In a world of click and buy processes where customers can commit to a purchase in a few seconds from their smartphone at any time of the day and time, it is essential that businesses are equipped to deal with modern opportunities and behaviors. Needless to say that companies that fail to demonstrate their ability to conform to the state-of-the-art requirements can’t expect to survive in the competitive market. Indeed, archaic strategies and solutions don’t work anymore in the 21st Century. If you want to grow your business, you need to avoid any of these mistakes from the past century.
#1. Are You Talking To The Right Audience?
Millennials, aka everyone born between the early 1980s and the late 1990s, are the most prominent generation in the workplace and one of the most responsive and active buyers on the market. Consequently, it is your responsibility as a business owner to make sure that you are also targeting this profitable audience. Millennials might have received a bad rep from numerous conservative newspapers, but there is no denying that they are the most relevant buyers and employees at the current time. Consequently, it’s essential to ensure that you’re not missing out on an opportunity. These mobile-savvy users rely on popular influencer, social media presence and emotional hooks to connect with brands. In short, it is time to "Millennialize" your company and become Gen Z compatible as well.
#2. Are You Working With The Most Recent Regulations?
If you work closely with European countries, you might have heard of the Data Protection Bill that gives customers the right to demand from a company to erase all their data. Additionally, organization could also face criminal charges if they tamper with data that has been requested by an individual. But, that’s not all. The EU has a different stand to cookies regulations and anybody in Europe can demand to know what use is made of their data cookies – the kind of data collected by marketing tools such as Google Analytics, for instance. These are not the only regulations that have been modified! In fact, as most companies change their internal policies every few years, it’s essential to work with a policy management software solution to ensure that your regulations are up to date. Outdated policies can put you at legal risk with your customers and suppliers.
#3. Do You Consider Flexible Options?
If you swear by the 9-to-5 routine, it’s time to wake up to the requirements of the new generation. Millennials demand flexibility at work so that they can improve their work/life balance without losing their productivity. With the ability to work remotely through collaborative digital tools, Millennials are not keen to waste any time. If a company can’t justify the lack of flexibility in the workplace, 82% of them choose not to stay with the employer. Additionally, as the new generation of worker is making the most of their flexibility to grow their income, they prefer freelancing work that allows them to accumulate tasks and projects from different companies as they see fit.
#4. Do You Use Apps?
According to a research undertaken by The University of Manchester, UK, retailers that have not yet embraced the app movement are missing out on billions of profit a year. Indeed, an app can offer the personalization modern customers require to commit to a purchase. As the smartphone has become the most reliable communication tool for the modern individual, it’s also a research tool and a way to perform transactions. Consequently, creating an app that facilitates the process of purchase is not just a gimmick. It is a conversion catalyst that can deliver up to 45% of additional traffic, and just as many potential conversions. Apps increase conversions and if you don't utilize them, that is a major business blunder.
#5. Do You Sound Old-Fashioned?
Eventually, it’s impossible to deny the fact that the language is in constant evolution. While nobody asks you to copy the language of the young generation, it remains essential to find a compromising middle way. Indeed, the use of old-fashioned phrases can affect the image of your brand and depicts an inability to evolve instead of the reassuring professionalism you were expected. Phrases such as “please be advised” or “please note that” sound patronizing and stand-offish. While you only mean to inform, your readership feels a growing distance appear between them and you. Check the list enclosed (see article) for archaic wording to avoid.
#6. What’s Your Management Style?
Modern businesses prefer a linear management style where the boundaries of each role are kept fluid. By putting everyone at the same level, they can encourage exchange and innovative thinking through the company, ensuring that everyone feels included and habilitate to participate. A vertical hierarchy pyramid doesn’t let employees mix with managers, which leads to the creation of formal barriers and obstacles in their communication and innovation processes.
#7. Is Your Marketing Message Too Impersonal?
Your customers need a marketing message that resonates with their interests. The time of advertising campaigns that promoted a product quality is long gone. You need to have a story to tell instead. Indeed at the core of customer engagement there’s the desire to engage with a brand at a deeper level. The ability to tell a story brings relatability into the advertising process. It only takes a second to understand the advantage of this emotional hook: Consider how the family-focus messaging around IKEA products make you feel – the story of a grandfather and his granddaughter cooking together, for instance, is a tale everybody can relate to.
#8. Do You Share Relevant Content?
Finally, blogs are used to share timely information about your industry sector, your offers or the latest evolution of the market. As it’s a constantly evolving content, contrary to the rest of your website, it needs to be used to answer the current queries of your customers. Trendy topics are key.
Consequently, you need to not only understand your audience and their needs but also keep an eye on the latest news. Timely content generation Consequently, if you have identified old-fashioned practices in your company, the question is not why you haven’t changed your processes, but when you will finally make it into the 21st Century. The longer you wait, the most difficult it will be to retain your customers and employees.
I hope you enjoyed this article about business mistakes that you can't afford to make in the new age of marketing and media.
Interested in more articles about updating your business?
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