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Where To Focus Our Attention (The Future)

by Robert Thorne
24 replies
Where is the future of Internet Marketing headed?

Will there still be money in "Content-Based Websites" getting traffic from the Search Engines through the Content you produce or are Content-Based Websites a thing of the past?

Yes they are still relevant today, but how about 2 - 5 years from now? If this will no longer be a viable form of marketing, what will happen to all of the websites that exist today? And yes this also includes Blogs.

What are your thoughts? A waste of time or a good investment? Should we sell our sites now while we can still get a decent dollar, or buy even more because there is still opportunity?

What about "Direct Sales Websites"? Is this the way of the future? Design a good Product/Service and then Advertise to Drive Traffic to a Page to collect payment information? Will this be the way forward or will this too give way to our third choice?

Finally, our third choice is "Social Media Marketing". It seems that more and more people are flocking to this form of Marketing and it's easy to see why. It's simple. When someone picks up their phone today, they head to FaceBook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. That's where our Audience is.

However, do we still need some type of Home Base such as a Content-Based or Direct Sales
Website to send our traffic to? Will the different Social Media Platforms eventually offer a good way to Monetize directly from each Platform?

So what do you think? If we are looking, let's say, 5 years into the future, where should we be focusing our attention to maximize profit in this big maze we call "The Internet"?

I'm pretty sure this topic has been talked about before but I couldn't find what I was looking for. If anyone knows of any decent posts/threads that are relevant, then, by all means, point them out so the rest of us so we can have a look.

Thanks In Advance,

Rob
#attention #focus #future
  • Profile picture of the author Kay King
    What did you predict back in 2006? Were you accurate?

    With all the tools and 'advances' in social media and automation...it will always come back to one person selling something to another person.

    A (very young) man who said his goal was to be a 'visionary' (is there a job for that?) told me that in 20 years the internet would run itself completely and people would buy what they wanted online without having to 'do anything'.

    When I asked how he could do nothing and buy a pair of shoes that fit in a color that suited him...he had no answer. For any media - websites, social media, advertising venues - it is the human element that drives the business.

    If you look back to when you joined in 2006 - you can see how far sites and internet commerce has come since then....but the changes are gradual. One change builds on the previous change...and we adapt as we go.
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  • Profile picture of the author GordonJ
    Originally Posted by Robert Thorne View Post

    Where is the future of Internet Marketing headed?

    Will there still be money in "Content-Based Websites" getting traffic from the Search Engines through the Content you produce or are Content-Based Websites a thing of the past?

    Yes they are still relevant today, but how about 2 - 5 years from now? If this will no longer be a viable form of marketing, what will happen to all of the websites that exist today? And yes this also includes Blogs.

    What are your thoughts? A waste of time or a good investment? Should we sell our sites now while we can still get a decent dollar, or buy even more because there is still opportunity?

    What about "Direct Sales Websites"? Is this the way of the future? Design a good Product/Service and then Advertise to Drive Traffic to a Page to collect payment information? Will this be the way forward or will this too give way to our third choice?

    Finally, our third choice is "Social Media Marketing". It seems that more and more people are flocking to this form of Marketing and it's easy to see why. It's simple. When someone picks up their phone today, they head to FaceBook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. That's where our Audience is.

    However, do we still need some type of Home Base such as a Content-Based or Direct Sales
    Website to send our traffic to? Will the different Social Media Platforms eventually offer a good way to Monetize directly from each Platform?

    So what do you think? If we are looking, let's say, 5 years into the future, where should we be focusing our attention to maximize profit in this big maze we call "The Internet"?

    I'm pretty sure this topic has been talked about before but I couldn't find what I was looking for. If anyone knows of any decent posts/threads that are relevant, then, by all means, point them out so the rest of us so we can have a look.

    Thanks In Advance,

    Rob
    Today is someone's BIRTH day, literally. Someone will be buying diapers for it, feeding it, taking care of it, clothing it, if lucky, maybe even loving it.
    No way to get around the fundamental needs.

