During the inception of internet 2 decades back, no one could have imagined the level of influence it will have on our collective lives. While it is true that the opinion of one single individual does not really matter, when it comes to the virtual world, a single opinion can catch on like wildfire to spread across the globe in a matter of hours. This kind of growth was unthinkable at one point. Nonetheless, the facts that we see are right before us in the form of a myriad series of examples over the years.
The question is: “What is the factor that drives this kind of frenzied spread?” Social network.
With the advent of websites like Facebook and Twitter, it is very easy to imagine how ideas can spread. We are all connected and that is precisely what drives the allure of digital marketing. In today’s world, it is not enough for a firm to look at merely its offline presence. With more and more people becoming connected by the day, it is practically impossible to distinguish where real life ends and the virtual one starts. That is precisely why most companies try to tread carefully on the internet.
However, it is now undoubtedly true that most marketing firms need social networking to work just as much as they need real world marketing. The reasons are obvious and range from low cost of operation on the internet to fast marketing. Speed is of the essence. Markets can rise and fall within the day depending on the factor that catches the public imagination. So, to capitalise on this kind of speed, internet is practically invaluable. Of course, next to no cost of maintenance and low tax benefits are also highly lucrative as well.
However, social influence simply does not end with marketing itself. Most of the decisions that are taken by a company are now based directly off the preferences of customers directly. The reason to this is the advent of big data. We are now connected in ways which shows our preferences directly. The advent of analysis of these decisions gives these digital marketing firms concrete ideas on what their next stock prices should be to who their next brand ambassador may be.
All in all, in today’s world, it is practically impossible to be in seclusion of anything else with the invention of the internet. While digital marketing makes use of this knowledge highly profitably, there may be consequences if the same information is handled irresponsibly. Whatever the outcome, it is undoubtedly true that digital marketing is the way forward to the future.
The question is: “How ready are you for the future?”