technology Archives

How marketing jobs have evolved over time

Marketing is one of many industries that has evolved over time alongside technology.

For example, traditional marketing and advertising relied on bringing ads, billboards, and window advertisements.

Now, we have digital marketing and advertising that requires a different set of skills.

While the core skills, such as design and copywriting, are just as important, a change in medium and method has created new jobs across the world.

The history of certain marketing methods begins with the first sales. For example, influencer marketing isn’t a new concept. Some celebrities in ancient times, particularly gladiators, were used in advertisements to bring in more customers and influence buyer decisions.

Of course, marketing has been around since the time of trading. Sellers simply didn’t realize they were marketing their products.

But what does that mean in terms of marketing jobs? Let’s look at a few ways marketing jobs have changed thanks to new marketing technologies.

Types of jobs

The invention of the internet changed everything for every person across the world. It changed how we do our jobs, communicate, and entertain ourselves.

In marketing, it meant the switch from relying solely on traditional print marketing methods. With digital marketing jobs, marketers rely on certain skill sets, such as graphic design, web development, and apps, to create successful marketing campaigns.

Everyone involved in the process has a different set of skills. For example, a graphic designer uses different programs to design marketing collateral, while a website developer uses coding skills to make a design into a functional website or application.

Ultimately, the types of jobs available have changed. For example, companies no longer rely on print advertisements to get the word out about their brands. Instead, they can use various digital marketing techniques like SEO, SEM, digital PR, and more to boost brand awareness and increase conversions.

Work location

When marketing and advertising utilized traditional methods like print advertising, they relied on their teams to be in-office to communicate. But decades ago, the internet didn’t exist, so people couldn’t work remotely.

Now, marketing firms have remote or hybrid teams allowing employees to work anywhere in the world. These remote opportunities also allow freelance marketers to work with several companies at once to benefit different companies and teams.

Check out our nine tips to better manage your remote team, as well as our 11 tips to more productive in your remote work from home.

Data analysis

Traditional marketing can be difficult to measure.

For example, if you invest in a billboard marketing strategy, you can’t measure every person who visits your business because they saw a billboard. However, you can measure the increase in business, although that’s not an exact science.

With digital marketing, you can measure everything, allowing marketers to prove their worth to companies and employers. For example, a social media marketing specialist can prove how much they’ve grown the follower count, increased brand awareness, and even boosted conversions through advertising.

Data analysis can enhance trust among marketers, clients, and employers, making their jobs even more important since their results are measurable.

Check out our nine tips to get the most out of Google Analytics. Plus, don’t miss our guides to better understand your metrics within Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Importance of soft skills

In the past, employers relied on a worker’s hard skills to get the job done. However, soft skills matter more now than ever because more employees advocate for better company culture.

Soft skills relate to how you work, including how you interact with colleagues, solve problems and manage your work.

A job is no longer only a job. Workers want to be treated well and have a good experience where they spend eight hours of their day.

Therefore, employers are now looking more closely at their employees’ soft skills to ensure a healthy work environment and may even improve the business. For example, anyone dealing directly with clients or customers must have soft skills, as customers care more about their experiences when doing business with a company.

Growth

Marketing jobs offer tons of growth they may not have had in the past. Because marketing was limited to geographic location decades ago, it may have been difficult for people to get jobs in their area.

However, with the use of technology, the marketing industry has created more jobs for marketers. Now, someone in a different country can work for any business without moving a great distance to be part of the team.

Opportunities

Along with growth, marketing offers more opportunities now than it ever did.

In the past, companies may have had their own small marketing teams or worked with agencies. Now, companies can hire anyone, no matter where they’re located, allowing them to build remote teams.

In addition, marketers can now choose to work in offices for agencies, companies, or at home, depending on their needs.

Flexibility

More marketing agencies are offering their employees flexibility. In the past, marketers had to work a full-time, 9-to-5 job.

But now, marketers can work part-time or get more vacation time. While marketing is a necessity for most businesses, it’s not an urgent need. Therefore, there’s no reason an employee can’t work from anywhere in the world or at any time as long as deadlines are being met.

In addition, while agencies still need individuals in the office during regular business hours to answer client calls and emails, it’s no longer necessary for employees to be in the office at all times.

The role of women

Fifty years ago, women had a more traditional role and rarely worked in marketing and advertising. If they did, they were secretaries who weren’t involved in campaigns. Women were housewives and mothers, but they weren’t advertising executives.

