Social & Digital Marketing, the new growth drivers

Business cards have changed over the years .The 80’s was an era

of Fax and Telex printed on the business card, the 90’s brought

Website addresses and the current decade is about social

handles. A lot has changed and a lot more will. Globalization

and technological advancements are shaping the way we

perceive and see things today like never before. Strategies,

tactics and processes that just a decade ago reigned supreme,

now look a little out of sync, when viewed through today’s

consumer perspective.

In a tough economic environment, businesses will always be

seeking to improve, adapt and be flexible to the changing

environment. The rise of technologies, such as cloud, digital and

social aided by broadband and smart devices has had a significant impact on the way companies operate

with a clear focus on improved business outcomes. This shift has seen the role of technology within a

business change from a support service to an integral player at the heart of operations, with the

potential to influence new commercial strategies and affect the shape of a business.

Customers are demanding more from businesses than ever before and, with competition even fiercer, it

has never been more crucial to be able to act quickly, identify new markets, and introduce new services

to differentiate your offer from the competition. The key ingredients for agility and a differentiated

customer experience are a combination of digital marketing, engaging design, innovative technology,

seamless integration, scale, security and great analytics.

Today, branding is a function of media fragmentation. With more channels and newspapers reaching out

to diverse customer bases, it’s harder for marketers to reach a truly mass audience. Simply stated,

above-the-line marketing that utilizes generic messages to build awareness is no longer the best way to

influence customer behavior. Disruptive technologies aided by the advent of social media and

smartphones are driving innovation and looking for new ways to extend the value across cloud, mobility

and digital media. Today, any small business has the potential to target its audience with cost effective

online marketing techniques that can attract new business and revenue.

Digital marketing amply aided by its cousin Social media, as a mega-trend is quickly revealing early

adopters and laggards. Engagement ads for standard and mobile websites, branded online videos, social

media, pay-per-click (PPC) ads, sponsored blog posts, SMS text messages, email distribution, and so on.

Increasing your web presence and social media footprint has never been more urgent, whether you’re

just starting a business or trying to make an existing one more accessible and appealing to customers.

So, what has aided these new growth drivers? The answer surprisingly is very simple — Digital and Social

media provide cost effectiveness, easily Measured and adjusted ROI, viral value, personalized

meaningful conversations that are non-intrusive.

Within just 19 weeks after its release, Korean Star Psy’s “Gangnam Style” became the most popular

video on YouTube with approximately 805 Million views, beating out former champ, Justin Bieber’s

“Baby,” which held the old record with approximately 804 Million Views over a period of 135 weeks.

Closer home, stories like “Kolaveri Di” had a similar impact. There was no money involved- just a smart

devise to shoot, upload and share- aided by broadband connection and voila! International brands were

created.

Today, the new digital and social growth drivers have changed the dynamics of marketing from

traditional marketing mix of Product, Price, Place and Promotion (4Ps) to Consumer, Cost, Convenience

and Communication (4C).

An era where Content is ‘Queen’ and Customer is ‘King’ has truly arrived.

—-By Prateek N. Kumar, Managing Director& Chief Executive Officer, NeoNiche Integrated Solutions

(Views expressed by the author expressed in the article are his own. Mouseworld Now doesn’t own

responsibility for the views expressed in the article)