The days of long waits for approval and multiple chains of command are over — for good. The speed of the social web means that marketers need to be empowered to act quickly and respond to relevant current events in order to be successful. And their bosses or managers need to trust them and give them the freedom to execute spontaneous or agile marketing campaigns.

The key to success, in this case, is clearly not content, but response time and relevancy. These factors successfully made an okay tagline into something great.

And long live the king. Content marketing has been an important part of online marketing for years, but its value continues to increase and it is hardly something that anyone in the online advertising world can afford to ignore anymore. Creating the type of content whether it is a blog post, video, images, infographic, social media post, or anything else that inspires users to pass it on to their own social networks is quickly becoming the most important method of marketing in general.

Private messaging on Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, Whatsapp, and many other platforms is something that most marketers have yet to take advantage of, except perhaps for direct messaging customers who could be posting sensitive info or otherwise need a 1-on-1 follow-up.

However, given the latest tech launches and popular platforms, users are starting to expect more of a custom experience even when communicating with huge brands. And community managers and other marketers need to understand and take advantage of that, by offering their own personalized interactions.

Allowing your customers to interact with your brand on mobile is the first step; whether it is through your own app, a third-party application, or simply a mobile browser. Furthermore, if it is applicable setting up mobile payment options can be a huge convenience to your customers.

In fact, being able to buy online can help you build a more solid and lasting relationship with your existing and future clientele. Almost everyone appreciates the convenience.

The speed at which the social media world moves can be dizzying; and at times, it may seem like that all you can do as a marketer is keep up. However, that’s not enough. Being ahead of the trends and innovating yourself can be what makes all the difference for your company, or the brands you work on.

New digital technologies are making starting your own business easier than ever.