There's no doubt about it - Cloud services are on the up, with research by Cloud computing services provider Virtustream suggesting that more than half of U.S. businesses make use of the Cloud for their IT needs.
Now the Cloud is expanding, with businesses of all shapes and sizes discovering the usefulness of the Cloud when it comes to notching their marketing efforts up a gear.
The flexibility and instant-access nature of the Cloud make it a natural fit for marketing, with several leading companies racing to develop Cloud-based services designed specifically with marketing in mind.
So just how can the Cloud help your marketing efforts?
Benefits of the Cloud for Marketing
When it comes to marketing, the Cloud has a lot to offer.
Cloud-based services are typically very flexible when it comes to pricing, meaning that businesses can pay for what they need, then scale up as necessary as their company expands, or scale down during the quieter times.
With everyone looking to do business in the most budget-friendly way possible, this scalability alongside reducing the need for on-site hardware and software makes the Cloud a good option for businesses looking to deliver effective marketing while still watching the budget.
The easily accessible nature of the Cloud makes it a powerful marketing tool.
Campaigns and information can be accessed by anyone on your team, anywhere with an internet connection. That means that feedback and customer interactions can be monitored and responded to in real time, making for a quick, responsive marketing tool.
The business world is seeing the benefits, with giants such as JetBlue and Just Eat making use of Cloud-based marketing to run highly successful social media campaigns.
Readily Available Cloud Marketing
Are you marketing with the Cloud already? If you're using social media to reach out to your customers, the answer is yes.
Although it's not the first thing to mind when considering the Cloud, social media is an excellent example of a Cloud based service that makes for a fantastic marketing tool. Campaigns can be monitored in real time and your marketing team can access their social media profiles easily for updates and comments.
Collaboration using tools such as Google Docs, another Cloud-based service, makes working together easier no matter where you are physically located.
Are you ready to get even more serious about your Cloud marketing?
Several big-name brands are now rolling out Cloud-based marketing solutions that bring together everything from customer relationship management to analytics and managing several social media channels from one central place.
Dedicated Cloud Marketing Services
As the potential of the Cloud as a marketing tool comes into full view, several companies are offering powerful, flexible Cloud-based options, some of which have been adopted by big name brands.
JetBlue and Just Eat run their powerful Cloud marketing campaigns using the Salesforce Marketing Cloud, a suite of tools designed to manage campaigns on social media.
Meanwhile, Adobe offers its digital marketing Cloud, giving businesses Cloud-based tools to allow them to get to know their customers even better, while tracking social media and making forecasts.
With Premier Inn, Slate and Comcast among the names making use of Adobe's Cloud services to analyze their marketing and deliver content, it's clear that the business world is starting to adopt the Cloud as a marketing service.
Whether you are a small business or a multi-national, the Cloud is an excellent tool for marketing, especially for leveraging social media and providing quick, relevant analytics that you can act on.
Turning to Cloud-based services offers your business flexibility and the ability to manage even large campaigns from anywhere.
It's clear that the Cloud can take any marketing campaign to new heights.