Tech is the Future (No Matter What Business You’re In)

The pace of business is faster than ever, thanks mainly to technology. Business technology is a rapidly-evolving, fast-growing field that seemingly changes every day. And innovators behind the technology that sets the standard in business aren’t likely to slow down in the coming months.

Tech giants like Apple, Microsoft, Meta, and Google are sure to make groundbreaking product announcements or updates in 2022. In the meantime, less well-known companies are also releasing new technology that will make its way into homes and offices.

The beginning of the year is an excellent time to focus on the future. And you can bet on one thing that’s true, no matter what business you’re in: the future will be filled with tech.

Technology continues to have a tremendous impact on marketing in all industries. It can help you share ideas, learn about customers, promote products/services, connect with your community or audience, and more. The million-dollar question is: knowing all of this, how can you use tech to help grow your business?

Existing Tech: Online Marketing & Messaging

When Tim Berners-Lee invented the world wide web in 1989, it unleashed a previously unimagined flood of information and communication that continues to evolve and expand. The internet and the web (that’s right, they’re two different things) form the basis of almost every mass communications technology we rely on today.

For marketers, the explosion in mass communication led to an unprecedented opportunity to connect with potential customers. While some of these communication technologies are now an established part of the internet landscape, they continue to be a critical part of any forward-looking marketing plan.

• Website. A well-designed, user-friendly website is a fundamental marketing tool. While social media and other technology platforms have become crucial for marketing, there’s still no substitute for a robust website and no better way to shape your brand’s image and messaging online.
• Email marketing. Using platforms like MailChimp, Constant Contact, and others, you can create compelling personalized messaging that helps make an instant connection between your brand and a customer or prospect.
• Social media. The social media landscape is evolving so quickly that it may seem overwhelming to keep up with the proliferation of platforms and apps. But establishing an effective social media presence is more important than ever. Keep an eye on trends in app usage to get a sense of where to position your brand. For example, TikTok became the most visited website in the world in 2021.
• Digital ads. The web, including social media sites and apps, is fertile soil for advertising and brand messaging. A well-planned, impactful advertising campaign that leverages strategic placement of digital ads will create buzz around your brand and help create new loyal customers.
• Streaming. We all know the joy of binge-watching a favorite series on our streaming platform of choice. That’s good news for marketers because streaming will become an even more significant part of the home entertainment business in the coming years. In addition to premium, commercial-free apps like Netflix, there is a vast proliferation of popular ad-supported streaming sites. These sites are a fantastic opportunity to get brand exposure that offers a ton of value for your business.

Trending Tech: Business Communication & Relationship Management 

The internet and the world wide web haven’t only created new forms of mass communication. They’ve also changed the way we communicate with business colleagues and customers, and transformed how we keep up with marketing contacts and sales prospects.

• Virtual meetings. Accessible long-distance communication and collaboration have revolutionized the way meetings happen. Zoom has become a way of life and will remain a vital part of business culture, even as many companies return to the office. And according to research, virtual meetings and collaboration will only continue to thrive.
• Customer relationship management. There have never been more options for keeping up with customer contacts. The best software augments your marketing efforts by helping you track every stage of the customer journey, enrich connections with data, and keep up with every interaction. The choices are almost endless, from a simple spreadsheet to CRM applications to full-featured MarTech packages. In the coming years, automation and artificial intelligence will make these packages even more powerful.

Looking Ahead: Tech on the Horizon

Even more exciting tech is coming down the pipeline in 2022 that will mature in the next few years. We’ve heard a lot about the “metaverse” since Facebook changed its name in late 2021. Technology is expanding beyond the internet as we know it. Wearables, in-home devices like Alexa, and other interactive gadgets have gone from concepts to mainstream products.

Virtual reality and augmented reality goggles are likely to gain mass-market traction in the next few years. At the same time, the “internet of things” will see more and more everyday gadgets connected to wifi and communicating with one another. We’ll also see artificial intelligence, machine learning, and cryptocurrency in the news more as it becomes more intertwined with consumers’ everyday lives.

These present your brand with new opportunities to connect with those you want to reach. And, if any of these ideas sound a bit far-fetched, just remember it wasn’t that long ago that things we consider commonplace—like email or smartphones—were the stuff of science fiction.

Understanding which new tech is worth investing in and which is just a fad can be complex, especially when we’re bombarded with so much new stuff. Understanding how to best deploy the tech we want to use can be overwhelming. That’s where we come in.

Working with an experienced group of marketers like the folks at Asen can help you make good decisions about technology and how to use it most effectively to communicate with your customers. Let’s start a conversation!