    An Evergreen market.

    In five years that little girl may start preschool, or maybe even kindergarden or the first grade, she's really smart.

    She is still being looked over/after by someone, BUYING the clothing, food, providing shelter, transportaion, medical needs, etc.

    In 20 years, she may be in college, may be getting married, may be having a kid of her own.

    Instead of trying to predict, guess, look into a time machine crystal ball to see what is going to be happening...

    I 100% guarantee that the marketer who provides the wants and needs along the PARADE OF LIFE route, and delivers the goods, services will adapt to whatever the marketing method is going to be.

    The TRANSACTION will always be an exchange of an agreed upon value...that is the foundation to build on, the HOW and details of it all, simply change with tech advancements.

    My opinion, your future thinking energy is being dispersed in the wrong direction. Not worth a worry or concern if you have a wanted, needed something for the PARADE and a ways and means of exchange.

    GordonJ

    PS. I've got a pretty decent track record over the last 25 years of seeing into the future, and a pretty clean paper trail to verify it.
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  • Profile picture of the author IGotMine
    Where is the future of Internet Marketing headed?
    #1 Mobile
    #2 Video

    Marketing is marketing. Selling is selling.

    When I first started it was all paper. Print publications for "traffic." Snail mail for delivery.

    Then it was HTML sites and site builders, then WordPress and 2.0 sites.

    Now it's going to mobile and video.

    The advertise - follow-up - sell doesn't change. Only the delivery method.

    So what do you think? If we are looking, let's say, 5 years into the future, where should we be focusing our attention to maximize profit in this big maze we call "The Internet"?
    On delivery methods.
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    • Profile picture of the author DABK
      Fork over $500,000 and I will tell you exactly what will happen and when. If, 15 years from now, my predictions do not come true, I will give you back $501,000. You win either way. How 'bout it?
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  • Profile picture of the author Sarevok
    It's really impossible to tell.

    That said, here are some nifty facts, and speculation:

    # 1 - Around 19% of American adults cannot read a newspaper. Around 50% of American adults can't read above the 8th grade level. This statistic is interesting, because a good chunk of humans on the planet CANNOT read your blog content, even if they wanted. (source)

    # 2 - Google, Microsoft, Facebook, Amazon et cetera largely determine what the future holds. Imagine if Google decided that the top 90% of search results should be video content. What would that do to the world of blogs? Or, what if Google staunchly defends the notion of written content. They could go either way, and they (or whichever search engine is prevalent at the time) largely determine the future, like it or not.

    # 3 - There's no question that YouTube is massive, and it's only getting bigger. Anecdotal evidence: Everyone and their cat has a YouTube channel. 5 (or even 3) years ago, this wasn't true.

    # 4 - Machine learning is going to impact the world of publishing and advertising in ways that humans haven't yet envisioned. Coming sooner than you think. What can replace pro copywriters, advertisers, bloggers, and writers? AI. (source1, source2)

    # 5 - I think that while video will constantly increase, there will always be a demand for written content. I'm just not sure WHO or WHAT shall create said content.

    # 6 - Live streaming / live "shopping". Live streaming is BIG in China right now. A lot of media influencers love to sell everything from particle masks (timely), to video games, to clothing using live video. (Kind of like old school "Home Shopper's Network". Fascinating.)

    # 7 - I also have to mention the eLearning market. The world of eLearning is continually expanding. Marketplaces like Udemy, SkillShare, LinkedIn, and Lynda are huge. I expect the world of distance education to become more popular in the future - especially when humans finally realize that they can provide free (or cheap) education to the masses via distance/digital programs.

    # 8 - Just a note. I think that written content always has POTENTIAL to sell something, and that potential shall always exist. That said, the way that humans FIND and STUMBLE UPON your written content (blog), may change. In other words, in the future, humans may rely less on SEO, and rely more on _______. Replace _______ with futuristic mechanism that we haven't yet envisioned.

