Marketing has changed. No wait a minute. Marketing has changed again. Hold on...yes - there is goes - another change.
Inbound vs outbound, content marketing, digital media, user experience (UX), conversational, traditional, and more and more...
But central to all of the shift of power, from brands and media to customers and consumers. There are big conversations going on out there, and the real decision is whether you are in that conversation or being left out.
Conversations about your sector, the services you provide, the costs, the quality of delivery, the expectations, the people on the phone, the people in the shop, the coffee that you serve. Conversations that are started by customers and consumers without you having an input. Bouquets and brickbats that are posted on line because people are becoming more and more aware that they can...
Social media channels, Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin are become a source of real time research for brands and businesses. as they listen in to the conversations and then take part. The channels are starting to cross fertilise, and where once clarity of use for B2B and B2C existed, there is now synergy. Strategic planning for each social and digital channel will make them work profitably, a piecemeal approach will not.
The web itself is a challenge. There are those that understand and use their web site to enhance their profitability, and those that see it is a place to stick up a brochure. Understanding the user experience is important, not simply something nice to do. Again it is about the customer experience, not simply if it looks nice or not?
Content that is engaging is core. Not news about the latest contract that you were awarded. News about the economy, consumer trends, legal changes, customer behaviour, people places. Thought leadership should be that. Something that prompts the reader to think differently, to tell someone else in the business that there is something that could be done differently, to have a greater understanding of a sector.
Businesses that are in the conversation are making headroads, even in the current economic doldrums. Those that are not engaging are leaving the door open for their competitors. So make your mind up - are you in...or out?