The online marketplace, eCommerce, and cloud-based services have all become more important for modern life than ever before, and more business is now done online than anywhere else. Furthermore, the customer is now generally found easier online than anywhere else. In America, over a third of adult Americans are online almost all the time.
Thus, countless online industries are growing from strength to strength, and the argument herein is that this growth and unheard-of expansion has been the result of cogent and targeted marketing. As discussed herein, each type of business has focussed on a specific aspect of the marketing process or done their marketing on specific platforms. On the whole, the idea has been to establish a holistic targeted marketing process to establish the brand and eke out a profitable space online.
- The growth of the managed IT service
The rise of the managed service provider (MSP’s) for everything IT and tech-related has been one of the biggest industry growths online. The fact that the technology now exists for IT support companies to do all of their work remotely means that there is now a widespread scene of global competition for this type of work online. The recent global pandemic has changed the way that many companies work, with entire workforces moving to remote and home-based locations. This has seen the rise in demand for IT support and maintenance, software as a service, hardware as a service, and the infrastructure required to run these new remote office spaces and the new centralised office. In addition to this, there has been a surge in data breaches in the information age, theft of information, and cyber security as a service is very much part of the new managed service. It is predominantly for these reasons that the managed IT service in all of its guises is now readily available online and growing remarkably. It is no longer just the small businesses out there that now have managed IT services, but it is a trend for all businesses. The professional deal with your IT leaving you time and energy to deal with the core aspects of your business.
The marketing of this remote or outsourced IT has been all over the internet as the buzzword grew, and as one business in a sector went this route, several others followed, or their supply chain and logistics simply went with them. So, online word of mouth has helped, and the logic of having an entire supply chain supported by the same IT service provider for integration has arguably been the predominant reasoning businesses have gone online. The managed service has thus not really needed the level of marketing that other businesses have relied on, simply because as a business trend grows among a specific sector, it becomes incumbent on the business to adopt new strategies to survive. It was thus predominantly business and social pressures and norms that have seen the rise of the managed IT service, one initial online marketing had highlighted the benefits and uptake had begun.
- Fashion and beauty
Online independent Fashion and beauty product businesses are growing year on year, and with the increase in influencer marketing these products have simply flown off the virtual shelves. The disruptor beauty brands such as Fenty and Glossier have stormed the online beauty scene and are now global household beauty brands and are only set to grow and expand.
The marketing of these brands was predominantly supported by the rise in Influencer marketing and social media ‘How To’ channels such as Tik Tok and YouTube where the famous users and creators of the brands were able to show exactly how to use their products, wear the clothes and enjoy the lifestyle. This marketing is at the forefront of all lifestyle purchases and sales.
- Smart home Appliances and fittings
The rise of the smart home has seen an increase in related smart home appliances and home entertainment systems. It’s The Jetsons in real life, and everyone wants to have the latest smart home appliance that a be controlled from their smart handheld device. It’s not just trendy and a conversation starter, but it’s the norm and has become an accepted and expected convenience in the home.
The marketing of such products and the promotion of greener home energy management solutions have been the main marketing force behind these improvements, and the industry is growing from strength to strength online.
- Online gaming
Gaming is one of the biggest business opportunities online and is the biggest drawcard for the younger millennials. The competitive gaming industry or e-sports is the one that has proven to be the fastest growing at the moment and also the main beneficiary of widescale marketing on mainstream media and entertainment channels. There has also been a huge surge in the online casino and gaming sector, and professional sites like luckynuggetcasino.com/nz/ are now available on a global scale. A substantial driver of this growth has been down to the ability to take this type of entertainment with us wherever we go on mobile devices. Furthermore, the internet makes playing at an online casino from anywhere in the world possible and anyone can thus experience the famous Las Vegas strip, just online from the comfort of their own home.
Social media has been the biggest marketing tool for the rise in online gaming; sites dedicated to specific genres of games that allow substantial numbers of fans to tune in or log on and watch live gaming such as Twitch are now commonplace and growing all the time. Gamers like watching others game, whether to share the adrenaline or simply to gain tips and advice. Online casinos and gaming businesses have also been at the forefront of mainstream sponsorship of sporting events, social events, and shows. This is one of the best ways to get the brand and brand story out there to interest more people to get involved.
- Video game collecting, selling, trading
The business of providing virtual (in the cloud) and actual video and console games is still one of the biggest online sellers and has been for a while. However, the most significant recent change has been the proliferation of smaller companies online that are challenging the established games providers and the rise of retro gaming and games suppliers.
Yet again, its on the game related to social media sites and game-related forums that the retro gaming sector has been marketed and promoted.
- Marketing
Its not a coincidence that one of the fastest-growing sectors online is that of marketing itself. The manner in which businesses now get their products out there has changed, and brand building is now generally all done online. As such, it is simply logical that one of the fastest-growing online industries is marketing itself. Everyone now understands the importance of their brands, from individuals on social media garnering followers to the multi-national conglomerates. We all now have a form of marketing and branding that we are interested in maintaining and promoting. The ability to promote a brand and develop a cogent, holistic marketing campaign is now one of the most sought-after functions online.
The best way for marketing firms and consultants’ need and potential possibilities has been promoted and marketed online has been in the campaigns and promotional material of other businesses and individuals online. It’s a mix of online social pressure and customer demands that have forced many to seek out a professional online marketing firm.
How marketing has helped to grow and develop these online industries
The biggest marketing aid and techniques for all of these industries have been the short-form video clip, social media, and holistic marketing in action. Buyers and possible customers are able to see others that they follow using the products or techniques that have been detailed above. One would imagine that the mainstay of marketing in the modern era would be through incredibly complicated and sophisticated marketing tools and systems. However, after such analysis as per the above, it is clear that the predominant way that marketing is helping is through a holistic process, from word of mouth in online forums, influencer, IT integration with supply chains and logistics providers, and the traditional forms of marketing that support these. It may not be in person, but online communication, reviews, and recommendations are now the best way to market and promote a product or service, especially one online-based.
Conclusion
This article has only looked at 6 online industries that have seen recent significant growth online and tried to present the main forms of marketing that have served to promote and push these businesses to success.
With businesses moving online in a wholesale manner, it is worth looking at a variety of business strategies as we have done herein to determine who’s doing well online and why, providing ideas to emulate and copy for your own business.
If you want to do well online, you need to institute a marketing process that speaks of the product to resonate with your customers and business stakeholders where they are found, and generally, this is increasingly online.