    # 9 - Will the small business owner be able to compete with advanced AI / machine learning? In other words, if a "big business" has an advanced piece of software that can optimize content faster than a team of legendary copywriters - their ad spend will likely decrease as a result of the unfathomable optimization. I therefore pose a question; can the small "one person" team compete with such optimization levels?
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    • Profile picture of the author savidge4
      First of all THANK YOU for a well written well thought out response... THIS is the type of stuff that brings me back here ( WF )

      Originally Posted by Sarevok View Post

      # 1 - Around 19% of American adults cannot read a newspaper. Around 50% of American adults can't read above the 8th grade level. This statistic is interesting, because a good chunk of humans on the planet CANNOT read your blog content, even if they wanted. (source)
      I think if we take this a step further this might specifically be a segment of market that is under served by the "Internet" The issue I have with using this argument for NOT having a website is you are missing the variables of Education and Income that would clearly play into this stat. These people are obviously not going to be College Educated ( I am sure there are some that are ) and statistically once we cross that line in the sand, disposable income increases greatly

      When we look at a platform such as Shopify and look specifically at say Tesla and the 11+ Billion Dollars that was spent on that platform.. how many of the 19% of Americans that cant read or the 50% of Americans that can only read on a 8th grade level are in that group of to be car owners? I understand that is maybe a far reaching example... but I also don't think it is to far a stretch in the idea to demonstrate the internets ability to reach those have A and education, and B the disposable income.

      Originally Posted by Sarevok View Post

      # 2 - Google, Microsoft, Facebook, Amazon et cetera largely determine what the future holds. Imagine if Google decided that the top 90% of search results should be video content. What would that do to the world of blogs? Or, what if Google staunchly defends the notion of written content. They could go either way, and they (or whichever search engine is prevalent at the time) largely determine the future, like it or not.
      This is fascinating.. I believe to be false but fascinating none the less. All of the above are greatly TEXT dependent. Probably to an uncomfortable extreme for any and all of them. Lets take the most basic of examples... typing say "Plyers" in search.. you do realize Google is the only one that suggest "Pliers" as an option? The GAP in language understanding between first and second within that group is uh ( looking at Calendar ) its 2020 and THIS most basic skill set of understanding language mystifies my mind.

      The most prominent choice in terms of Future technology at this point is Voice... and would think that understanding this, we have to assume there is a whole lot of data that is going to have to be behind A Identifying the query, and B answering it. "How to do you spell plyers?" Where does this answer come from? Ironically someone has a video that spells "Pliers" but in terms of fetching and displaying data which format is easier? Video or Text.

      Text wins kinda across the board. Less bandwidth is a bonus. greatly reduced storage. A vast amount of sources - across most any and every language the world over. fundamentally TEXT is here to stay and for a whole lot of reasons.

      Originally Posted by Sarevok View Post

      # 4 - Machine learning is going to impact the world of publishing and advertising in ways that humans haven't yet envisioned. Coming sooner than you think. What can replace pro copywriters, advertisers, bloggers, and writers? AI. (source1, source2)
      I believe all of this to be true... However even in writing YOU have a voice... I have a voice... Becky over there has a voice... and THAT can not be replaced. I would suggest to the point of voice that "Podcasts" today are a throwback to old time AM radio Talk shows... and I suspect that based on the early adoptive demographics being older this to be true. Its cool and new and different to the younger folks.. but to us older types its reminiscent and comfortable, and brings us back to our youth.

