In the age of the buyer, the set it and forget approach is a thing of the past.

Many companies and business owners would develop their go-to market strategies for a business year, and then let it bake. This approach over the past few years then went to a quarterly planning approach, but these days many successful business people are planning based on their next call-to-action, social media post or event they believe will drive more revenue through the doors. This is especially true regarding marketing. I don’t believe marketing was ever a static thing, but it did have some basic roots that would get cultivated over a period of time.

In today’s markets, which the buyer has the ultimate wand (mobile phone) and keyboard of power to the information highway, adaptive marketing and adaptive planning need to be part of your day-to-day mindset. Many business people have changed, but the velocity of change is proving to be a real challenge for many as the speed of the market and buying community has far outpaced the vendor. The past few years, I have been on a soap box saying Marketing needs to be a top three hat the small business owners have to be wearing at all times. Whether you take on your marketing for your business, have an employee on staff, or outsource this discipline, it needs to be front and center to not only flourish, but to survive.

Culture and business markets have always been somewhat fluid, but in the age of the buyer, the velocity of change has to be kept pace with. Make sure to have to quick planning sessions, keep an ear to the streets regarding your customers and markets, and don’t be afraid to make the necessary changes you need to.