Adapt or Die: Business In the 21st Century

If you’re not adapting, you’re dying. Charles Darwin said it first. Perhaps not as succinctly, and not about business, but the concept resonates just the same. Businesses that do not adapt their message will die. Millennials have become the scapegoats for failing businesses. But they aren’t killing anything. Non-adaptation is.

To appeal to the younger generation, you have to update your technology. It has been talked about time and time again, but social media is extremely important in marketing. You can reach your target audience with a click of a button. You must also be in the mindset that your website will more likely than not be viewed on a smartphone, not a computer. Being mobile-friendly is extremely important and not adapting is one of the biggest downfalls for a website’s effectiveness.

Another way to ensure you are reaching Millennials is to take a good look at your industry. Perhaps the competition has changed. Businesses can get so stuck in their own strategy that they don’t realize how much the world has grown and changed. Or, they didn’t realize the small, new competition that emerged is the new favorite. Find out who they are and what makes them successful. You also need to know your customers and what they are looking for from your business, and perhaps what they are getting from your competition.

When you listen to your customers, from every generation, they will reveal the most effective way to reach them. What do they like? What does not work so well? How can you improve? Including your customers in the process may generate some new ideas that you never would have thought of otherwise.

One aspect to be successful in an ever-changing, Millennial-dominant world is to stand out and be different. Whether it’s your mission statement, your service, or your image, you should rise above your competition. What separates you from everybody else?

Finally, Millennials in particular respond well to personal appeal and authentically. Tell a story that touches them. Use images that are free from over-the-top photoshop or airbrushing. Enhance your reach through visual media.

So how do you think your brand is doing? If it’s been a while since you adapted your approach, you could be going down the other path.