by 
I think the gloves come off and everything is fair game. I am getting excited about all the opportunities that will be happening.
Past 5-10 years
I have spent a lot of time in the areas of SEO, advertisements, and keywords. Also, social media, (old term) was also a great place for engagement and strategy.
Today
The rules have changed. All of us are bombarded by distractions. We all have more options to obtaining information for decision-making. Also, we all look at information much differently than we did a few years ago. I think the impact of mobile devices has really had an impact our lives. I can only talk from my perspective, but I know I have changed in many ways.
Protective of time
I pick and choose what I read and its level of importance. I only have so much time to communicate with people between texting, emailing, and by various social applications. Also, I am reevaluating the way I use my time and I find myself watching less live tv and watching recorded programs.
Gathering information
I am becoming very selective in what I am reading. More and more articles are false, especially news items on Facebook. Lots of people are just curating articles. I am cutting back on who I follow, and I am looking to connect with people who share information that is so much different than the usual information.
Answering phone calls and emails
I find myself checking caller id more and more to determine if it is worth my time to answer a sales call. Also, I am on the lookout for spamming email. There are so many bad emails. I really try to spend more time on emails associated with clients, co-workers, and people connected through networks.
Looking Forward
It will take a new approach toward marketing to be successful. I know the key is to find a way to get noticed in a world that is currently overloaded with content.
I believe the new way to get noticed is to do the following.
Get Simple – Create simpler forms, easier web access, simpler information
Create a Better Experience – Discover new ways to reach people. Find ways to create a better web experience. Arrange more client visits and invitations to tour your own facilities. Host client gatherings at national conferences.
Incorporate client service more as a part of marketing. The best account managers and marketers are those who understand how client service can be incorporated best to enhance the client experience and promote more opportunities for clients.
Focus on specific client or industry projects to measure ROI and stop relying so much on a “build it and they will come” mentality. (Examples: content marketing, inbound marketing) Listen to clients’ needs and develop/design new projects to better meet those needs.
Stop being a generalist. Going general is slowly fading because it is too hard to get noticed. It is why newspapers are having such a hard time. I don’t see myself buying a subscription anytime soon when I can get the same information online or on television. It also comes down to time. I carry my news information with me at all times with my mobile device. It is hard for a newspaper company to compete with that.
Spend less time trying to figure out the return on tools, platforms, and apps. Too much time is spent on researching these items. The best way to see if these tools will work is to start using them. I have wasted so much time reading people’s reviews. If I would have just invested some time, I would have learned way more and discovered how to better proceed.
Look for ways to measure experience. My job as a leader at a company is to create a better experience for everyone: (workers, clients, potential clients, vendors community). The marketing landscape is completely changing and the best way to keep up is through a total team effort. In addition, the concepts of staying lean and simple are going to be the norm going forward. I think the companies that make it in the next five years are those that can stay simple. Today, it is easier than ever for companies to get into a market because people want things now and they love it when goods and services are easy to understand and use. It is more critical than ever that marketers really have a strong understanding of their products and services in order to continue to make them simpler to use.
Lastly, it is critical that closer connection be made with clients. Working closer with clients will be critical. Clients’ needs can change overnight. Those companies that can meet the ever-changing needs of clients more rapidly will be in better position to succeed.
In many ways things have changed, in many ways, things have stayed the same.
It really comes down to the following, “Are you making a difference in the way you are serving your clients, (internally and externally)?” This is the question I keep addressing as I go through my strategic planning for 2017.
