Marketeers take note: it’s time to take your head out of the clouds and look towards a new type of cloud. The digital landscape is always on the move and now has taken a rather seismic shift; enter cloud computing. It’s the next big development in online storage and looks to be the future for for marketing agencies of all sizes, with huge benefits to be seen for SMEs.
Cloud computing and storage systems are not really in their infancy anymore. Infact they are now a well established part of the digital world and they provide a great alternative to the traditional and more expensive server systems which many businesses, including marketing companies have been using for years.
‘Cloud computing’ is now a buzz phrase which is cropping up more regularly on the lips of business owners, but what is the cloud and where is it? Forget Cirrus and Cumulonimbus, the cloud is the name for when files are stored over the internet instead of being on the hard drives of computers. Essentially the cloud is just the internet, you can access your files from any number of different devices whilst not having a dedicated server to store information which may take up space and be expensive to run.
PC Advisor have listed the 7 best cloud storage devices currently on the market, they run through the pros and cons of each service. Cloud computing is clearly here to stay, there are so many reasons why it is a better model than the server systems of old. Marketing companies can benefit in many ways by switching to the cloud, it really is the real deal. At Neil Walker Digital we swear by it, the competitive advantages the Google Drive system gives us really assists our operation and marketing output as a whole.
We were very early adopters of Google Drive; two years after it was released by Google it is the cornerstone of our day to day agency life. It is now an integral part of our online marketing agency. We utilise it by storing all of our files and syncing them across many devices or ‘the cloud’. Our storage system has many positives, we all got together and sat down in our Coffee shop so we could create a list of just why the cloud is great for us and a fantastic innovation for similar marketing companies.
Cloud computing has been described as the ‘democratisation of IT’. The playing field has been leveled as smaller companies can now compete with larger corporations using remote storagethe costs needed to run large servers have more or less now been replaced by the cloud. The cloud offers a cost-effective alternative to server storage, they are flexible and agile, companies such as Pinterest, Shazam and Spotify have all used the Amazon’s AWS Cloud Technology to grow quickly and become household names, if they can achieve huge successes, why can’t marketers do the same? The cloud is sure to be the future for marketers, so here are 19 ways a cloud computing system is the future for marketing agencies of all sizes:
1) Ability to roll out marketing campaigns faster
Cloud computing and the applications that come with most packages are very easy to get up and running. The applications can be set up within hours rather than taking weeks or even months. There is less chance of coming unstuck with time consuming and costly teething problems. All of the cloud computing systems we have sampled are designed so even a computing novice can quickly get to grips, and get quickly up to speed.
2) Big data analysis
Big Data is just as important in marketing these days as say, content marketing. The analysis of campaign results means marketing companies can channel future investment into the right places. Google have incorporated their BigQuery service into their cloud computing offering, this means users can analyse data quickly, easily and in bulk. This also means companies can maximise return and minimise investment. The ability to analyse data through the cloud means client engagement can be improved without really raising ad spend.
3) Multi device support
If you live in the Google universe, using the Google Drive cloud storage, you can use Gmail, Calendar, and Docs across a number of different devices via the cloud. Users are also not restricted to only using a desktop computer. Because files are stored remotely, they can be picked up on the move on a smartphone or tablet without having them locked into the hard drive of a particular computer. So if the computer decides to stop working, you won’t lose any of your important information. Handy if you have looming deadlines and clients waiting for content delivery.
4) Low costs
The lower costs associated with moving and running your business through a cloud means that your marketing company can free up money for business expansion and also spend the money on client campaigns. You will be able to gain a competitive edge over competition who may be wasting money as they channel it into the upkeep of an archaic server. A server will need power to run, with the rising costs of utilities this is becoming an increasingly unattractive option.
5) Data backup
The cloud system makes it much easier for companies to back up data, it is vital to make sure that you don’t lose any important client files and campaign documents, the cloud will save files automatically as you work and creates copies off site. If you have any laptops or computers stolen there will also be no need to worry about sensitive information being lost.
6) Collaboration
The ability to collaborate on documents remotely means that employees don’t have to be in the office or same room to work on a document. If somebody cannot make it into the agency office for any reason (illness or transportation issues for example), they can work from home and collaborate with an employee remotely, saving time and money.
7) Accessible from anywhere
The cloud service allows users to access files from any location on a number of different devices, as long as they are connected to the internet.