Now, as gender roles have changed over time, so have the jobs in marketing. More women than ever before are entering creative and technical job roles, allowing them to pursue their passions.

Will marketing jobs continue to evolve?

As technology evolves, marketing jobs will follow in its path. Keeping up with the changing times and technologies can help marketers be the first in new positions, allowing them to learn new skills and earn more money.

When companies switched from traditional marketing methods to digital strategies, many marketers were left behind because they chose not to change with the times.

While digital marketing will be around as long as the internet is, strategies and methodologies will continue to change. Don’t get left behind.

To stay competitive, consider leveling up your digital marketing process. This can include automation, audience segmentation and enhanced email marketing capabilities, to name a few. DailyStory can help. Schedule your free demo with us today.

About the author

Ashley Nielsen earned a B.S. degree in Business Administration Marketing at Point Loma Nazarene University. She is a freelance writer who loves to share knowledge about general business, marketing, lifestyle, wellness, and financial tips. During her free time, she enjoys being outside, staying active, reading a book, or diving deep into her favorite music.

Best new technology to improve your business

All businesses need new technology to thrive in a competitive marketplace.

Still, with advancements every year, it can be hard to keep up with everything you need to stay ahead of the competition and keep your employees happy and productive.

Companies willing to invest in technology can increase efficiency and improve decision-making, while those unwilling to invest will fall behind.

Wondering what new tech can improve your business? Keep reading. Here are a few of the best new technologies to improve your business.

Card reader apps

If you don’t need a full cash register, you can use a credit card reader app that prevents the need for invoicing or accepting cash only at your business.

Instead, you can swipe cards and send digital receipts to customers. It also helps you track inventory and gives you access to sales history. Card reader apps can simplify things for small businesses without investing in a full-scale POS system.

Finance and accounting apps and software

finance-apps — Finance and accounting software allows you to take all your financial management processes in-house.

There’s no longer any reason to hire financial companies to manage your finances.

Finance and accounting software allows you to take all your financial management processes in-house.

While you should still work with a financial consultant and CPA, especially during tax time, you can manage your own finances and bookkeep in-house with professional financial software that allows you to track income and expenses while giving you insight into taxes, payroll, and more.

The more robust the system, the more it can do, potentially integrating with HR software to handle employee payroll and taxes.

With this software, you can easily file your taxes online and make automatic deductions to help you save on your taxes every quarter and year.

It also makes it easy to manage all aspects of your company finances, providing you with easy-to-understand insights into your financial health.

Communication apps

Whether or not you have remote teams, everyone within your organization should be able to communicate seamlessly with one another.

Communication software allows you to contact staff and different teams quickly without getting up from your desk.

It also allows you to search for posts to help you organize communication without asking for team updates. With communication applications, you can create different channels or groups to help organize communications across departments and various teams.

Check out these nine tips to better manage your remote team and keep communication up.

Cloud computing

The cloud allows you to centralize all important business data and documents into one easily accessible area.

With cloud computing, you can access documents from laptops, tablets, and smartphones anywhere around the world and at any time, so individuals don’t have to be at the office to complete their work.

Cloud computing also makes it easy to store important documents without printing them out and storing them in the office while helping companies improve internal communications and collaboration.

Customer relationship management systems

CRM systems allow you to effectively manage customer relationships and communication, helping you generate and convert leads to increase profits.

A CRM tool allows you to organize your leads to promote growth and enhance conversions while decreasing total costs.

With CRMs, you’ll have access to important sales and marketing analytics reporting dashboards to help you make better business decisions based on real customer data and information.

Learn more about how DailyStory can support your sales funnel for all your leads.

Cybersecurity

Every business must protect its customer data. However, businesses also have their own information they don’t want to share with the competition. Securing your data goes beyond keeping documents locked away in the office.

Instead, most businesses have some data stored in the cloud that they must protect at all costs, especially when it comes to customer credit card information and personal data.

Cybersecurity solutions protect your customers and your business, ensuring sensitive information is protected. Unfortunately, hackers get smarter every year and find new ways to break into your systems, so you’ll need a cybersecurity solution that’s able to detect threats before they steal data.

Working with an IT company is the best solution for most companies who don’t know how to protect their own data. Many of these companies are experts in cloud storage and can help you keep all data used in digital tools safe from threats.

Check out this 12-step website security checklist for beginners.

Project management software

If you have difficulty tracking your tasks, your staff likely does, too. Without proper processes and tools in place, you won’t be able to effectively track and complete tasks that are part of larger projects.

