More and more people seem to be getting on board with the idea that the way we do marketing is taking a fundamental shift. The techniques and lessons you may have used ten years or even twelve months ago may not produce the same rewards today. 
If you want to succeed in the current marketing environment, you will need to adopt and adapt to the trends. First look around you to learn what are the most popular and successful marketing techniques you may not want to jump on the bandwagon for every marketing fad, but in general, where the industry goes is usually indicative of where success can be found. Secondly, you need to take these latest techniques and modify them to your company’s specific needs.
If you are still dependent upon the old model where you place ads in the paper, radio or television and hope that customers trickle in, then you may be missing out on some more modern ways of marketing that have delivered measurable and positive results to your competitors.
The latest inbound marketing techniques include blogging, social media and SEO. Not only can these tactics dramatically cut marketing costs and enhance market share, they communicate with your target market in a much more appealing way. These inbound marketing strategies identify the online or real-world destinations where your most ideal customers congregate and offer them content of value.
The future of marketing includes actionable market research. Using the latest online analytics, your marketing department can determine where your most amenable consumers are online, what their demographic or psychographic profiles are, and what marketing message is most likely to convince them to make a purchase.
Whether you just getting into the online marketing world or are a longtime veteran of digital marketing, you can find the ideal analytical system for your needs. Among the most popular of these is one offered by Google, which can provide detailed information about who visits your website, where their visit originated and what actions they take once they arrive (Google Analytics).
If you are more concerned about your reception on social media, you should note that most of the major social media sites like Facebook, LinkedIn and Google+ already provide powerful tools to measure consumer response.
The internet is essentially the driving influence of change. As a research and information tool, it can hardly be underestimated, but you should also recognize its importance as an educational platform. In the days before the Internet, consumers had few resources to learn about new products, brands or companies. Now, consumers only need to surf the web using their tablet or smartphone to learn the tiniest details about a product, hear what other consumers are saying, and research the most comparable competitors.
The future of marketing is all about information. With the internet and related tools, consumers are more knowledgeable and discerning in their purchasing choices. On the other hand, you and the rest of the marketing community have more powerful tools to analyze consumer behavior and produce a marketing campaign that convinces consumers to purchase your goods.
If you are hesitant to get into inbound marketing and are thinking you want some guidance, download our free hiring guiding:
