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How Has Marketing Changed Over Time: Part 1

It is undeniable that marketing has changed in profound ways. Since purchasing power has really fallen into the consumers' hands through the numerous amounts of customers reviews, online data, and countless retailers to purchase from, the marketing game has been brought up a level… or 10. We thought it would be interesting to take a look at how marketing has changed from, say, 50 years ago, to now.

Video

Several years ago, when you’d scroll through Facebook or Twitter, it was all copy. Videos were scarce in your feed. With every other person owning a smartphone, and the need for an expensive camera to make videos gone, anyone can create decent video content.

Nowadays, marketers harness the power of video to engage consumers on social media, answer customers questions, and give a real-life quality to their business. You can wow your online audience every day by sharing videos.

Social media

Social media for marketing has really come a long way. Did you ever see ads back in the 1970s for a ‘social media marketing’ role? Or a ‘social content creator?’. No, neither did we. The online social world was rather limited 50 years ago. Sure, there were forums and other platforms to talk, but nothing to the scale that social media giants Facebook and Instagram are now.

It’s more important than ever for businesses to have a strong online social media presence for a number of reasons. It shows that you are open. It gives you a chance to demonstrate creativeness. It shows your customers a more human, personal side to your business. It gives you the opportunity to interact with potential customers. It can increase your engagement and sales through your website.

Spending has changed

If most of your marketing is done through social media platforms and said social media platforms are often free, it could be that you don’t spend a penny on your marketing. Nowadays, a lot of brands spend their marketing budget going to agencies to design their content and apps and to run their social media.

It can really be a full-time job! Similarly, as we mentioned video before, businesses are now going to media experts to help create high-quality video for their website or social platforms. This move to digital media is making businesses spend money in a completely new way. Move over TV ads…

Keep your eyes peeled for part two of this article series, coming next week!

Written by

Katie Reed | Product Manager & Head of Artwork

With 13 years of experience in the promotional merchandise industry, Katie speaks with true authority about all matters related to promotional products. Her attention to detail and creative flair ensure that product details, prices, imagery and descriptions are accurate and answer all our customers' questions. Her articles and other product-related content have become truly trusted sources of information and inspiration for anyone deciding on their next promotional product order. In another life, Katie would have been a star Quidditch player.

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