The Future of Marketing: The Era of the Buyer

There is no doubt that marketing is changing with the innovations in technology that is creating an educated digital consumer. Marketers have to adapt their techniques to update the way that they advertise and communicate with their customers.

Marketers plan to respond to this power shift by adopting inbound marketing in greater numbers than ever before. These statistics illustrate the balance shift in push vs. pull marketing tactics. For the first time, the shift is moving in favour of inbound marketing.

Last year:

• 42% said they spent more on outbound than inbound marketing
• 22% spent more on inbound

This year:

• 35% will spend more on inbound
• 31% will do the reverse

Today’s consumers seek out information from the companies that they choose to interact with. It is the customers that follow businesses on social media channels and subscribe to email lists. More and more consumers are seeking out word of mouth information and online reviews to make their purchasing decisions rather than listening to and relying on advertising.

What does this mean for your business?

1. Embrace Social Media and draw customers in with social posts that interest them and will draw their interactions.
2. Listen to Customer Feedback: make appropriate changes to let them know you hear them.
3. Ask for Product Reviews and incorporate them into your website.
4. Email Communications: Send out frequent and engaging email communications to subscribers.