The sport of surfing is a fun mix of science and art. It’s also a good analogy for taking advantage of change in order to succeed.
According to Nick Pizzo, an Assistant Professor of Oceanography at the University of Rhode Island, the basic premise of surfing is using a vehicle designed for the job (surfboard) to take advantage of changes in water currents and depth (the environment) to move forward. You can learn more about the physics of surfing in Dr. Pizzo’s short, animated TED-Ed video.
Developing proficiency in any sport requires practice. Like any other new endeavor, at first surfing will seem difficult and awkward, maybe even leading to thoughts of quitting. It also requires the right equipment, and perhaps a patient instructor. But the results will be rewarding, even enjoyable.
Marketing is Like Surfing
Just as the right vehicle and the right understanding of the environment can make surfing enjoyable, the same is true of marketing. We don’t mean just “surfing the web,” but navigating the constant changes in the seascape, especially when it comes to technology. Success in marketing has always included studying how people think and behave, and much research has produced a wealth of knowledge about those over the last hundred years or more.
New technologies introduced over the last 50 years have sped up the ability to understand and reach target markets. Some include:
- Personal computers
- Websites
- Social media
- Smart phones
- Advanced data analysis (of which A.I. is a subset)
Each has been revolutionary, having drastically changed—or eliminated—existing industries, and led to the formation of new ones. And with each, there have been people who’ve thought, “This is the salvation of my business!” or, “This is the launchpad for my billion-dollar idea!” However, sitting on the beach with your new surfboard doesn’t make you a surfer any more than obtaining the latest tech makes you a successful marketer. You have to put it into practice to become proficient with it, and make it profitable for you.
Broad Possibilities Require Increased Specialization
Rapid changes in technology (the environment) offer the ability to do a wider variety of things than ever before. But where do you start? In order to compete, you have to jump in sometime. Perhaps as your responsibilities have grown, you’ve found the need to delegate responsibilities to others with strengths in those areas—people you can trust.
Considering the matrix of strategies, technologies, programs, and expertise required to succeed in today’s ever-changing business environments, marketing is a discipline many leaders gladly hand off to a trusted source like BryteBoost. Our partners have over 35 years of experience each, continuously studying marketing, best practices, technology, and establishing relationships and alliances that are in the best interest of our clients.
Making the Currents Work for You
Unfamiliarity with how waves change and flow can lead to being buried under a sea of potentially dangerous conditions. Technologies and techniques that are must-haves today were advanced five years ago. And todays’ advances will be requirements tomorrow. For example, what most people think of as advanced SEO (search engine optimization) is actually old news. There is much more to it than keywords.
Use our free website grader to see how your site can benefit from improvements.
A few of the questions you need to consider include:
- Static email or social media ads that you hope your target market will respond to vs. advertising that is dynamically analyzed and placed up to 1,100 times per month?
- Are you using A.I. tech that constantly searches for and contacts buyers who are actively looking for what you’re selling?
- Is geofencing right for your organization?
To find out more about how we might be able to improve your marketing ROI, schedule a call with us. We look forward to helping you surf to marketing success.