In today’s unpredictable world, it can be difficult for businesses to stay current. Consumers’ wants, needs, and demands are changing continuously. New trends are entering and exiting the field before brands can hop on the bandwagon themselves. Just keeping up with an audience’s wishes can feel like running a perpetual race. That said, it’s also still vital for companies to remain relevant to stay in business.
Staying current requires brands to stay ahead of the curve at all times. It means foreseeing what consumers tomorrow, next year, and five years from now will be looking for. While this can seem like an impossible task, there are areas you can focus on as a business to ensure you’re one step ahead. Here are three ways to make sure your business stays up to date.
1. Leverage Social Media
Millions of people are logging onto Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X (formerly known as Twitter) daily. For brands, this is an opportunity to directly communicate with audiences while staying abreast of the latest trends and demands of the marketplace. You can build relationships with existing customers through social media, finding new audiences and generating new leads. A brand that continually posts and engages with its followers is seen as responsive and as one that users will find value in.
Now, this may seem like a big task, especially for smaller brands that may not have a full social media team to lean on. With a small business social media marketing platform, you can still easily manage all of your social posts and DMs across sites. This means you can create posts and schedule them in advance, allowing you to set them and forget them. You can also stay better on top of messages by keeping them organized. Some platforms will even suggest different recommendations for future posts and further engage through the help of AI-driven technology.
It’s important to bear in mind that your social media page should be a direct reflection of your brand. The images you share and the conversations you have with your followers should represent your brand’s unique point of view. If you’re trying to attract a Gen Z audience, using flowery language isn’t going to cut it; instead, be direct with your language and use verbiage that they are accustomed to. The more you communicate with your audience on social media, the more you’ll learn and the more current you’ll be.
2. Monitor Your Competitors
Keeping a watchful eye on your competitors will also help you stay current as a brand. This doesn’t mean you need to copy or follow their lead. Rather, it will enable you to see what they’re doing and decipher what you can do to fill an unmet need. Doing so can help you gain market share while also giving your intended audience exactly what they’re looking for.
One way to monitor competitors is by utilizing online tools such as Google Alerts and Semrush. Google Alerts can send you emails when it finds new content that matches your search terms. For instance, if you’ve set an alert for “vegan snack company” then you’ll be notified when a competitor or new brand makes headline news. For Semrush, you can monitor competitors’ SEO strategies and identify what keywords they’re ranking for.
Another way to monitor your competitors is through social media listening. By proactively monitoring social media channels, you can see how others are talking about competitors online. You can see when conversations are happening, such as after a new campaign launch, and how the competitor is being perceived. Fortunately, this doesn’t require you to scan every one of their social posts! There are numerous tools available online to help with social media listening, all of which will provide the insights you’re looking for.
3. Be Curious and Ask Questions
Being curious is another way to better understand — and sometimes anticipate — new trends and developments within your industry. If your brand keeps going with the flow, then you may be missing out on the opportunity to scale and grow. The same old same old strategy will only work for so long before your audience switches their attention elsewhere. Being curious is all about seeking out new perspectives and viewpoints and questioning the status quo.
Internally, ask yourself why certain processes are done in a certain way or only certain products are offered. Would changing your packaging make it more appealing to a sustainable-focused consumer? Would this change further distinguish you from competitors? Externally, ask your audiences for their direct feedback through surveys and social media posts. Their answers may reveal a new product offering for you or a way to enhance your current product lineup.
Asking questions can help your brand stay current as it promotes a sense of continuous inquiry and growth. As a leader, if you start to ask questions, it may prompt others on your team to do the same. You may find that the team is solving problems more efficiently or coming forward with more creative ideas.
Takeaways
Staying current will help increase your visibility within the industry while also staying up-to-date with your consumers’ expectations. You’ll form closer relationships with your audiences, increasing brand loyalty and retention. Keep these three tips in mind as you look to evolve and reach your audiences in new, innovative ways.
