Brand engagement is becoming increasingly important yet difficult to achieve. Research shows that engaged customers represent nearly one-fourth greater revenue levels. Some steps have been identified as being crucial to solving this conundrum. The first step involves developing creative ways of attracting people to your community. Sharing of community blogs is one of the best ways. Specific data and insights must be sourced and acted upon. This will prove to be a timely prediction model. The community page must be littered with customer experience stories. This gives a sense of authenticity to the entire experience. 

From the earliest memories of our lives, we are forever imbibed the importance of being presentable. At school, we get rapped on our knuckles if our shoes are not properly polished or finger nails not cut. This grounding extends well beyond school till working life. And indeed studies have shown how firms which are not presentable in their outlook need a complete marketing makeover. A marketing must-have list has now been developed but divided into 4 levels from bronze to platinum. All of these focus on digital presence and sophistication off it. Sponsored posts and event sponsorships are for those aspiring for platinum level while a basic LinkedIn page and professional website are essential at the beginner’s level. 

When we think of the digital revolution, we generally consider it a product of rapid technological changes. However, more than mere technology, it is a change in culture and perspective. While hierarchies are not dead, they are evolving into parallel networks. Information used to be the preserve of the elite from where it would trickle down diluted to the lower reaches. Now the digital world has enabled real time information in the hands of people across the network. This has led to the democratization of societies. Information has meant power to act and take decisions accordingly.

While crowd sourcing for information is a relatively older concept, crowd-marketing is a new form that has emerged whichensures marketing for your service/ product not by the firm but clients themselves. It is a two-step process. The first involves convincing a Key Influencer. The key influencer is one who has a substantial online following on his/ her own blog/ Facebook page/Twitter handle etc. On that forum, the key influencer describes the positives of the firm and directs follower traffic to the landing page. In the next step, a specialist will be hired who will publicize about the product across public forums and direct page visitors towards the firm’s service / product.

While there may not be a fixed formula for success, there exist certain character traits commonly found among high achievers. They are doers and do not obsess over reasons. Hierarchies are dead for them. People around get inspired by them. They do not rest on their laurels. Challenges bring out the best in them. Defeat does not exist in their dictionaries. Instead, they are literally desperate for success. They are usually thick-skinned and resistant to criticism. They do not politicize each and everything. Unfortunately though, they are not always virtuous in business dealings.

Innovation is one aspect businesses are struggling hardest to achieve. While progress in engineering, supply chain, quality and operations is fairly commonplace across industry, few companies can tap successful innovation. Industry trends however suggest there may be some principles, following which, organizations have reaped benefits of innovation. The entire firm must have a precise and common definition of innovation. Leaders must take up the initiative by becoming responsible and effective. The entire management process needs to be geared towards being innovation seeking. Metrics help innovations through accountability on inputs, results, processes, leadership, environment, balance, return on investment and competence. Most importantly, employees must feel the need for innovating themselves.

It is said that leadership is an art and cannot be inculcated in someone. Yet studies suggest, certain characteristics business leaders possess which go a long way in developing successful organizations. Communication by leader must always flow from inside to the outside world while frequently questioning himself/ herself. The group of employees who constantly bicker and bring down the group performance must be eliminated early. These leaders put equal focus on the body and mind as they know that performance will be poorer if physical fitness is lacking. Dealings within and outside the firm are done with honesty. Employees are constantly induced to demonstrate their innovativeness.Final execution at each level is encouraged to be performed by lean teams.