Keeping track of deliverables and deadlines is key to the success of your business, but sticky notes and personal notepads aren’t effective for tracking everything within your organization.

Instead, use project management software that tracks all aspects of projects and deliverables to ensure work is getting done timely, even if staff is working outside the office.

Project management tools vary, but you can find the right one for you by making a list of priorities and talking to each project management company to determine what’s best for you and your teams.

Check out these 15-plus free productivity tools that you should know about.

Inventory management systems

Businesses with products must effectively manage their inventory to ensure they’re not losing expensive product components.

Inventory management also ensures your customers aren’t purchasing products that are out of stock. Inventory management should be every business’ main concern if they sell products because you must ensure you have enough inventory to meet customer demand. You also don’t want to overstock and keep your cash flow tied up in inventory.

Inventory management software helps you track inventory, allowing you to set up alerts when your inventory is low so you know exactly when to make a purchase based on business needs. It can also facilitate customer service by making it easier to track products, avoiding the potential of angry customers when they purchase products that aren’t available.

Small business technologies

Small business owners must wear many hats that include tracking projects and forming beneficial partnerships that help the business grow. You could lose valuable customers and profits if you’re not effectively utilizing technology in your business.

Finding the right technology for your needs means prioritizing your needs and researching the different providers to ensure you’re only investing in the technology you need.

About the author

How does ever-changing technology affect businesses?

All businesses rely on technology to run efficiently. Technology has helped small businesses find ways to compete with large corporations, improve relationships with customers, and help improve internal processes.

Small businesses use various technologies, including laptops and desktops, mobile devices, equipment, and more, to help them succeed.

Small businesses must continuously look for ways to implement new and emerging technology in their business operations. Unfortunately, technology is always changing and evolving, making it difficult for businesses to catch up.

Here’s how technology’s ever-changing nature affects businesses.

Communication and information sharing

communication-information-sharing — Today’s digital landscape and technology allow for easier, more efficient ways to communicate.

Every business needs to communicate internally with employees and externally with customers.

Today’s digital landscape and technology allow for easier, more efficient ways to communicate.

Applications like Slack, Zoom, and chatbots simplify information sharing, and businesses can’t track conversations and get analytics based on consumer behavior. With better communication comes deeper intelligence to obtain customer data and use it to improve experiences and new marketing strategies.

Communication through effective technology use helps businesses create personalized messages and automated communications to improve marketing and allow professionals to reach new customers.

But, of course, there is a point when communication becomes ineffective. Businesses mustn’t lose the personal connection they have with their customers.

Need help with your conversational marketing? Check out our eight tips, and see how conversational marketing can boost your business.

Mobile devices

Mobile devices, including smartphones and tablets, can help businesses manage their employees and daily operations remotely.

Everything from sales and marketing to customer relations can be done with the use of high-speed internet and the right software.

Of course, mobile isn’t just for business’s internal processes; it can help improve your relationships with your customers and the public.

Consumers are using mobile devices to shop around, make purchases, and find local businesses while sharing their experiences with the public. So, technology doesn’t just enable businesses to communicate internally, but it’s the main driving force behind many consumer decisions.

Through the use of mobile devices, businesses can communicate internally with employees via instant messaging apps and video chat, or they can use it to send personalized, targeted messages to qualified customers.

However, mobile is sure to stick around, so businesses must continue to find ways to leverage it.

Check out our six reasons why mobile optimization matters to your business, as well as 16 tips to make your website mobile-friendly.

Remote working

Technology enables a remote workforce. Although remote work had already been growing for years before the pandemic, many companies were forced into a remote work environment in recent years to keep their employees safe. As a result, many companies chose to give up the office environment altogether.

Companies have had to use technology to support remote work, including remote logins, video conferencing, and project management tools to allow for easy collaboration.

Instead of managing employees depending on the hours they worked, many employers shifted their employees to salaried positions that focused more on output instead of hours spent.

See our nine tips to better manage your remote team.

Remote work makes it easier to attract and retain talent, but it can also increase productivity as long as employees have the right technology and tools.

However, as technology continues to support a remote workforce, many business leaders still disagree with the effectiveness of working from home, so the jury is still out on whether the future of work is remote or a more hybrid experience.

Check out our 11 tips to be more productive when working from home.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Artificial intelligence impacts businesses of all types, making it a great way for small companies to get a competitive edge against corporations.

