My philosophy (like many marketers) is that time and money should be invested to make sure communications are extraordinarily relevant and engaging, and integrated across all delivery channels. In the last 15+ years Social Media has been a new shiny thing that allows us to think about communications in a different way. But, the ideas that drive social media have always been in use, and experienced marketers know this — it’s just that now there’s a plethora of tools to act more creatively and easily against these ideas.

Online marketing is unique in that enables easier testing of different messaging ideas, campaigns, and delivery methods. We can measure results quickly and early to see what’s working best and through what channels. Marketers can also deliver a brand in such interesting and powerful ways these days – allowing a company as well as its customers, employees, and followers to contribute content about reasons to believe a brand promise is true (or not).

I think most would agree the world of marketing has changed dramatically and we are more accountable to the marketplace — partly because there is now so much transparency (which I love, that’s how it should be). It also forces us to be especially thoughtful about creating/delivering engaging communications and content to build brand awareness and drive business results.

Moral of the story — pay attention to the fact that more and more companies are producing innovative platforms, tools and technologies that allow marketers to elevate their brand and extend their reach. Make the discovery and implementation of these tools part of your strategic planning process.