Since the introduction of the internet, marketing online has grown tremendously year after year for businesses.
According to media research firm, BIA Kelsey, “Online/interactive/digital advertising revenues will be $71.6 billion in the year 2020, representing 41.6 percent of total local media advertising revenues, up from 28.0 percent in 2015 (BIA/Kelsey, 2016).”
Recently, gaming company Nintendo saw their stock jump 33 percent after the successful launch of their new app, Pokémon Go (McLymore, 2016). I share these two facts with you to give you a glimpse of how important this marketing strategy is in today’s internet-connected world.
Because of social media, internet marketing must be a priority by businesses if they want to stay relevant in the twenty-first century.
Connect ANYWHERE at ANYTIME!
The internet allows employers, businesses and groups to connect with people anywhere in the world. As long as someone has internet connection (wifi, phone line, etc.), you can share information with them about your product in order to generate immediate feedback.
I can attest to the power of internet marketing because I have witnessed it firsthand. When I was applying to graduate school, I used the internet to research various programs all over the country. I was able to read scholarly articles written by professors at numerous schools and link up with them on a variety of social networks (LinkedIn, Facebook and Skype) to gain insight about the doctoral programs at their schools.
Without this marketing technique used by schools, I never would have considered going to the University of Georgia.
Started from the Bottom
In addition to internet marketing being used by businesses to draw people into a product they are advertising, an individual can use this strategy to start a “grass roots” program.
There are countless stories of people using the internet to market themselves: from Justin Bieber uploading his music demos on YouTube, to the numerous individuals sharing their ideas on KickStarter to raise money, internet marketing is a cheap (sometimes even free) way to advertise your product.
I myself have recently started my own website, http://mwoodsconsultant.webs.com, in conjunction with my numerous social media links (such as www.linkedin.com/in/matthewwoodsEDU) to promote myself as a future consultant and motivational speaker. If not for the internet, I would never have been able to connect with individuals all over Georgia before I have even stepped foot on campus.
As you can see, internet marketing is the future of networking and business. Due to the digital era we live in, this brand will continue to grow and expand.
Contributing Sources BIA/Kelsey. (2016, June 2). U.S. Local Ad Revenues to Exceed $172B in 2020. Retrieved from BIA/Kelsey website: http://www.biakelsey.com/u-s-local-ad-revenues-to-exceed-172b-in-2020/
McLymore, A. (2016, July 11). Nintendo’s stock surges after Pokémon GO release. Retrieved from CNBC website: http://www.cnbc.com/2016/07/11/