      Originally Posted by Sarevok View Post

      # 5 - I think that while video will constantly increase, there will always be a demand for written content. I'm just not sure WHO or WHAT shall create said content.
      There will without question be the "What" element, but as of right now I WANT to believe "Who" will win out

      Originally Posted by Sarevok View Post

      # 6 - Live streaming / live "shopping". Live streaming is BIG in China right now. A lot of media influencers love to sell everything from particle masks (timely), to video games, to clothing using live video. (Kind of like old school "Home Shopper's Network". Fascinating.)
      Is China ahead of the curve.. or are they riding a wave that we have watched land on the beach and quitely recede back into the ocean?

      Originally Posted by Sarevok View Post

      # 9 - Will the small business owner be able to compete with advanced AI / machine learning? In other words, if a "big business" has an advanced piece of software that can optimize content faster than a team of legendary copywriters - their ad spend will likely decrease as a result of the unfathomable optimization. I therefore pose a question; can the small "one person" team compete with such optimization levels?
      I am going to suggest the answer here is YES. I think Google has made this a very clear objective actually. Results based on LOCATION - level the BRAND vs Mom and Pop dichotomy. I am a very strong advocate / believer / and teacher ( outside of WF mainly ) of "Act Local, Think Global"

      I think us small guys try to play big - and simply don't understand there is greater inertia and the more local level... and once you gain ground there then yeah.. you can start shooting for the stars. But shooting big off the get is simply counter productive

      Again thanks for the post thouroghly enjoyed it!
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  • Profile picture of the author IGotMine
    Or, what if Google staunchly defends the notion of written content.
    Your point #1 answers this.

    My search results are almost always video at the top, followed by "accordion" lists.
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  • Profile picture of the author Randall Magwood
    I can't speak for anybody else's future, but i know what works best for me, and direct sales websites work the best. Direct response marketing is the future for most profitable website owners. Lead generation and list marketing are my 2 most profitable means of promotion, and i don't see that changing anytime soon. It's all about getting repetitive eyes in front of your offer, and the more these people value your word, the better.
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  • Profile picture of the author depotgang
    3 trends....mobile. Mobile. Mobile

    By 2225 their will be more commerce via phone then desktop computer.
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  • Profile picture of the author Laszlo Kovacs
    Social Media platforms are great but as a matter of fact-that is what I think-building your e-mail list and keep engaging with Them is the goal and it will be inn the future.
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  • Profile picture of the author savidge4
    Originally Posted by Robert Thorne View Post

    Where is the future of Internet Marketing headed?

    What are your thoughts? A waste of time or a good investment? Should we sell our sites now while we can still get a decent dollar, or buy even more because there is still opportunity?
    I find this question in particular to be of great interest. I find reading the responses to be interesting as well.

    I would suggest that "Websites" are severely under-valued in an environment that has historically ( granted a short amount of history ) has prove the great importance of a centralized asset in the greater effort that is Internet Marketing.

    We have seen in the last 10? years the cycle of Social Media platforms that rise and fall and then the scramble or shift that takes place from A to B and then to C and then having to spread between C, D, and E...

    Centralizing your community development around a centralized "thing" like a website could, should, and would minimize the impact of these shifts - and actually open up the ability to spread across greater amounts of content sharing platforms VS hesitation to determine if the next latest and greatest is just that.

    Think about it this way, there is the obvious movement in the younger sectors of demo to Insta and Tik and away from Facebook. Look at the fallout of Vine and how that played into the growth of YouTube... so these movements have and are taking place... so it seems obviously not obvious that centralizing your overall reach into a "Website" would only make sense to minimize exposure and loss in the long run.

    THIS is obviously not a strategy we see played out often. Lets look at someone like Charli D'Amelio. Killin it on Tik Tok and where ever else.. then go look at her website: https://www.charlidamelio.com/ and F A R from killing it comes to mind. VERY CLEAR that there is no long term strategy at play here - as in NONE AT ALL. THIS example exemplifies the under valuing of a website - and in turn shows the value in itself of such a property.

