Preparation is a vital element to successfully handle any project, event, or anniversary. When it comes to the future, how can you get ready for something when you’re not sure what that something might be? Especially as the speed of change in the digital marketing world continues to accelerate, it can be difficult to predict what the landscape will look like in a decade’s time.
We recently shared three marketing predictions we believe could be possible by the year 2024. However, it’s futile for us to prepare you for the future by writing about “How to develop a marketing strategy for smart contacts” when the technology doesn’t exist yet. So, how can you adjust for the future of digital marketing, now?
First of all, you need a healthy 20/20 perspective (learn how to achieve this here). Once you have this perspective, here are some ways to help you put it into action.
You can gain a competitive edge by gaining early access to new software before it hits the masses. Beta programs give you the time to get familiar with the functionality and form strategies before the rest of the industry – keeping you ahead of the curve.
Major platforms such as Google, YouTube and Facebook release beta programs that can impact marketing efforts. Yes, you may deal with glitches since you’re helping the platform test the software. However, they usually perform very well from the get-go and can be further improved with your feedback.
You can gain access by researching what’s available and signing up for access to the beta. In some cases, such as Google, you need to be a selected Google Premier Partner in order to get access to betas as soon as they’re released. If you don’t have the capabilities in-house to qualify for a partner status, you can access their betas when you partner with an agency that does. For example, we were able to leverage Google beta programs for Loeffler Randal which contributed to their great results.
Great work and innovation are often the result of collaboration. We’re not so much talking about external collaborations like GoPro and Red Bull. We’re talking about the everyday collaborations that happen within businesses that make them successful. Bringing minds together helps create, mould and challenge ideas and beliefs. It also helps businesses brainstorm solutions to current or future issues. For these reasons, running a collaborative workshop is an effective way to bring people together to identify problems, solutions, and opportunities.
To make a workshop successful, you should:
No doubt you’re subscribed to a number of industry e-newsletters, blogs and trade journals. However, do any of those discuss technological advances before they become mainstream? These types of sources are important for two reasons:
Two sources we like to follow are Stratechery by Ben Thompson and The Interface by Casey Newton. Both of these sites discuss new technologies being developed as well as the influence certain technology has on society and vice versa.
Being proactive about the future and finding new ways to create more growth for your business is a key differentiator between the organizations that make it and those who don’t. If you’re concerned about how future-proof your marketing efforts are, feel free to chat with us.
Otherwise, discover two workshop activities you can do in-house – complete with free templates.