Marketing over the last 10-20 years has changed significantly since the advent of new technology. We’ve come to utilize it in many different ways to create new marketing tactics and improve marketing strategies. It has also allowed marketers to provide a better marketing experience to customers. Innovations in the industry have made marketing readily available to anyone at any time today. Some of the innovations are the internet, smartphones, and the creation of social media. We are now able to look for and post anything on the web. This is where digital marketing has made an impact.

Digital Marketing 

What is digital marketing exactly? If you were thinking that it’s about using digital platforms such as the internet and phones, then you are correct! Digital marketing has led to many new changes in the marketing industry since its old humble beginnings.

Digital marketing has allowed marketers to come up with creative new campaigns to reach out to people. Perhaps they want to send out a mass email to their customers promoting a new product. Maybe they want to start writing blogs to inform people. These are just a few of the many different ways marketers have come to utilize digital marketing today. 

So, how much has digital marketing evolved over the years?

Evolution of Digital Marketing

Digital marketing has evolved in many different ways since it first came to fruition. The phase of digital marketing began when the idea of the Internet was being tossed around. Back in the early 90s, not many people were using computers, at least not in the way they should have. A couple of web browsers were put to the test, but none of them really became that big one that everyone would start using. Then, the first successful web browser, Netscape, was released in 1994. 

The 1990s

Over the next couple of years, the number of users using a browser skyrocketed. In the mid to late 1990s, several new websites were created. Some of these websites were Google (1998), and Amazon (1994), which we know are absolute juggernauts today. These websites were search engines, and some were email services. With these new ways of reaching people, marketers started thinking of ways to reach them. This led to the first usage of SEO, which is a marketing strategy we still use today.

The 2000s

The next evolution of digital marketing came with the widespread usage of smartphones by the public. In the early 2000s, a couple of smartphones were close to breaking into major public usage, but none of them made much of an impact, such as the Blackberry. That is until the introduction of the iPhone. In 2007, the first iPhone was introduced, and it quickly became something that everyone needed to have. We now had access to a personal computer that we can take anywhere with us. This meant we could browse the internet no matter where we were. This is where marketers had to learn to adapt to the different ways people view and absorb content. They had to create content that grasped the viewer’s attention while also informing them enough to take positive action.

Next came the explosion of social media. Sure, there were already a couple of social media sites used in the early 2000s. You probably remember MySpace. These social media sites became somewhat of an information dump of useful marketing information for marketers. People started sharing more and more information about themselves, and it just kept increasing when Facebook was created in 2007. Marketers were now able to track the patterns and behaviors of people. With constant new information being put out there, there seems to be almost no end in sight for marketers to use social media strategies in their marketing efforts.

With email marketing and social media marketing being used, personalization has become much easier than ever before. You can now send customers and clients personalized messages to increase the chances of those messages being opened. Creating a unique experience for each customer can encourage them to make a possible purchase on what you are offering. 

The evolution of digital marketing has led to many changes in marketing methods. What once was dominated by billboards and radio ads has turned into social media posting and blogging. There seems to be almost no end to digital marketing. That is why it plays such a large role in the marketing industry today.

Role of Digital Marketing Today

Digital marketing today plays a much larger role than it did 20 years ago. Digital platforms have become the go-to channel for marketers to market their products and services. Inbound marketing has become one of the main methods of digital marketing. Digital marketing now helps you generate more traffic to your website, obtain more leads, and increase your sales. This all leads to business growth, which many businesses prioritize. 

Digital marketing isn’t the only way to market today, though. Traditional marketing methods, such as T.V and mail, still play an important role, especially for local businesses. The key is to know what type of business you are and how big it is. Sure, you can strictly go with digital marketing when making your marketing strategy, but it is always good to keep your other options open, especially if you start.

Conclusion

Digital marketing has grown so much over the last 20 years. That is why you should jump on board if you haven’t already.  Without digital marketing, you are potentially losing sales and customers. Start digital marketing today, so you can reap the benefits that many others have already benefited from. 

Trying to learn more about digital marketing for your business? Look no further! We are more than happy to help you with your digital marketing efforts. Just click here to learn more about the many ways we can help you.