When’s the last time you purchased a piece of technology and it was rendered obsolete in less than six months? I’m not talking DVD players and iPods here. I’m talking about smartphones, headphones, and laptops. You know—the personal tech that’s become embedded in our lives.
Everyone probably has that friend that waits with bated breath for each iPhone product release and purchases it immediately. For the rest of us, however, constantly upgrading to the latest model can be overwhelming (not to mention financially burdensome). It’s probably also a fool’s errand if we’re being honest. Just think of your smartphone from five years ago and how much has changed.
It goes without saying that this rapid development of new tools is unlike anything the world has seen. In fact, we’ve entered what’s been called the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Unlike the First and Second Industrial Revolutions—which relied on tools like steam power and electricity—our current era is more nuanced. According to the World Economic Forum, the Fourth Revolution is driven by a fusion of technologies that’s blurring the lines between physical, digital, and biological spheres.
How technology impacts marketing and advertising.
This era is marked by connectivity, as new tools promise virtually limitless capacity and processing power. They also provide unprecedented access to knowledge. For businesses, this obviously represents a world of opportunities for marketing and advertising.
For starters, it can be argued that technologies like Google and Facebook have leveled the playing field for marketing and advertising. On one hand, these platforms have enabled organizations of all sizes to easily deliver campaigns to end users. On a basic level, they can be used by individuals with a general understanding of the digital world.
However, leveling the playing field has also created a world of immense competition. It’s almost a given that your consumers are probably online. Up to 90 percent of adults in the United States use the internet and 81 percent own a smartphone as of 2019. This creates unique challenges. Now, more than ever, it’s essential that you understand the tools at your disposal.
What does innovation mean in digital marketing?
According to Harvard Business School, innovation isn’t necessarily about the tools themselves. It’s about using them to create an approach that changes the way you solve a problem. And it’s about making this approach a reality. So, in the context of business operations, innovation is about leveraging technology and incorporating it into a reimagined business model.
Innovation is all about adaptation. It’s about creating new approaches to existing business problems. For example, you may have explored paid advertising as a means to address an existing problem. You may have even tried to launch your own PPC campaigns to drive more traffic to your website. But ask yourself:
- Do you know all your options?
- Are you using the right platforms?
- Are you optimizing your campaigns?
- Are you making the most of your budget?
Digital advertising is a crowded, competitive space. It’s essential to ensure your investments make sense.
Why you need a digital marketing agency.
Digital marketing is defined by change, as tools are constantly evolving. Algorithms are constantly in flux. Software and tools change frequently. And organizations are exposed to more data than ever before.
Digital marketing requires specific skill sets and a precedent of specialized knowledge. For example, Google makes small changes daily and updates broader core algorithms at least two to four times a year. These changes can shake up the industry. And because algorithm updates are generally unannounced, they often require a team of nimble, agile experts to respond immediately.
Optimizing digital ad campaigns also takes more than setting-and-forgetting them. While you can dump some money into a PPC campaign and hope for the best, active account management means optimizing your current efforts and identifying new opportunities.
Digital marketing agencies provide that level of insight. They live and breathe strategy and stay up to speed on the latest trends, products, and best practices. Digital agencies build out new keyword sets and test bidding methods and ad copy. And they incorporate new betas and features as they emerge.
Digital success requires active account management.
Full-scale agencies often tack on digital marketing as an afterthought. It’s something they know they must do, but in their minds, it’s a necessary evil. Rather than anticipate future needs, they leverage tried-and-true methodologies and hope for the best. Sure, they may generate some results in the short-term. But they aren’t truly investing in your success for the long-term.
Ongoing digital success requires a dedicated level of upkeep that generalists may not have time for. Digital agencies, on the other hand, are hyper-focused on driving results for a number of industries. And they’re constantly testing new tools. Digital agencies benefit from exclusive partnerships and access to beta products, which helps your team stay on the cutting edge.
Supplementing your marketing with a digital-specific agency helps you make the most of the technology at your disposal. It saves you the trouble—and inherent costs—of testing a variety of tools and platforms to see which works for your team. By identifying your unique needs, a digital marketing agency helps ensure you’re making the most of your current ad spend and set up for long-term results.
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