Basically, Don’t Be Boring — The Difficult Task of Staying Relevant

Let’s be honest—staying relevant in today’s evolving marketing landscape is a humongous headache. With so many brands advertising across an always-growing, ever-evolving number of channels, it’s easy for customers to get distracted. Loyalty is hard to come by. And as with any relationship, the one between your brand and your customers is susceptible to change.

Keeping up-to-date with the needs and desires of your customers, along with the latest trends in marketing, can be your key to long-term success. You want to stay relevant in the industry, but you also can’t be expected to constantly reinvent your brand just to keep up, either. The goal is to find the right balance between fostering fond feelings from your customers, while continuing to innovate and change with the times.

Whatever Happened to That “Something “ Between Us?

As a consequence of modern technology, it’s easy to bore a human. Attention spans are not what they used to be. As a result, we’re spending more time consuming, less time engaging.  So, pay close attention to how your customers are engaging with your brand. Do your research and really get to know the people buying your products or services. If you can recognize the symptoms of customers fatigue, you’ll have the opportunity to shift their focus back to where it belongs.

Start by asking yourself:

1. Are my customers buying my products or services like they used to?
2. How are my customers interacting with my brand on social media?
3. How do those same customers interact with my competitors?

The answers to these questions offer a starting point toward positive change. You’ll learn to identify your weaknesses, and then leverage your strengths to halt (and even reverse) any brand fatigue that may have crept in.

Don’t Fix What Ain’t Broken…

…until you need to break it.

If you have an established brand, chances are you’ve put in a lot of work to get where you are. You’ve made a name for yourself and you probably have a loyal customer base that expects a certain something from you that your competition doesn’t necessarily offer. You should never feel compelled to change your product or service unless you absolutely have to. But sometimes, you might have to.

If your brand is losing ground in the marketplace, you should do what you need to do to fix it. This might mean you have to stray from your norm and leave your comfort zone. A new marketing approach, or some slight modifications to your product or services, can be super refreshing to your customers. It might be time to do something unexpected. Maybe even something weird.

But before you go and do something crazy, take a moment to be quiet and start listening. Let your customers guide you—not the other way around. Haven’t heard much from them  in while? Make sure you’ve provided a way for your customers to voice their opinions. Their insights can be just what you need to steer your brand into a leading marketing position—and keep it there.