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LOOKING AHEAD: IS YOUR MARKETING STRATEGY FUTURE-PROOF? Diane Birch, Marketing Strategist, Vantage
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nless you own a coloured headscarf and a crystal ball, it’s likely that you can’t see into the future. It could be that you don’t even want to try. The future often seems a scary place, particularly when we consider the unprecedented changes we’ve experienced over the past few decades. Social media has forever transformed the way businesses interact with their customers, while technology has opened up a whole new world of consumer choice. Put simply, people no longer have to put up with shoddy service, inferior quality or snotty staff, when there is a wealth of other options available at the mere click of a mouse. Companies in search of growth and stability are certainly up against some challenges in these uncertain times. But while you can’t predict exactly what will happen next, you can do some vital planning and preparation to ensure you can withstand whatever lies ahead, and provide vital continuity as you strive for greater success.
Embrace customer-led change Many businesses rave about the quality of their products or services, hoping they will speak for themselves. Unfortunately, this means they often forget to engage their customers in the right way. Taking stock of who your customers are, asking for their feedback and noting changes in their behaviour, will help you predict future trends and make suitable business adjustments. This is a point that is especially worth considering for businesses who work mainly with older generations. Your customer base is likely to transform considerably over time – how could you adapt your business to embrace a whole new age bracket? Protecting your reputation on and off-line is an imperative Even the best bricks-and-mortar businesses have had to adopt an online presence in recent years, while many customers now expect an immediate response to their enquiries. Meanwhile, millennials engage with
companies on social media as a matter of course. Ensuring a consistently joined-up, knowledgeable and friendly online presence can be difficult to achieve for many businesses, when there are now so many different channels of communication. Yet including this aspect in your marketing strategy is likely to pay dividends when it comes to maintaining a strong reputation. Review your working practices As we have seen, communication is important – but so are quality and consistency. We are an ‘open all hour’s generation’ so making sure your communication practices can live up to this demand is a key element of success, making sure you are able to seamlessly fulfill your business obligations is another. Reviewing your operations can herald some vital improvements that will help you stay on track. For example, if you are still using pen, paper and filing cabinets, you will need to think about whether you are properly prepared for business growth. While it is impossible to fully predict the future (watch out for those who say they can!), it is possible to future-proof your business using simple marketing strategies. Above all else, it is vital to remain ready, open and receptive to change…as there is sure to be much more of that to come. www.bita.ie
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