5 Things The Internet Changed About Marketing

There's no question that the world is forever changed because of the internet. But it's not the obvious things like Facebook and Twitter that are affecting the world of marketing. The access to information has changed how information is distributed and consumed. The traditionalists deny it, futurists applaud it. No one can argue marketing isn't changing.

Transparency, distribution, real time communication, the cost of storage reducing every year, there's a lot going on in the marketing industry as of late. The only thing you can bank on at this point is that things are going to change. You can't predict the future so you better understand what you're measuring and how you're testing your own assumptions. Let me know what you think. These are only my opinions.

The five things the internet changed about marketing.

1. No one likes advertising.

2. We have all the information we need at our finger tips, it's hard to surprise us now.

3. Vacuum cleaner sales people no longer exist.

4. No one can lie anymore.

5. Your brand is what Google tells me it is.

Have you ever heard some say they were rushing home to grab the flyers in the mail? You ever turn the TV on to watch commercials? Do you ever want to listen to the radio just to hear the commercials?

Advertising had it's place 20 years ago, it worked, and it worked well. Today though, we have every product and service imaginable at the tips of our fingers, only a Google search away. We don't need to be interrupted to let us know what new brand of Kleenex you're selling now.

You need to get much more creative. Take a page out of Mr. Godin's book and creative something remarkable that will spread on it's own, without you spending money on advertising.

In a world where shock value is something saved for the inner subreddits you wouldn't dare try visiting. It's hard to standout. And half the battle in marketing is standing-out, being recognized in a crowded market place is immensely valuable.

The way Gary presents is a good metaphor for what it's going to take to make it in this world. He's over the top, he knows his stuff but he's polished. He comes off like a wild professional, a trend setter, and innovator. We look up to people who are treading new ground.

Soon you'll have to figure out your own combination of wild passion and extreme diverse knowledge of wine. Everyone has a little bit of Gary in them.

At one time in our world, Vacuum cleaner salespeople travelled around going door to door selling the dream of an electronic sweeping/cleaning machine. It worked because it solved a problem people had back then. It was a novel solution sold in a very convincing manner. Today, buyers remorse, contracts, and consumer protection help against bad purchasing decisions.

Back in the day, we never had information on what we good or bad. Today, you can look up thousands of vacuum cleaners, but you'd look them up when you need one. With Amazon reviews we can see exactly what other people say about you after they bought the vacuum. We live in a world where transparency reigns. You can hide, you can't be a shister, you can't sell snake oil. People are just too smart now.

Sales people in general have their days numbered, with complete access to information, it's hard to sell anything door to door.

For the Saskatchewan Trade and Export Partnership (step) Conference

We now live in a world of extreme transparency and trust. In Don Peppers and Martha Rogers ground breaking read "Extreme Trust" they talk about how consumers demand so much more from companies. If people are spending their money on companies, they want to ensure their values align with who they're spending their money with.

With in a Google search or two we can find anything and everything about a company. It's not worth it to lie. You used to get away with it, now with websites like Trip Advisor, Yelp, and Urban Spoon, people are incentivized to share their experience with the world. You have a vested interest in giving them something awesome to talk about.

I talk to too many people who think they can buy reputation, that they can fake it and pay later when they make it to the top. Transparency is something that everyone has access to now, you can't hide anything. You may as well just strive to live as honest of life as possible. For companies this means you must be doing something at actually matters. For not-for-profit companies it's even more important because it's easy to say "we're a non-profit" and be lazy and not really do the things that matter. You have to constantly be asking, how can I help, how can I serve you better, how can I make this easier on you. If you don't, your competitors will.

In a world governed by search, not much klout should be placed on definitions of "your brand". The most honest way is to trust what a search engine tells you.

"Brands" in the traditional sense are gone forever. As Seth would put it, we're in the never ending recession now. You need to do good things as a brand. You need to make your community a better place. If all you do is make money, compared to your competitors, eventually you're going to lose out. We like companies how are more human, who have a heart, and who give back.

In the new world people are going to judge you and your company by how much of a dent you're putting in the universe. So you better start early. Give Google good reasons for your website to be coming up in search for.

An amazing read about how the future is already here, on how much we search every day of our lives.