American writer Eric Hoffer was once quoted as saying, “In times of change, the learners will inherit the earth while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists.”
Are you one of “the learned?”
It’s easy to get set in your ways when it comes to web marketing. Especially if your marketing strategies have proven themselves profitable.
However, business owners should never get too comfortable. Being a master at what works today could possibly do you no good tomorrow.
That’s the way of the Internet marketing world.
You must adapt your web marketing strategies to keep up with changing technology trends.
For example…
Two years ago, companies weren’t worried about mobile marketing in the least. Now – with smartphones in the lead as top mobile phone purchases – any smart marketer knows that mobile users are a segment he can’t afford to ignore.
As technology advances, new opportunities for marketing a business become accessible. Keeping up with the trends is the only way to continue giving your competitors a run for their money.
Who can companies turn to for guidance in the ever-changing field of Internet marketing?
There are a few good answers to that question: your customers, your competitors and industry blogs.
The Customer is Always Right.
Surely, you’ve heard that statement at least a handful of times in your life. The customer always holds the answer to what a company should do to stay relevant and interesting.
Analytics helps businesses keep an eye on what works in attracting new and keeping old customers. Configure web marketing strategies to milk opportunities that increase ROI, as proven by past consumer activity.
Your Competitors are Cheat Sheets.
Unless your company is Apple or Google, you’re likely to have a competitor or two who are doing much better in sales than you.
It’s nothing to be ashamed of or to back down from. Analyze your competitor’s web marketing strategies as much as you can to see what areas you could improve on.
While copying is discouraged, studying how your competitors grow and change with technological trends provides a cheat sheet of sorts. The key is being able to discern what strategies you can adopt and what strategies you need to alter in order to best suit your audience.
Use Industry Blogs as a Knowledgebase.
There are endless blogs that cater to the web marketing industry. It’s up to you to decide which offer the best advice for your business model.
Influential blogs like HubSpot’s Inbound Internet Marketing blog are golden.
Also, look to blogs by web marketing firms. Because Internet marketing is their business, one of their own outreach strategies is to provide useful and relevant information through blog content marketing.
Subscribe to a few topical blogs’ RSS feeds or sign up to receive blog posts via email. Either way, you’ll have a continuous stream of helpful information coming in to guide you along in adapting to changing trends.
The good thing about the speed at which technology is advancing is that there has never been a time where creating a buzz about your business is as easy and inexpensive as it is now.
By staying updated through customer insight, competitor marketing analysis and industry blog advice, any company can continue to grow its audience online.