AI can do many things, including machine learning and customer support, and even improve daily processes by automating tasks while tracking buyers and predicting their behavior.

There are competing views on the use of AI in businesses. Some experts believe that it will result in fewer jobs available, while others believe AI could possibly create jobs and new roles.

Collaboration

Technology has the ability to improve collaboration in many different work environments.

With the use of remote work tools, such as Google Docs and Zoom, many employees can collaborate on the same project without the need to schedule time together. Most work environments depend on some type of collaboration, including gathering information and responding to emails.

Many collaboration tools are available to simplify team discussions, improve file sharing, and manage projects.

With more technology, you can expect better collaboration, increasing productivity and efficiency whether employees work remotely or in the office.

Check out at least 15 of the best free productivity tools you should know about.

Saved money

By improving productivity and efficiency, technology can help businesses save money. For example, allowing your employees to get more done in a day means spending the same amount of money for more output.

Additionally, technology can be used to find savings opportunities. For example, you can use technology to manage your expenses and find areas of the business that cost your money the most.

Technology also allows you to reduce your costs. For example, accepting cryptocurrency can result in lower transaction fees, allowing you to earn more on every purchase. Even if your business doesn’t accept cryptocurrency, you can reduce your spending and earn more on every sale by using technology to source materials and automate inventory.

Improved customer experiences

Technology can be used to enhance the relationship customers have with your business.

You can solve customer problems faster than ever by using chatbots and customer service tools. Not having this technology can result in lower sales and unhappy customers, which can impact word of mouth or result in fewer sales and repeat customers.

Check out our eight tips to get started with conversational marketing.

Burnout

Most of this article has been about the benefits of technology. However, technology does have its downsides.

When used ineffectively, technology in business can lead to employee burnout and higher turnover rates. In addition, whether your employees work remotely or in person, businesses that use technology to over-communicate with employees can leave them feeling drained and unable to accomplish tasks.

While tools like Slack and Zoom can improve communication, they can also be used to micromanage or distract employees, forcing employees to have to spend more hours working to accomplish the same amount of work.

Because many business leaders view technology as a good thing, they don’t understand how it can also inhibit productivity and affect employee mental health. Before businesses implement new technology in the workplace, make sure to understand the potential negative implications it can have on employee wellbeing and productivity.

Final thoughts

Technology will continue to evolve, and businesses are eager to understand how new technology can improve their business operations and increase employee productivity while saving them money.

First, business leaders should understand all the possible implications new technology can have on their business. Technology can have many benefits when used effectively, but it can also drain employees and productivity when overused.

About the author

Ellie Williams holds a Bachelor of Science in Hospitality with a minor in Marketing from Chico State University. She enjoys doing freelance writing on general business, wellness, and lifestyle tips. During her free time, she enjoys catching up with friends and family or attending local events.

10 of the latest technology trends that impact businesses

All businesses use technology in their day-to-day operations. Whether you run a small store or an online business, you use everything from the most basic technology like computers to more advanced technology like automation software.

Unfortunately, far too many small business owners purchase office equipment and don’t put any more time or resources into finding better solutions that can help them scale.

Yet, technology plays a vital role in business growth and efficiency, and learning small business trends can help you improve your business operations and increase sales.

Here are the latest technology trends in 2022 that will impact businesses.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

AI and machine learning have been trending topics in the last few years, but many small businesses don’t yet understand how they can help them.

As artificial intelligence becomes more understandable and mainstream, small businesses must find new ways to incorporate it into their business processes. From voice assistants to personalized customer experiences, AI can be used to improve all aspects of business operations and streamline everything from marketing to customer support.

AI can help small businesses automate manual tasks, helping to save time and money while ensuring employees can get more done in a single day.

In addition, using AI can save businesses time on tasks that aren’t enjoyable for employees while allowing those employees to free up their time to focus on tasks that can help the business grow.

HR software

If your HR professionals spend most of their days staring at computer monitors and inputting data, they’re wasting valuable time they could be using to find better ways to recruit top talent.

However, comprehensive human resources software can help small business owners better track employees and their needs, even allowing for employees to take care of internal HR processes on their own.

In addition, HR tech can better support remote teams to help small businesses that have teams throughout the country.

HR software is more than a way to store employee data. It can help improve employee engagement and remove time-consuming antiquated systems.

Shopping with technology

Shopping gets easier with the use of technology, helping to support the shift from shopping in person to shopping online and having contactless experiences and delivery.

