It’s hard to believe that we’re already 22 years into this century – it seems like just yesterday that we were all celebrating the turn of the millennium. As we near a quarter of the way through the 21st century, today we’ll be taking a look at three digital marketing industry-changing events that have taken place over the past two decades.
The Invention of Social Media
Of course, social media has had an incredible impact on digital marketing – there’s simply no denying it. Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram have completely changed the way that brands reach and engage with their audiences. However, they didn’t exist in the same shape 22 years ago.
In reality, social media as we know it only started to take off in the mid-2000s. First, we had Friendster in 2002. This was quickly followed by Myspace in 2003, which then gave way to Facebook in 2004; it wasn’t until 2006 that Twitter entered the scene. While social media is now a huge part of society, the likes of TikTok and Instagram are incredibly new and continually change how businesses advertise.
The Rise of Mobile
One reason social media has been able to grow exponentially is due to the rise in mobile usage. In 2000, only 0.35% of the world had a smartphone. By 2010, this number had risen to 29.47% and it is believed that over 91% of the world now have a mobile device. This rise in mobile usage has meant that social media can be accessed by more people in more places.
As businesses advertise their products and build an online presence, they now have to account for the fact that most people will be accessing their content through a mobile device. This has changed the way businesses design their websites and create content, as they now need to focus on creating a mobile-friendly user experience.
Another change that has occurred due to the rise in mobile usage is the way that people consume content. People are now more likely to watch a video on their phone than they are to read an article, and this has changed the way businesses create and promote content.
The way that people interact with businesses has also changed, as customers now expect to be able to communicate with businesses through social media. This has led to businesses needing to focus on creating a strong social media presence, and on providing customer support through these channels.
GDPR and Privacy Restrictions
While the rise of social media and mobile is mostly complete, we’re now in the middle of another big change: privacy restrictions. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a set of regulations that member states of the European Union must implement to protect the privacy of digital data.
The regulation requires businesses to get explicit consent from customers before collecting, using, or sharing their data. It also gives customers the right to know what data is being collected about them, the right to have that data deleted, and the right to object to its use.
The GDPR went into effect on May 25, 2018, and it’s already having a major impact on digital marketing. Many companies that do business in the EU have had to make changes to their marketing practices, and some have even stopped doing business there altogether. With America’s best digital marketing agency, you can manage how you operate in the EU and ensure that you aren’t fined or penalized any time soon.
What will be next in this crazy but amazing industry?
