Zombies have slowly but surely taken over our lives!
Metaphorical zombies, that is.
Now that the hit TV series “The Walking Dead” is FINALLY back for its fourth season, I’ve had a chance to get back into the fictional world that comes to life in my beautiful home state, Georgia. I thought about how crazy it would be to have to adjust to a completely new way of life where you always have to be aware of your surroundings in order to survive.
Then it occurred to me that the real world is actually quite similar regarding the development of technology and the prevalence of the digital age. Just like in the world of “The Walking Dead”, you are infected, regardless of your level of involvement with technology. Inevitably, the outbreak will affect you.
I don’t remember a time when people didn’t communicate electronically, but that isn’t the case for everyone. Some of you work in industries where (at one point in time) traditional advertising was king, and it did just fine.
Along came technology and the internet. With it came destruction, death, heartbreak… wait.
But really, with it came a completely new set of rules that dictate how communication is acceptable and unacceptable when transmitted digitally. It created a new avenue for businesses to increase exposure, sales, leads, you name it. It created a need for new languages and coding—new ways of thinking, new ways of life.
So let’s look at our friends on “The Walking Dead”. At the beginning of the series, the disease broke out and everyone’s first concern was coping with the death of their loved ones and with the fact that things were changing. Okay. Got it.
But that wasn’t enough. It wasn’t enough to accept a changing environment but continue in your old ways. In a place where walkers roam the earth, ignoring the walkers will get you eaten within days. Rather than trying your best to run from them, the best strategy for dealing with walkers is to use them to your advantage.
Like in the time of a zombie apocalypse, the world of all things digital is constantly changing. I started working here almost a month ago, and even since then, Google has phased out some of its tools in AdWords in favor of newer, better ones. It’s vital now more than ever for businesses to constantly be updating and changing their strategies to keep up with new technological developments and capabilities.
“But, Mandy,” you might say, “I have a really great website and a Facebook page.”
Good! That is a great start. But staying caught up in the digital age requires a lot more effort. Having a website and being present on social media is as effective as living in the prison with Rick and the crew. It’s a foundation and it helps you survive, but that alone doesn’t allow you to really live a good life.
More and more walkers are being created every day—more facets of electronic communication, more technology, always more, always “new”. A whopping 92% of adult internet users use search engines. Fifty-nine percent use them every day (Young, 2011).
There are so many walkers now that no matter how much you know about digital marketing; one person cannot do it alone. As amazing as Daryl is (if Daryl dies, we riot!), he is better suited for hunting and tracking than he is for treating illnesses and injuries. Everyone in your business might be great at video production and editing, but how is anybody going to find out about your videos if they can’t find your site on Google or social media?
That’s where we step in like the ever-capable Michonne and turns the zombies into useful resources that can help your business do more than stay alive.
With strategic implementation and management of SEO, relevant content, SEM, analytics, social media, and mobile marketing, your business can expand into the smartest and best parts of modern-day digital marketing. You will reach people where they are and make your business thrive.
Remember, “You kill or you die. Or you die and you kill.”