Marketing has always been important. It’s the most effective strategy for solidifying your brand identity, introducing that identity to more people, and eventually persuading those people to buy your products and services. In a vacuum, even the greatest product on earth would have no fans, since there’s no underlying mechanism of discovery to introduce people to that product.
Even with the context that marketing has always been important and will likely always be important, it’s valuable to acknowledge that marketing is more important than ever.
On what grounds can we make this claim?
Competition Is Fierce
First, competition is fiercer than ever. The internet has completely democratized entrepreneurship, making it easier and more convenient for people to start businesses and show off their products and services. Additionally, global industrialization has enabled millions of people around the world to get access to markets that were previously closed off to them.
The end result is that there are literally billions of businesses and websites actively competing for market share across hundreds of different industries. No matter how narrow your niche seems or how new and innovative your products are, there’s a good chance you already have many competitors. Making a better product or selling it for cheaper than your competitors are wise moves, but the only reliable and consistent way to get the edge over your competitors is to practice better marketing.
There’s a Ton of Support
Another reason marketing is more important than ever is because it’s easier than ever. There are countless options for support, making marketing a convenient addition to any business’s core strategies.
- Agencies. If you need a partner with tons of resources and ample service offerings, you can work with an Orlando marketing agency – or a marketing agency from anywhere around the world! Agencies are excellent partners who work on your behalf to make your brand more prominent, more respected, and eventually more profitable.
- Freelancers. If you don’t have the budget for an agency, or if you only need help with a few aspects of your marketing, you can also hire freelancers. It’s easier than ever to find and vet freelancers to support your business.
- Online guides. If you want to do all the marketing yourself, there are resources available for that as well. You can find countless online guides, both written and in video form, to teach you all the most important elements of marketing.
- Tools. There are also more tools and technologies than ever before, democratizing advertising and enabling even small businesses to market themselves at scale.
Consumers Are Perpetually Online
The average consumer now spends about 6 hours and 35 minutes online every day. That’s a lot of online time during which people can discover your content, see your ads, and engage with your brand. It doesn’t cost much money to get started with PPC advertising, and if you’re willing to spend effort writing better content, you can also improve your search engine rankings and organic traffic as well. If you’re serious about reaching more people, the perpetual online state of the average consumer makes it easy.
Traditional Tactics Aren’t as Effective
Traditional marketing and advertising tactics aren’t as effective as they used to be. People are sick of traditional advertisements, and they’re acutely aware of the manipulation tactics that were once used in the past. To gain consumer trust, it’s imperative that you have a full understanding of how your target demographics think and a strategy that can help you legitimately appeal to them.
We’re Witnessing the Rise of a New Generation of Marketers
In line with this, we’re witnessing the rise of a new generation of marketers. These creative, authentic, talented people are constantly pushing the limits of what’s possible, from generating new content to redefining the customer journey.
If you start slacking off on the marketing front, these edgy newcomers are likely to displace you. In this way, more active involvement in marketing is a defensive measure.
ROI Is Higher Than Ever
Marketing return on investment (ROI) has always been the “gold standard” for measuring marketing effectiveness – and for good reason. It’s essentially a measure of how much revenue you’re getting compared to how much money you’re investing. Thanks in part to all the factors we listed above, marketing ROI is higher than it’s even been before. It’s relatively inexpensive to pursue marketing strategies like SEO or email marketing, and yet, the potential returns are ridiculous.
Our current online marketing environment supports the premise that marketing is more important than ever. If you don’t currently have a cohesive marketing strategy to push your brand visibility and reputation, now is the time to revisit your past branding and marketing efforts and revitalize them for modern audiences.
Featured image provided by Alena Darmel; Pexels; Thanks!
