The Secret to Better Marketing: Adaptability

Whether you consider yourself a successful business owner or have only just begun to build your brand and business, one thing is certain: marketing is essential. Good marketing can be the difference between surviving and thriving in today’s extremely competitive marketplace. Expanding on “3 Things Every Successful Entrepreneur Must Do,” the secret to better marketing is a simple concept: adaptability.

Here are three ways to challenge yourself to stay adaptable as an entrepreneur.

1. Stay Current on B2C and Social Media Platforms

Successful business owners will agree that developing strategies to use already existing websites, applications, and B2C platforms is a must-do. However, in order to stay relevant and ahead of the competition, you must take the time to research and learn about new and upcoming ways to connect with your consumers too.

Someone had to pave the way and begin using websites like Instagram and YouTube to market their business and reach a wider audience. Why not be the pioneer? When the next big platform comes along, be informed so that you can more quickly adopt it into your company’s marketing strategy.

2. Be Open to Feedback and Suggestions

Companies in 2017 have an incredible number of options through which to engage their customers. There is certainly no shortage of great ways to output information to our clients, but what if you used these same methods to gain some input?

Not every suggestion and comment will be helpful, but asking your client base to provide feedback on what works and what doesn’t is a great way to get straight to the source. After all, getting a feel for how well your brand is received will only help you determine if you need to alter your approach. If you’re unsure how you would respond to opening yourself up to suggestions, read up on our “Tips for Accepting Constructive Criticism.”

3. Don’t Be Afraid to Innovate

At some point, every entrepreneur will start to get comfortable with their strategy – whether it’s advertising, business growth, social media, or something else. It will feel like you’ve found the “magic formula” for consumer engagement and driving sales. It can be tempting then to want to sit back, relax, and enjoy your success. Don’t! To maintain success, a good business owner must constantly challenge themselves to find new ways to use the resources around them.

Take a business like McDonalds. Surely, a brand as recognizable and successful as theirs doesn’t need much help. But they’re always challenging themselves to do more. According to Business Insider, McDonalds has begun to use Snapchat in order to fill employment positions by asking potential applicants to submit “Snaplications.” According to the article, this was a move seen as a new way to “meet job seekers where they are.” Talk about innovative!

Change is Good

Sometimes we are tempted to keep using the same methods that have worked for us in the past. In order to continue growing and avoid plateauing, we must be willing to adapt. Using these strategies, we believe you will be able to stay in front of the trends and your business will avoid having to play catch up with your competitors.