THE DIGITAL AGE: ONLINE, MOBILE, AND SOCIAL MEDIA
MARKETING
The explosive growth in digital technology has fundamentally changed
the way we live— how we communicate, share information, access
entertainment, and shop. Welcome to the age of the Internet of Things (IoT),
a global environment where everything and everyone is digitally connected
to everything and everyone else. More than 3.3 billion people—46 percent of
the world’s population—are now online; 64 percent of all American adults
own smartphones. These numbers will only grow as digital technology
rockets into the future.
Most consumers are totally smitten with all things digital. For example,
according to one study, 71 percent of Americans keep their mobile phone
next to them when they sleep; 3 percent sleep with phone in hand. In just the
past few years, people in the United States averaged more time per day with
digital media (5.25 hours) than viewing traditional TV (4.5 hours).
The consumer love affair with digital and mobile technology makes it
fertile ground for marketers trying to engage customers. So it’s no surprise
that the internet and rapid advances in digital and social media have taken
the marketing world by storm. Digital and social media marketing involves
using digital marketing tools such as websites, social media, mobile ads and
apps, online video, email, blogs, and other digital platforms to engage
consumers anywhere, anytime via their computers, smartphones, tablets,
internetready TVs, and other digital devices. These days, it seems that every
company is reaching out to customers with multiple websites, newsy tweets
and Facebook pages, viral ads and videos posted on YouTube, rich-media
emails, and mobile apps that solve consumer problems and help them
shop.
At the most basic level, marketers set up company and brand websites
that provide information and promote the company’s products. Many
companies also set up branded community sites, where customers can
congregate and exchange brand-related interests and information. For
example, Petco’s Community site is a place “where pet lovers can connect,
share, and learn” via a blog and discussion boards dedicated to dogs (“the
bark”), cats (“the purr”), fish (“the splash”), birds (“the chirp”), reptiles (“the
hiss”), and other types of pets. And Sony’s PlayStation Forums site serves as
a social hub for PlayStation PS4 game enthusiasts. It’s a place where fans
can follow social media posts about PS4, watch the latest PS4 videos,
discover which PS4 games are trending on social networks, share content,
and interact with other fans—all in real time.
Beyond brand websites, most companies are also integrating social and
mobile media into their marketing mixes.