    Originally Posted by Robert Thorne View Post

    So what do you think? If we are looking, let's say, 5 years into the future, where should we be focusing our attention to maximize profit in this big maze we call "The Internet"?
    Using the above example as a blaring example of "Success" in many ways... the idea of not having all your eggs in one basket is very clear... BUT I would suggest that a properly executed "website" would BE the basket - make sense?

    Originally Posted by IGotMine View Post

    #1 Mobile
    #2 Video
    I get what is being said here... but I am not sure that is a "Future" strategy at all.. that is TODAY.

    I could go into a whole dissertation on the falsity of "Mobile" in every respect, except when it comes to consumption of content. A ton of content is consumed on Mobile - there is no question about that. So the current path is clearly Video - and then Audio - with Voice being a distant 3rd, and I don't think we yet understand how this is going to play out at the mobile level.

    I will suggest the NUMBER ONE thing we should be focusing on is BRAND. Centralizing that brand on a centralized platform IE a website and reaching across as many platforms as possible. I believe we should be working on understanding and implementing "Structured Data" For the forth coming future of "Voice"
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  • Profile picture of the author Medon
    If you ask me, I think the website will still be relevant even for 100 years. You see once a person has seen an ad on the social media, the y had straight to the site to find more info about the product or service. So it means the two work together.
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  • Profile picture of the author Richard@
    Focused attention is short-term by nature. Think about the last time you were thinking about an idea and someone unexpectedly knocked on your office door. You experienced focused attention just in that instant as your attention was drawn away from what you were working on, and you were forced to focus your attention on the knock at the door. Other examples are having your phone ring or sitting at a table and having a waiter drop a plate just behind you - these startling events are usually short-lived and can last as few as eight seconds.
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  • Profile picture of the author Odahh
    I really won't event try to predict .what you are asking a prediction for.

    But I am in the airport with another 5 hours untill my plane boards so let me grab a shovel and start scooping and growing

    Many mobile free to play games get revenue from advertising run in their games from Google play now the ad are limited to 30 seconds and at this point are mainly for other mobile games.

    And I don't know if Google play is link to the google youtube algorythym . Yet .

    But there might be some opportunity to Target mobile gamers who are also inyour target market with a short add they may see over and over. They are clicking watch add and have to watch they entire add.
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  • Profile picture of the author writeaway
    Content marketing still works

    The great thing about creating content and making money off ad clicks or user purchases many years later is it is PASSIVE INCOME

    Work once, earn many times


    The same can't be said of buying FB ads for $1 and turning it into $5 - it requires constant attention to detail or else you lose your shirt
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  • Profile picture of the author tommen
    Originally Posted by Robert Thorne View Post

    Where is the future of Internet Marketing headed?

    Will there still be money in "Content-Based Websites" getting traffic from the Search Engines through the Content you produce or are Content-Based Websites a thing of the past?

    Yes they are still relevant today, but how about 2 - 5 years from now? If this will no longer be a viable form of marketing, what will happen to all of the websites that exist today? And yes this also includes Blogs.

    What are your thoughts? A waste of time or a good investment? Should we sell our sites now while we can still get a decent dollar, or buy even more because there is still opportunity?

    What about "Direct Sales Websites"? Is this the way of the future? Design a good Product/Service and then Advertise to Drive Traffic to a Page to collect payment information? Will this be the way forward or will this too give way to our third choice?

    Finally, our third choice is "Social Media Marketing". It seems that more and more people are flocking to this form of Marketing and it's easy to see why. It's simple. When someone picks up their phone today, they head to FaceBook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. That's where our Audience is.

    However, do we still need some type of Home Base such as a Content-Based or Direct Sales
    Website to send our traffic to? Will the different Social Media Platforms eventually offer a good way to Monetize directly from each Platform?

    So what do you think? If we are looking, let's say, 5 years into the future, where should we be focusing our attention to maximize profit in this big maze we call "The Internet"?

    I'm pretty sure this topic has been talked about before but I couldn't find what I was looking for. If anyone knows of any decent posts/threads that are relevant, then, by all means, point them out so the rest of us so we can have a look.

