Cape Town - There’s no question that the internet has changed nearly every aspect of our lives – from how we make travel arrangements and bank to the ways in which we communicate with friends and conduct our romantic lives.
Nowhere is this fundamental change in how things are done more apparent than in business, said Candice Winterboer, owner of online copywriting company Alfalfa Content Generator.
“The internet allows brands and companies to communicate directly with consumers, while at the same time giving consumers a voice with which to communicate back to brands and companies.”
The field of online marketing is constantly changing as new systems and social media platforms come into popular usage. “Business and marketers have to keep up with the rapidly changing online environment lest they fall behind changes in communication methods and forms,” said Winterboer.
Potential to communicate endless
The potential for brands to communicate with their markets in ever-increasing and creative ways were endless nowadays, with the exponential growth of modern technology, explained Daniel Marcus, owner of business management software company Magnetic.
“You launch a product and you splash it out all over the social networks, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+ and so on,” he said. “Within minutes hundreds, thousands or – if you get lucky – hundreds of thousands of people are exposed to your brand, giving you endless possibilities of growth. Best of all, it costs you nothing.”
“Now take that away, and your ability to grow reverts back to the stone-age of billboards, radio and TV, which cost a fortune and monitoring the ROI is near impossible.”
Fin24's Matthew le Cordeur had a chat to Candice Winterboer in Switzerland via Video Skype.
Watch:
Technology driven
New forms of digital technology haven’t only changed communication styles; they are also changing the very ways in which entrepreneurs run their businesses. “As well as automated invoicing systems and the like, there is an ever-growing host of business applications that are used to simplify historically time-consuming tasks for the business owner,” said Winterboer.
There are apps for accounting, customer relation, project and even HR management, which free up business owners’ to focus on doing more to grow their business, like finding and securing clients. These apps are particularly useful to the small business or lean start-up owner, who may not have the staff required to get all the necessary tasks done.
Educate yourself
But how can business owners approach this brave new world of technology in a way that helps rather than confuses them? “By educating themselves,” said Winterboer. “There’s no use downloading a whole lot of apps or creating a Facebook page if you have no idea how to work with digital technology. Ask your entrepreneur friends for help and advice, and use Google to research.”
The mercurial world of social media and online communities can flummox even the most experienced marketer. No one could have foreseen the huge explosion of interest in the Apple iPhone 6 in recent weeks, for example.
The release of the new phone went viral within minutes, and it was through no action of marketers and advertisers. People were joking, exclaiming and making videos all over social media, and the new product was trending on Twitter.
“If online marketers had foreseen this phenomenon, they could have found ways to dovetail their own campaign with what the consumers were doing,” said Winterboer. “Online marketers are going to have to watch social media trends very closely, and think out of the box, if they want to use these communication channels effectively.
“No business can afford to ignore advances in technology and in the online space. Keeping up with these advances is a key driver of commercial competitiveness.”
- Fin24.