Marketing requires a lot of creativity and analysis of data on customer trends and behavior. The business environment today has seen technologists being integrated into marketing departments, but there remains a gap in perspective, speed and accuracy in delivery. Marketing technology tools are emerging at lightening speeds. They are driven by growing internet reliance for purchases, campaigns, information and social media use.
Forward looking companies are investing heavily on internet based marketing. Here, creativity alone will not deliver results. A marketer will need to understand the technology of marketing and how it is to be used.
Why is there need for a marketing technologist?
As explained earlier, marketers have existed separate from the IT department. However, with greater investment in internet and technology based marketing, there is need to merge the two. The two skills must be synchronized into one to produce desired results. That is just the skin of the issue. There are five waves pounding the business environment today.
Money is moving from the concrete walled banks into e-wallets, tablets, cards and codes. All these elements spell technology. The marketer has to chase the money with new technology skills.
The rise of cloud computing and spread of SaaS. Software is being offered as a service other than a good. It is hosted at a central place for clients to access at will and only what they need. This has drastically shortened the sales cycle and made information a valuable asset.
Rise of measurement matrix for digital campaigns to ascertain ROI. Marketing is no longer shadow boxing. Businesses want to see real return on investment for their online marketing campaigns. Each dollar spent in digital marketing is now accounted for. Sources of traffic, conversions, etc can be monitored. Marketers need to use these tools to their benefit.
Open opportunities for new comers- technology has provided opportunities for creative entrepreneurs to disrupt conventional processes and channels. Information is no longer delivered or accessed the traditional way. Goods and services are no longer delivered behind desks and brick walls. It is an open field for creatives to cut short the traditional delivery channels.
Fast changing software innovation environment- software is the driver of technology. Marketers are becoming increasingly reliant on software for data, analysis, campaigns and monitoring. However, the rate at which software is becoming outdated and upgraded is astronomical. The tools you are relying on in the morning could be rendered obsolete by evening. This highlights the need to constantly update your skills and be on the lookout for new products.
The above waves point at an inevitable marketing transformation. The future will be highly reliant on technology yet the platform will be free for all. The barrier for entry will even be lower considering that people are learning computer skills at tender ages and accessing the internet before their teenage years.
Does this mean that businesses must budget for new software for marketing purposes? No! Marketing is not all about what you acquire. You must be able to create something desirable. Marketers of the future must be ready to create software, apps, platforms, etc. Considering that as a marketer you have to work with widgets, android apps, Facebook, the semantic web, etc, your IT skills must be a notch higher.
Digital marketing requires attention to other elements beyond the website. It requires knowledge of social media, apps, landing pages, micro-sites, etc. Your marketing sphere now looks like the solar system where so many factors are linked or orbiting around one source of direction.
Triangular Approach To Marketing
It is now obvious that marketing will be highly reliant on technology. To understand this reliance, we need to dissect the three technology elements that will be driving marketing.
Internal technology
External technology
Product technology
The three technology arms apply to both goods and services. They are also intertwined in a way that failure to embrace or understand one will cause the others to collapse. Businesses have to show awareness, appreciation and investment in each.
Internal technology- this is the technology used by businesses to analyze and manage their marketing strategies or operations. Some of this technology includes social media, CRM, SEO analysis, marketing dashboard, web analytics and business intelligence, among other elements.
External technology- these are platforms or tools used by businesses and marketers to reach to clients and pass their information. Examples of external technology include behavior targeting, landing pages, mobile marketing, linked data, search ads and interactive ads. External technology requires learning and remaining updated as a marketer since your rivals will use this to snatch your market share.
Product technology- this is the new domain on which the marketing technologist agenda is anchored. It refers to technology upon which your products are built. This technology is the life of your marketing ecosystem. Examples of product technology include data and content generated by users, digital products, GPS location features for targeted marketing, The Internet of Things and RFID, among others. Product technology can be summarized as products that are purely digital and have the capability of getting viral.
Who Leads The Other, The Marketer Or The Technologist?
It is now obvious that marketing in future will have to ride on technology that is from an internal-technology point of view. From an external-technology perspective, it is the technology that will shape marketing. This creates a delicate balance that can only be addressed by an agile marketer. The marketing department must build a culture of technology within its ranks. They must begin to relate technology to products, potential buyers and market forces. Here, speed is of essence.
What Does The Future Hold?
Today, marketing and IT are two departments. Leading companies will combine marketing and the technologist. If a company wants to integrate technology into its products, they rely on the IT guys, who have little regard for marketing dynamics. Digital marketing tools are a preserve of personal initiatives and social media managers. Just like technology, this situation presents an open field for marketers and IT gurus. An opportunity to cross-breed their skills and ride the wave of technology, while marketing with confidence. This gives the future marketing technologist a double edged sword that cuts front and back. Soon you will reign in the digital marketing sphere.
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