    Thanks In Advance,

    Rob
    Hi Rob! Search engines need high quality, useful and interesting content. If you can provide the best information about what people are searching for, then you will be #1 in the search results! This will be the case at least 10 years from now. Phones will be used more than computers, but still high quality information is the key!

    Personally, I like blogging but dislike everything that has to do with social media. The best way to make money online (in my opinion, I have been doing this since 2006) is to build an email list. Then, provide useful and helpful information to your subscribers and offer your product as a solution to their problem.
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  • Profile picture of the author George Flm
    Bulls eye vision is important.
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    George Troy Marketing on Youtube

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  • Profile picture of the author myob
    I've seen reports about the impact of 5g in regards to consumer trends. Some estimates indicate that by 2022 more than half of all internet searches will be by voice. In the US, house penetration for smart speakers, (Alexa, Google, Siri, etc) already is over 55% in major markets. This certainly isn't anything new, but the trend is sharply turning to voice and video content as 5g becomes increasingly available.

    Personally, I've been primarily in the content marketing arena for the past 20+ years through online/offline syndication of written articles.But over the last couple of years, I've been focusing more on podcasts, video, social media, webinars, and offline presentations at conferences/tradeshows which are usually recorded for widely distributed online consumption.

    Having said that, however, there will always be a market in offline print media and other more traditional channels. For example, I still also use snail mail, print advertising, landline telephones (for cold calling), and meet prospects/customers belly to belly. No matter how far technology evolves in generating a sales funnel or an audience, the most effective sales method always comes down to interpersonal communication and the human touch.
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  • Profile picture of the author depotgang
    By 2025 ...just 5 years from now. Mobile commerce will eclipse desktop commerce. IN other words...people will buy more from their phones then their computers.

    Learn to adapt and cope. It is the near term future
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    • Profile picture of the author myob
      Originally Posted by depotgang View Post

      By 2025 ...just 5 years from now. Mobile commerce will eclipse desktop commerce. IN other words...people will buy more from their phones then their computers.

      Learn to adapt and cope. It is the near term future
      Voice-enabled shopping through internet-enabled home/auto devices is expected to become the de-facto online standard within the next 5-10 years.

      This is actually already here with Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri, smart appliances (referigerators can order automatically online when supplies get low).

      Get ready and leverage voice search ecommerce.
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  • Profile picture of the author TobiMDD
    I think in todays world and 5 years from now it will be even more important to be unique, to be something special, to stand out from the rest and offer extremely good value to the people following you.


    What I'm trying to say is that I don't think that the channel or the delivery method will change that much but to achieve something online it gets more important to be different


    maybe also the targeting needs to be more in detail than ever before to find customers
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  • Profile picture of the author Medon
    It is still profitable. If I were you ,I would let the sites to remain intact and diversify.
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  • Profile picture of the author myob
    Right now, 20% of online searches and commerce are through voice search, and starting to grow exponentially with emerging technology. If your website is not voice-enabled and automated, you will become increasingly irrelevant in a fast-growing demand for convenient content search and shopping options.

    For example, having content on your site which syntactically mirrors exactly how people express themselves through the spoken word is an essential step for ranking in AI operated voice search in Google, Alexa, Siri, Cortana, etc. Also consider using video integration and a voice-activated chatbot to conveniently and easily answer your customers' questions and complaints.
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  • Profile picture of the author Randy McLean
    Here are some "predictions" I recall. . .

    2012 - email marketing is dead

    2013 - email marketing is dead

    2014 - email marketing is dead

    2015 - email marketing is dead

    2016 - email marketing is dead

    2017 - email marketing is dead

    2018 - email marketing is dead

    2019 - email marketing is dead

    2020 - ?

    I focus on 3 things:

    1. Simple sales funnels

    2. List building

    3. Email marketing
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