Tackle these tools to keep business booming for the long haul.

There’s no getting around it. Embracing technology, and what’s happening in the digital space, is a must for any business that wants to survive. But, determining the most innovative and creatively-driven strategies in digital is what will help you thrive.

Digital Transformation Defined

Simply put, it’s the strategy a company undertakes to transition into the digital space. Without undergoing this crucial transition and implementing a digitized business model, a company will most likely not make it. Some of the biggest corporate legends are no longer in the game because they did not effectively plan toward an imminent fast track into the future of the digital space age.

Assimilating into the digital world

With increasingly growing numbers of social media platforms each year, countless digitized business modules, and a myriad of customer interfacing options and strategies, assimilating into the digital world can prove downright daunting, even for the biggest of brands. Unfortunately, there is no cookie cutter solution or strategy for every company. Instead, we must do some soul-searching as to what digital transformation means to our philosophy or manifesto. Taking these fundamental first-steps with the current business model will help ensure a smooth, successful transition:

• Consider digitizing client/business relations and processes first and foremost.

• Know where you are and where you want to go. Research trends. Stay on top of the competition. What strategies are they using? What’s working? What’s not? This is where a lot of trial and error will inevitably come into play, before a company’s customized digital plan will start to take shape.

• Strategize which applications, social media platforms, and other digital solutions support the brand’s culture, message, daily operations, and budget. Be specific and realistic.
  
  Don’t Get Derailed by Digital Disruptions
  
  Stay focused and keep your eye on the prize. Don’t let the annual onslaught of digital curve balls discourage your plans. The advent of smartphones, Uber, and wearable tech all became game-changing digital disruptions. Now what? They’re certainly not going anywhere anytime soon. Every techie-type advancement alters the everyday lives of consumers on some level. Digitally-speaking, we all must conform or get left behind.
  
  Where are your customers and what do they want?
  
  Think about what can you do to effectively and lucratively meet the daily demands of your customers. Implement some online savvy stalking to see what they’re into. What social sites do they frequent? What social sentiments are they leaving? Strategizing how you meet them on THEIR turf to make THEIR lives a wee bit easier will be your winning strategy. Get into bed with your customers now – or someone else will.
  
  Re-Inventing and Re-Innovation
  
  Digital transformation is an on-going process filled with pertinent planning, strategizing, facilitating, implementing, executing, failing, succeeding, modifying, and being on-the-ready to do it over and over and over again. Meeting with your team monthly to brainstorm, execute, and evaluate what’s working and what’s not will prove exponentially helpful now and over time. Here are some indispensable topics to talk about in the conference room:

• Discuss future goals – both short and long term.

• Execute and maintain digital relevancy and solutions for customers to avoid the dreaded stand-still.

• Think about how you can streamline everyday operations, i.e., customer interactions, such as posting relevant, share-worthy social media posts and updates that will help to engage customer interaction, while building brand awareness and increasing revenue; or implementing an online, user-friendly payment portal for easy, stress-free shopping

• Be prepared for changes, shifts, and digital disruptors through consistent and timely re-evaluation of strategies. Always assume the smooth-shift position. Avoid getting swept away with the inevitable, unapologetic tide.

• Listen and yield to customer behavior. The mold will invariably change shape.

Nowadays, integrating into the digital arena is just as much a non-negotiable necessity to success as is overhead, capital, and other conventional, mainstream marketing tools. Get in the game.


– Chamli Tennakoon