Three ways technology can drive your marketing campaign

The emergence of technology has revolutionized the work of marketers and the world of marketing significantly over the past 20 years.  The move to digital marketing characterizes the most remarkable change in how marketers tap into customer’s wishes and desires.  We have seen the advent of devices which make work easier and more importantly, data which provides definitive information on how and if marketing strategies are working for the companies that implement and fund them.

While devices such as smart phones, tablets and laptops; and social media provide a platform for innovative marketing ideas, it is the data i.e. big data that is driving real action where marketing is concerned.

Big data essentially means all data that is available; everywhere!  This data is made available through your company’s customer relationship management system, web analytics, ad tracking as well as external data sources such as social media, government databases, third party data resources and market research. 

Big data is driven by volume, velocity and variety.  The truth is that there is no set figure for the volume of data that is available.  The numbers change daily and in big chunks, couple that with the number and variety of available data sources, which translates into a staggering amount of information available to marketers and companies that have statement to make.

Another significant technological development is the marketing automation tools or software and apps available for streamlining both basic and complex marketing functions.  These functions range from email marketing and campaign management to growing your traffic, A/B testing to conversion tracking, lead generation and web and mobile personalization.

By far the most revolutionary development must be cloud technology.  In its simplest terms, cloud computing as it more commonly known means storing and accessing data and programmes over the internet instead of your computer’s hard drive. 

Why is this so significant for marketers?  Well, cloud technology has the ability to radically change how marketers reach and engage their audience.  One of the key effects of the cloud that will benefit digital marketing is that it has provided marketers with more venues from which to approach potential customers, while at the same time, allowing more individuals to become potential customers. 

With the cloud, marketers no longer need to worry about hard drives or other local storages as their files can be accessed and shared over the Internet using any internet-capable device.  The cloud is also extremely secure and of course, cost efficient.

None of these technologies would work however without a marketing team that is ahead of the curve where these advancements are concerned.  Technology has brought the marketing field a long way.   With the constant changes in data-driven marketing and technology, the marketing strategy employed by your company could become outdated while in progress.  This is why it is important to know what changes are happening and how those changes will affect how you reach your target market.