Did you know that there were more than 700 different tablets on display at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show? That means there were literally hundreds of new opportunities for businesses to connect with their customers. And the opportunities are only going to increase, as a recent report by Harris Interactive predicted that one in every five U.S. consumers will own a tablet by 2014.

Obviously, the tablet market has made significant strides since the introduction of the original iPad. Now, marketing professionals need to make sure that their strategies and capabilities advance to take advantage of the increasing prevalence of this emerging technology.

For example, consider incorporating business-to-business strategies for high-level marketing and sales pitches. Utilizing tablets can give your business a fresh approach that may help your presentations stand out.

Or perhaps you can take advantage of the mobile and interactive nature of tablet technology to evolve the state of your traditional print brochures and collateral. Imagine not just giving static facts and figures, but presenting prospects with a well-crafted story and an immersive atmosphere facilitated by touch responses and real-time feedback. The possibilities, and the potential, are virtually limitless. 

It is clear that you can do much more with a tablet than play Angry Birds or check the weather. Like print, radio, television and web marketing, tablets represent the next great medium by which businesses can engage their customers and fuel growth.