In any field, it’s important to know exactly why all of your competitors are jumping on board with one particular trend. If that trend is a business tool or technology, it could signal the start of a new way of doing things – one that might threaten to leave you behind.
But how can you know for sure? After all, you don’t want to abandon your well-established way of doing things just because something might offer this kind of change. You want to know for sure. Understanding what makes a business tool essential isn’t easy, and it’s important that you recognize the constant subjective element at work.
Inarguable Results
If you compare your own brand with that of a competitor – you who don’t use the tool in question and your competitor who does – you might get an insight into how this use affects the result of your output. First of all, it’s better if you can draw information from a wider sample than this, as you don’t want to infer results that could instead be based on any number of other variables.
However, this method could provide you with a great deal of insight into the actual results that this business tool offers – whether or not the advantages are widespread enough for you to be unable to argue against them. You have to know what kind of result you’re hoping that this tool will bring – that way, you can apply this approach to anything from AI to durable scalper screeners, based on your industry and your intentions.
Audience Expectations
While you shouldn’t allow your business to be completely driven by the expectations of your audiences, it’s important to recognize the role that they can play in your marketing and beyond. If, for example, your audiences have come to expect a certain result that’s guaranteed by your competitors’ use of a certain technology, that might lead to a sense of disinterest in your own brand.
That doesn’t automatically mean that the tool is essential, but it might mean that you have to go to lengths to justify your current approach. If the only reason that you’re hanging onto the old ways is that there isn’t room in the budget, you might have to make it a priority so that you can begin to reignite some more interest in your brand.
An Increase in Security
When it comes to particular digital tools, one advantage that a breakout example might have over older options is that it offers a much greater degree of security. In that case, being seen as not trying to take advantage of this immediately could both open your business up to more risk and send the wrong message to your audiences. Even though your decisions for taking your time to upgrade might be purely financial, customers might see it as an unwillingness to prioritize security – leading them to feel more comfortable with other brands. As unfortunate or even unwarranted as it might seem, you have to constantly consider your brand reputation and how certain decisions will impact it.
Lynn Martelli is an editor at Readability. She received her MFA in Creative Writing from Antioch University and has worked as an editor for over 10 years. Lynn has edited a wide variety of books, including fiction, non-fiction, memoirs, and more. In her free time, Lynn enjoys reading, writing, and spending time with her family and friends.
