emerged in the 20th century, and much of it changed the way we live our lives - televisions, computers, video games, and the Internet. But the thing is, these technologies have continued to adapt and are changing the way we live our lives in different ways than they originally did. And we haven't even mentioned social media, smartphones, virtual reality, or apps like Uber and Airbnb. It has taken some of this new technology less than 10 years to impact the world more than the 100 years before it.
Needless to say, adaptability and agility are two of the most important components of success in any industry. In the digital marketing world, they are necessary if you want to relate to and gain traction with an audience.
4 Future-Proof Digital Marketing Strategies for Your Business
Here's a video in which we outline the four essential, flexible digital marketing tactics for our digital age:
1. Be Ready with Responsive Web Design
We are all consumers. We buy things—some that we need and many others that we don't—but we all do it in some form. So there shouldn't be any debate from consumers about how shopping has changed. Prior to the year 2000, did anybody shop from their phone without swiping a physical card or handing over real cash? How about buying your entire Christmas shopping list online and having it shipped right to your door?
We live in different times, and as marketers, we need to realize that the changes we see as consumers impact our customers as well. People are doing more shopping and browsing from their smartphones and tablets, which means you need your brand's web properties to be responsive and adaptive to whatever screen they're being viewed on. Even if you don't operate an eCommerce site, people are browsing and looking for information while on the go, so responsiveness is still equally as important to your brand.
2. Prepare for Success with a Social CRM
With advanced technology comes a lot of noise and distraction. How many times do you see a person walking down the street with their nose in a phone? Even normal conversation has adapted to allow the digital intrusions we now live with. If there's a lost art in 2015, it's the art of listening to ourselves, to each other, and to our consumers.
The great thing about technology is if you learn how to use it, you can solve some of the "problems" it creates. Yes, listening is an issue in today's world, but with the technology of social CRM, you can improve your ability to engage, react, and listen to what your customers are saying about your brand. And if you have access to what your customers want, you can quickly adapt and expand your strategy to better suit their needs.
3. Become an Adaptive Content Marketer
The path to your customers' hearts is still a steady stream of engaging, helpful content that answers questions they have and delights them with information they didn't even realize they were looking for. The additional benefit of consistent content is that it helps you accumulate data on consumers - data you can then analyze and use to tweak your content and strategy to achieve optimal results, listen to your followers and advocates, and provide them with what they really want. Embrace an agile approach by continuously monitoring industry trends and consumer behavior and creating content that resonates with your target audience.
4. Review and Improve Using Data and Analytics
The sheer volume and control of data collection make digital marketing the most measurable form of marketing and, thus, the most effective. The reality is the first marketing campaign you launch isn't (or shouldn't be) your most successful. Why? Because the next one should be better, and then the next one after that should be even better. If you properly use the data you collect, you should be able to adapt and expand your campaigns to greater heights.
In conclusion, keep in mind that innovative tools such as Hootsuite, HubSpot, and gShift can provide the direction you need to adapt and improve your online marketing so you can win new clients and increase repeat business.
If you would like help adopting more adaptable digital marketing strategies for your business, get in touch with your local WSI Digital Marketing Consultant today.