8) No technical training needed for non IT people
It isn’t important for employees to have in depth technical IT knowledge, this is because the cloud is accessed through internet browsers like Internet Explorer, Chrome and Firefox. If you can browse the internet, it’s a safe bet that you can use the cloud. The cloud keeps itself updated and maintained, there is then no real need to invest in an expensive IT support team.
9) Ease of use
Much like the above, it is very each to create, access and store files on the cloud.This makes it a very attractive option for many smaller marketing agencies.
10) Quicker campaign turnaround
The collaborative nature of the cloud means that employees can work together remotely to create and finalise campaign documents or reports.
11) Growth planning
The cloud is fantastic because it is scalable; this means that smaller marketers can start with a smaller cloud setup before gradually increasing storage space in line with usage over time. With the need to pay upfront for an expensive server and IT staff to maintain it, money can then be channeled into planning for future growth.
12) Multi-device cloud systems
Cloud computing is driven by mobile, media and marketing, so as mobile grows (as it inevitably will), the ability to access files via mobile devices will almost definitely increase. Switching to the cloud now will reap immediate benefits.
Agencies now no longer need to manage individual client data, the cloud is advantageous as it brings them altogether for data exploration, analysis and sharing. Every user can have the latest versions without the IT department updating each employees individual machines.
13) Levels the playing field
SMEs or smaller marketing companies can now have access to the same cloud storage devices as larger companies. Whereas before they would have to pay a premium for a server before then having to maintain it, sometimes costing them a large chunk of their operational budget. Cloud computing means that money can now be freed up, effectively leveling the playing field between larger and smaller marketing companies.
14) Constant updates mean you won’t be left behind
Imagine paying for a server system before it then becomes out of date nearly as soon as you have bought and installed it. The cloud will update itself remotely, the business will have access to the latest technologies as say, Google, Dropbox or your chosen cloud provider rolls out updates.
15) Information sharing
You can forget memory sticks or cumbersome email attachments which take an age to upload or download. The cloud makes information sharing effortless, having shared folders means anyone can drop in from anywhere. It can really be as simple as sending a link to a colleague.
16) New insights
Cloud computing now means that marketers can use the power of the cloud to gain new insights into their campaigns, this was only possible from the likes of Google, Twitter, Yahoo and Facebook before, but is now more accessible across the board.
17) Redundant storage of invaluable data
Cloud computing enables even the smallest companies to have secure, geographically diverse, reliable services that allow data to be accessed from anywhere at any time. This kind of back up is very valuable incase of any disasters which may happen in the office. This would have been very expensive in the past.
18) Some providers offer a free service
Several cloud providers offer free trials where users can try many of the cloud features for free, it is definitely worth giving it a go before taking the plunge and paying for a whole service. You can try these cloud operating systems for free: Zero PC, Jolicloud, Glide OS, SilveOS, Ispaces Cloud Computing, Cloudo, XOS, Zim Desk and The Places A. If you are a smaller marketing company, it might be best to give one of these a test run, if not jump straight in with Google’s cloud offering.
19) More accessible marketing software
Many cloud computing applications come with a ready loaded CRM application which has a huge impact upon small marketing companies, this is great due to the costs which are associated with developing an in house CRM system.
There is really no need for companies to be still limited by their need to run and power an on-site server system. By adopting a cloud storage system, marketers can free up funds to spend on campaigns and streamline money towards the growth of their business. It is an exciting innovation which allows businesses to drive investment in a more positive direction. In addition to the fiscal benefits a cloud system from companies like Google, Dropbox or Onedrive brings, the collaborative aspects and relatively low maintenance and easy to learn systems are two other huge positives.
Being able to have masses and masses of storage at your marketing company’s fingertips has many possibilities. Already we have seen a growing trend of companies making the move, and we were very early adopters of cloud technology. SMEs will no longer be limited by their size when looking to invest in storage, the cost-effective manner and easy to use nature of the cloud will improve efficiency and work out much better economically. The move to the cloud will be imminent for lots of marketing companies who can make use of the many fantastic features which can effectively streamline a business and its outbound marketing operations. At Neil Walker Digital, we highly recommend the company Cloud Technology Solutions, who are a Google Premium Partner.
The torrent of new technologies that appear in the digital world are nearly always a good thing. Running operations through a cloud should soon become second nature us all, the younger generation will have grown up knowing nothing but the cloudtechnical innovations are not to be ignored.