For example, with mobile payments helping people avoid long shopping lines, businesses can increase sales while improving customer experiences.

Check out our 14 expert tips to boost your mobile marketing.

Remote employee onboarding

HR teams have used the internet and other technologies to recruit employees for years, but they can now onboard team members remotely.

In addition, as more people make the shift to working from home and businesses continue to support working from home, technology allows businesses to onboard employees simply from wherever they are.

Unfortunately, remote employers often struggle to onboard new employees because training people without the right tools and technology is difficult. For example, without the ability to let people connect in person, it can be difficult for them to learn the ins and outs of the business and operations. Technology improves the onboarding experience to help plan it and ensure new employees can learn everything they need to do their new jobs well.

As remote work continues, companies must invest technology into helping new employees learn about the company and their new job.

When it comes to remote work, check out our nine tips for better managing your team and our 11 tips to be more productive when working from home.

Cybersecurity

While cyberattacks typically target large corporations with more customers, small businesses are at an increased risk of hacks because they typically don’t have cybersecurity solutions in place.

Many small businesses are at risk for data breaches, and with more information stored online, all businesses must improve their security.

Check out our 12-step website security checklist for beginners.

Automation

Automation is an important business buzzword, but it’s something that, when implemented effectively, can improve business processes to help employees save time and improve the customer experience.

Small businesses can use automation throughout their companies, from marketing to human resources and even payroll.

Customer service automation can help streamline customer support and improve customer experiences to support major business initiatives.

In regard to automation, check out our guide on email automation, as well as our seven opportunities for social media automation that you might not have thought of.

Influencer marketing

Social media has been a popular technology for years. However, as social media marketing and advertising become more difficult for small businesses due to privacy policies and user concerns, influencer marketing is becoming increasingly popular. Influencer marketing uses social media to reach new customers through popular thought leaders they follow online.

Consumers no longer fall for the same tricks; advertisements and intrusive selling no longer work on the savvy consumer. Instead, your customers are more likely to shop based on recommendations from an influencer they trust. Influencer marketing is a personalized way to engage with your target audience.

Influencer marketing requires tools, including social media and other software, to help you find and vet influencers in your industry.

Augmented reality and virtual reality

Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are most talked about in the gaming industry. VR puts the user into a digital environment, while AR can be used to enhance the experience.

Many eCommerce businesses can use these technologies to help potential customers see how they’d look in clothing or accessories before they make a purchase.

However, VR and AR can be used in other business areas, including HR, to help in training, education, and marketing.

Chatbots

Chatbots are becoming more popular for many businesses, especially eCommerce shops. Using chatbots can help your customers complete purchases without speaking to a customer service representative.

Chatbots operate using AI to answer customer questions based on what they ask. However, chatbots aren’t always completely accurate, so businesses should still have someone available to answer customer questions when a chatbot can’t.

Chatbots are available any time of day to streamline customer support, which can improve customer experiences because they can get basic questions answered at their convenience.

AI chatbots can be used outside of the customer service department, too. For example, you can use chatbots in the onboarding process to help answer new employees’ questions without needing human intervention.

Check out 14 of the best chatbot builders for small businesses.

Chatbots are a big part of conversational marketing. See our eight tips to improve your conversational marketing.

Analytics

In the past, many business owners had to rely on their experience to make important decisions.

Thanks to many tools and software available, businesses now have access to tons of data about their business, including productivity levels, internal data, and data on their customers. Data and analytics can help you understand your business and measure important performance metrics you can improve upon.

For example, in marketing, you can use data to determine how much it costs to earn a new customer, also known as a cost per acquisition (CPA). With this data, you can begin to find ways to reduce costs and increase your return on investment.

Not only that, but data analytics can help you learn about areas of the business that are bottlenecks to help you determine how to solve complex challenges and improve business efficiency.

Check out our nine tips to get the most out of Google Analytics.

Final thoughts

Businesses can use technology to improve internal processes, earn more customers, and improve their relationships with consumers. However, many small businesses can’t afford to invest in every new and emerging technology trend.

So, instead, find areas of your business that can be improved upon through technology and start to research the different types of tools to streamline essential business functions.

About the author

Julia Olivas graduated from San Francisco State University with her B.A. in Communication Studies. She is a contributing writer at 365businesstips.com where she loves sharing her passion for digital marketing and content creation. Outside of writing, she loves cooking, reading, making art, and her pup Ruby.