By Amit Jay Shah
We live in a world of information overload. Our smartphones, laptops and televisions provide direct routes into our lives: so that adverts, news stories and ten second videos can clutter our minds and shift our focus within seconds. Such digital and social saturation provides a serious challenge for entrepreneurs trying to establish themselves; cutting through the noise has become an absolute priority.
How can new businesses stand out from the millions of apps and ads presented to consumers every day? How are they supposed to drive engagement amid reams of likeable images and shareable titbits of information? How can you help them?
It goes without saying that knowing your client inside out is the first step to success. Be completely clear on how they like to work, what their goals are, and how they plan on achieving them. You can then advise them from a strong position of understanding, and create a solid and lasting relationship built on mutually beneficial collaboration and communication.
Once you know what they want, some serious creative thinking will help your client compete with the best. If there is an industry trend that has already been played out by a competitor, rework it so that your client’s product is fresh. The good thing about a saturated market is that you know what they’re offering is in demand, but you don’t want to simply replicate the work of others. If you do, you will instantly fade into the background.
Stray too radically from the norm though, and you could enter dangerous territory. If something is working for your client’s competitors there must be something you can take from it. Undertake detailed market research so that you have an in depth understanding of your client’s industry and prospective customer. Be certain that you are meeting customers’ needs and expectations at a base level. Then take this one step further: ensure that your client does it better by developing their idea until it has a clear and indisputable niche.
First impressions count, so your client’s launch needs to be perfect. Market saturation and information overload means no second chances. The digital world is unforgiving. And just because things go well to start with does not mean that you can be complacent. It is crucial that you help your client stay relevant, nurturing and revamping their idea by consistently listening to customer feedback and paying attention to industry developments. In such a fast-paced consumer-driven world, your work is never done.
A clear, communicative and collaborative partnership with any client will give you both the best chance of stand-out success. Saturation is synonymous with the way we experience information today, so it shouldn’t turn you off. Rather, it should foster the kind of creativity and lateral thinking that can lead to the most inspirational success stories.
Amit Jay Shah is CEO of HIROLA Group
