Future of Marketing
Social media is constantly being bombarded onto consumers and even if they try to avoid it, social media is the biggest form of connection in this day and age. Today, if you were to go to the airport or even a train station, you would not see many people reading a newspaper or magazine. People would be seen staring down at their phones, scrolling through thousands of new posts and content a day. The trend of social media is still young and it is only going to grow from here. Soon it will be one of the most important aspects of marketing for a business altogether.
Talk with an Expert
To understand more about how this trend will affect the future of work and incoming new graduates, I interviewed a former mentor of mine who is specialized in the field of marketing, L. Piotrowski.
Q: In your opinion, how has the rise of social media changed the marketing game?
A: “The rise of social media has changed the marketing game immensely. Society today is CONSTANTLY on their phones, they no longer read newspapers or magazines and many don’t even have a landline in order to contact them at home. It is a whole new ballgame regarding marketing if you are trying to sell a product to people. Companies must invest in people to properly maintain and monitor all social media sites to keep the customer informed and to know what is going on out in their own market.”
Q: Can a business survive with limited social media use?
A: “A business can survive with limited social media, however, it will be difficult to be huge without it. It also depends on what type of business it is….if it is a one person lawyer, accountant, doctor….etc. they may have enough business through past customers, word of mouth or being in a small community and having limited social media such as just a web page and/or Facebook page. However, if you want to grow and make a lot of money, limited social media won’t cut it as that is what everyone is on today.”
Q: How will social media change the way businesses are run in the future?
A: “As in the previous answer, companies (if they haven’t yet) will have to have employees who run just the social media aspect of their business. I also feel that unfortunately for the other mediums such as TV, radio, newspaper, companies will spend more of their advertising money on promotions and a presence on social media and less on the “old fashioned” mediums. Although personally, I find this sad because even though I love my social media, I also still love reading the paper and magazines and there are still MANY people out there who are not all about Social Media.”
Q: With the ongoing trend of social media use, what skills do you believe a graduating college student should prepare for in the future?
A: “With the ongoing trend of social media, students now need to learn many of the skills I learned when I was younger such as:
- how to have a conversation (in person) with people
- learn the social etiquette of when to put your phone away
- learn patience as they are used to instant gratification
- learn how to NOT post a picture of your food, drink, or “fun times” on social media as it makes an impression of you that you can’t take back or remove
- learn how to write a proper business letter without using short cuts such as BTW
- learn that there is MUCH more to life than just your phone…put it away and be part of the world around you”
Reflection
After this interview, I had some time to reflect and examine the world around me. What Mrs. Piotrowski said about some people like they “don’t even have a landline in order to contact them at home” is very true. Just recently my family disconnected our home landline due to the fact that no one uses it. Newspapers and magazines that are sent home are thrown away, untouched. Though some businesses such as service businesses or one person companies are capable at surviving with limited social media use. For big companies that are trying to expand, social media is a must in order to grow with their target market and audience.
We as a society cannot escape this trend, but we can learn to adapt to it. For upcoming new graduates, they would have to adapt to the new trends and platforms, which are not taught in classes. Social media may seem like an easy concept for the younger generation, but it is not difficult to learn. Like all changes, society can overcome this rise in social media.
