4 Ps of marketing meet 4 Cs of digital marketing

Plain and simple: we live in a digital world. So, it’s no surprise new marketing strategies have emerged in order to adapt to our ever-changing digital marketplace. According to #Socialnomics 2014, only 14% of consumers believe or trust advertising, while a whopping 93% of consumers’ buying decisions are influenced by social media. It’s time to say goodbye to the 4Ps of marketing and say hello to the 4 Cs of digital marketing.

Meet your new digital marketing best practices:

Creating

Before the advent of mobile devices, advertising was neatly packed away into traditional marketing (e.g. television, print, radio and billboards). Creating content was formulaic for these mediums, and it worked. Until technology, advanced and target audiences were no longer paying attention to traditional methods. Rather than always creating content to sell your audience something, think of content that will drive conversations. Create your digital marketing brand voice and stay true to yourself.

Curating

Social media and community managers do so much more than post content on social media channels. Similarly to art curators in museums, social media managers are curators of content. They determine which pieces of content are appropriate for which channels, when to publish and how best to engage target audiences in a conversation. As new marketing strategies in the digital space arise, they decide whether or not it’ll be successful with their brand.

Connecting

Instead of using the 4 Ps of marketing tactics (product, price, place and promotion), digital marketers are striving to engage consumers when and where they actually want to receive content (e.g. Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, Pinterest, etc.). Outdated methods such as guerrilla marketing are no longer effective nor appreciated. Consumers don’t want to be bombarded with messages. So, in an overly cluttered market, make sure to present your content in a meaningful manner to the consumer and in a channel or method to which they’ve subscribed.

Culture

Once a brand voice has been determined and distribution channels are selected, it’s up to the social media managers to maintain their brand’s culture. But, since digital marketing is constantly evolving, so should your brand. It’s okay to be a little quirky from time to time – just make sure the occasion is warranted. Your followers are following you for a reason. They like the type of content you publish, channels and ingenuity of your brand.

Out with the old 4 Ps of marketing and in with the new 4 Cs of digital marketing. Remember, consumers are turning to social media for peer recommendations on products. Make sure your brand is active in digital marketing. Engage your potential consumers in a conversation not a sales pitch. And, stay true to your brand voice.

How do you connect with your target audience?