The technology industry has many trends. This article will focus on changes and movements in the industry, as well as larger ones that impact it.

Certain parts of the tech world are shifting, some aspects may be vanishing, and still others are surfacing. Together, let’s explore these three trends and discover their marketing implications.

Social networks are shifting

Meta, YouTube, TikTok, Reddit, Snapchat, LinkedIn, and WhatsApp are still prominent social media platforms. However, new, smaller networks are constantly joining the space. The newer networks aren’t at the forefront numbers-wise just yet, but they are getting attention and engagement.

One of those networks is Bluesky, the brainchild of the previous CEO of Twitter, Jack Dorsey. In beta until recently, it opened to the public in early February. Some of the notable benefits include:

• No ads – This will likely change in time, but it seems like Bluesky’s leadership plans to try to do advertising differently than others have.
• blue – Remember TweetDeck? Deck.blue is like that. The TweetDeck functionality on X is now a paid feature, but on Bluesky, it’s free.
• Open – Bluesky uses the AT Protocol, an open-source framework for app-building. This allows you to transfer your information to different apps in the system, something not found in previous social networks.
• Control – The Bluesky algorithm “learns what you like” and gives you the option to make more decisions about what ends up in your timeline. It does this by leveraging moderation lists, content filters, and other elements.

Other networks such as Mastodon and Threads are also popular, but Mastodon is not as large and Meta owns Threads. Regardless, each network has earned user interest and time will tell if they will stay on legacy networks or move completely.

For marketers, that means we need to start asking questions of our clients and ourselves. Here are some to start with:

1. When should my brand incorporate new social networks into my marketing strategy?
2. How should my brand decide which micro-social networks should be a part of my strategy?
3. Are micro social networks engaging my ideal users more than major ones in today’s market?

We can’t answer these questions for you (at least not without a round of stakeholder interviews). It is important to gather information on what your personas want and need, even if it’s challenging. This will help you align better. It can also help you decide whether adding a new network or sticking with what you have would be more beneficial.

Remember – Before joining a new social network, make sure to have a clear plan in place. It should be a deliberate decision. Need one? We’ve got you.

Are Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) morphing into Chief Revenue Officers (CROs)?

Many are speculating that the CMO role is going away, but we don’t think that’s true, at least not across the board. There are two diverging things taking place:

• CMO responsibilities continue to grow – Given the modern ability to track marketing efforts at a highly granular level, CMOs are increasingly required to recognize positive business outcomes for CEOs. This means they need to develop new ways of approaching their role and certain tasks that are required which isn’t always a bad thing.
• Some CEOs and CROs are stealth CMOs – The job titles may not include the letters CMO, but many modern CEOs and CROs are marketers or have deep marketing experience. The companies that are removing the official title of CMO are doing so to route the responsibilities to other C-levels.

Some people feel that removing the CMO is essentially a bad move that will backfire, but the truth is more nuanced. A strong leader with marketing abilities may be a good match for one company and a not-so-great choice for another. Either way, the CMO role is still prevalent, just in a different way than it may have appeared in the past.

The natural question is this… how can CMOs shift their role to maintain C-level seats? They can:

• Improve their ability to prove their efficacy with data and dashboards.
• Continually deepen their holistic understanding of marketing so that they can make the most strategic moves possible.
• Hire the right partners and team members to advance the goals of their businesses.
• They can graciously accept another title that includes their past title’s responsibilities.

A war is happening in the tech space

We won’t say if artificial intelligence (AI) should be controlled or improved. The best answer is a mix of both. However, others don’t agree and have set up distinct camps for an all-out offensive.

The first group favors locking AI down because of security risks, some of which have been hailed as “extinction-level“, and mostly consist of government-led outfits.

The second is for pushing the limits of what’s possible. Many of these people are entrepreneurs, startups, and others who simply want to move into the new technology space quickly.

So what should people do during the “war”? Watch it develop, learn as much as possible, and document your findings so that we can be collectively informed. This will allow us to move forward from a smart position, no matter what side wins.