How has marketing changed over the years?
How has marketing changed over the years?
“Every day is the same…”
Said no one ever who works in marketing.
The thing we love the most about marketing is it is always changing and evolving. Of course, this does present challenges and means that we, as a marketing agency, are proactively staying ahead of the latest trends so that we can keep our clients ahead of the competition. But would we have it any other way? No, this is what makes our roles so exciting – that there is constant learning and progression to be made.
No one has ever “mastered” marketing – it is so diverse and includes so many different skill sets, from creative through to analytical. And then, even when you think you have, BOOM, they launch a completely new platform for you to get your teeth into.
But back to the real question, how has marketing changed over the years?
For a closer insight into this, we speak with one of our own Senior Marketing Managers, Suzanne.
What has changed in the world of marketing in the last few years?
It is no surprise to say that marketing has become a LOT more digital – 20 years ago we had no Facebook, Instagram or TikTok. It seems hard to imagine.
But looking back 3-4 years ago, even the way that each digital platform is now being used has changed. The average attention span is now 8.25 seconds (Source: The Treetop), and this hugely impacts our behaviours and, therefore, influences marketing strategies across all different types of businesses.
We have seen TikTok blow up and storm the records for platform users, we have seen how tools like Canva continue to become a helping hand for marketers, video content now comes in all different forms, LinkedIn is no longer only the platform for those looking for a job and influencers are now representing brands across the world. Just to name a few!
And of course, we can’t not mention AI – we are just at the very start of how AI will aid content creation and influence marketing (and many other industries!), and we are excited to see how this unfolds to complement our service offering. And before you ask, the answer is no, we aren’t worried that AI will take over our roles as marketers… there will never be a replacement for truly understanding the brand you are working with, creating content to suit its audience and creating authentic and trusted relationships with clients.
These changes come from all angles, not just social media. Websites have also evolved hugely – they have gone from hard-coded to largely flexible and easy-to-use widget-based Content Management Systems (CMS). This aids marketers and clients in managing their own content on a regular basis. And, of course, most websites are now designed for mobile-first.
The focus on analytics and performance-driven data has also increased. Digital also has its benefits in that it can be more targeted, more measurable and can be therefore more cost-effective.
What does the change mean?
The world of digital marketing has opened so many doors for businesses, especially SMEs, to increase brand awareness with much smaller budgets and in a much more targeted way.
With people spending more and more time online, many more industries are harnessing the power of digital marketing and valuing the benefits because, frankly, if they aren’t, they will (or already are) be left behind. But with more and more businesses to compete with, this naturally raises new challenges in how to cut through the noise with valuable and creative marketing strategies.
As a team, we advocate for and believe in the power of the marketing mix. This means exploring and utilising different platforms, channels and strategies to achieve your goals. Your business marketing strategy should be focused on more than just one platform (i.e. Instagram) to achieve your goals, whether that be to generate awareness or increase revenue.
Dependent on the business types and target audience, there is still a very valuable place for offline and more ‘traditional’ types of marketing, such as print, television, radio and outdoor advertising.
With more tools than we ever dreamt of, this is an exciting time to see the impact of real strategic marketing done right.
But
To round up this article, it is important to mention that whilst lots has changed, the foundations and principles of strategic marketing hasn’t.
Yes, our audiences’ behaviours are different and evolving, but the questions which form the basis of a robust and well-considered marketing strategy need to be answered: ‘who are you targeting’, ‘what is it that you really want to achieve’, ‘what is unique about your business and how do you convey this’ etc. All marketing efforts should be striving to add real value to your customers.
It is so important to appreciate the different skills in marketing, from graphic designer, web design and development, content creation, Google and social media ads, influencer marketing, video creation and so on.
That’s why we have an awesome team at I Do Marketing, each with their own specific skill set and who are always taking time to stay ahead to add value to our clients.
For anyone interested in staying up to date, why not sign up to our Marketing Loop to stay in the know? 😉
Written by Suzanne Walter
Senior Marketing Manager
Suzanne is our Senior Marketing Managers who works closely with clients to help realise their business goals and ambitions with a strategic marketing approach. Integrating herself into the client’s businesses, she works from start to finish to ensure the marketing strategy and plans are delivered successfully and effectively.
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