Someone recently told me, “Marketing has changed more in the past two years than it has in the last 50.” I pondered that for a second. Then that person clarified and said they didn’t actually say that, they read it online, but they 100 percent agree with it.

I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I kept thinking, “How could this be?” How could something that’s been around for so long change so drastically in such a short time?

After a few days, I think I found my answer. The smartphone.

We have our smartphones with us more than we have any other object. We are starting to depend on it for more and more things.

We pay bills. We send emails. We book appointments. We call our friends. We scroll Facebook.

Recently, I also heard the average American unlocks their phone more than 150 times per day, and 95 percent of the time we are within an arm’s length of our phones.

Yes, 95 percent of the time. Even when we’re sleeping.

What the heck?

Knowing that information as professionals in the marketing industry, we can do two things:

1. Freak out
2. Embrace it

A strong digital presence is just as important as your storefront and just as important as what you want your employees to wear to work. It’s often the first thing people see about you, hear about you, and use to form an opinion about you.

Now more than ever, it’s so important to invest the time and money in your digital presence. Invest in search-engine marketing. Create a strong presence across all social platforms. Build your website to act as a tool for both potential and existing clients. And use social media to reach your target audience.

If marketing has changed more in the past two years than it has in the past 50, I don’t think this evolution is slowing down anytime soon.