Gone are the days of waiting. No longer do people sit awaiting he 6 o’clock news nor do they open an encyclopedia to learn about a particular topic. As the media sphere learned rather abrasively people won’t wait until Saturday’s newspaper to read the newest classifieds. We live in a digital world, people expect information to be available a their fingertips – all day long.

For businesses, potential customers are experts at searching for what they need, when they need it. In order to remain relevant, you will need to be where your potential customers are looking for what you offer, and you need to show up in highly compelling ways. A recent study showed that prospects spend less than 6 seconds on various websites as they search for what satisfies them. Furthermore, you can’t just be in one place all the time. You should try to be active on a variety of digital properties since, on average, consumers need to come into contact with a brand seven times before it registers as a viable option for them. Within North America alone, consumers spend on average 125 minutes watching television, 100 minutes behind a Laptop or PC screen, 142 minutes viewing our smart phones, and 47 minutes viewing a tablet – daily. That’s 414 minutes or almost 7 hours staring at screens each day – plenty of time for brand recognition and engagement.

With consumers spending massive amounts of time online – digital platforms offer plenty of opportunities for brands to engage and build awareness.

If you’re wondering what would be a prime of example of a company who succeeded in re-inventing itself to better exploit digital assets, look no further than Scholastic. Scholastic recognized in order to remain relevant and fulfill the company’s mission; it would need to reach children where they were, on screens. The nearly 100-year-old publishing company left behind its traditional print form and embraced the digital world. By developing its brand across a variety of platforms, Scholastic showed its commitment to accept digital products (video, tablet/mobile, games) as sources of literacy and education. This 360-view approach distinguished Scholastic from other publishing companies who remained focused on literacy in its traditional print format, allowing them to stay relevant and highly profitable.

The digital world provides a means for brands to engage customers through social media, websites, mobile applications and games, videos, and many other avenues. Knowing how important, and effective, remaining relevant in this digital world is begs the question, “Are you doing enough?”

Knowing how important, and effective, remaining relevant in this digital world is begs the question, “Are you doing enough?”

It’s not simply about being present on these various platforms but using them to their full potential by actually engaging with customers, not just shoving information at them. Take a good hard look at your current methods, with as little bias as possible. You should be creating meaningful touch points with customers; ensure you add value through each platform in order to stay relevant in the current fast-paced digital landscape.