Product Marketing in the Digital Age

Marketing is ever changing.  When I was first married and decided to make some money “on the side”, my marketing strategy included notecards, business cards, pamphlets, mailings, tear sheets and more.  Then in college I learned about so many “cutting edge” marketing strategies that are completely main stream nowadays.

What used to be reserved for large corporations with major bank accounts and big pockets is now available to a ten year old child wanting to make some extra cash with a lemonade stand.

One major thing to consider when it comes to digital marketing is that it changes quickly.  Google changes their algorithms, social media change theirs, popular promotional strategies can all of a sudden be frowned upon etc… When I first started I would have a panic attack whenever there was a major change in the industry.  Over the years I have learned that when something changes, something new and better always comes along.  You have to be adaptable and always willing to learn.

Strategy

Universal Manufacturing Corp. starts with a strategy.  I had a strategy when I was marketing with business cards and pamphlets and I have a strategy now that my marketing is digital.  What is your goal?  What types of outcomes are you seeking?  How will you know if you are becoming successful and how will you measure your marketing success?

Content

Even when it comes to product marketing, content is key.  There was a time when I could get awesome results with content ranging from 60-200 words.  Now the success is more measurable with content from 500 words through 2000.  People want a vision of everything they can learn about a product – the who, what, when, where, why and how…  Additionally, content within this range is better for SEO which eventually will get more visitors to Universal Manufacturing Corp. products and greater exposure.

Videos

It seems like a lifetime ago where the only marketing videos that seemed to exist were commercials on TV.  Then came Youtube, Vimeo etc… where anyone could create content to sell their products.  All of a sudden everyone had a digital device and videos and video creation were always at their fingertips.  Then came Facebook videos and Facebook Live – like reality TV at any moment.  While driving, while sitting in cars, instructional videos etc… Even singing, entertaining talk shows – completely in a car!  The latest (that I am aware of) is Instagram Stories.  Everyone wants to know everything about everything at all times.

Podcasts

Although I haven’t delved into the world of podcasts I can confidently say that many of my counterparts have and it is opening up new markets to them.  You can easily make your podcast using Voice Recorder of your phone as well as other podcasting tools available online.

Customers

For the most part the crucial thing to remember is that you don’t need your customers to come to you and Universal Manufacturing Corp. – you just need to know where they are and hang out in their spaces.  They want authentic marketing and information.  Although I absolutely love Budweiser commercials (favorites every time) there is still so much to gather from true experiences with real people, like your customers.

Hardware

Best of all, as the world of digital marketing changes we no longer need a truckload of hardware to meet our needs.  We can easily get by with a simple Iphone which is in our pocket at all times.  When “more” is needed a laptop the size of a piece of paper can now get the job done that a NASA style mainframe system could not handle in years past.

Final Notes

Keep your minds open to changing technology and marketing at all times.  The world continues to change and rather than be intimidated by the change, embrace it and accept how exciting the world is becoming.