(Akiit.com) Business is a notoriously difficult minefield to negotiate. Every year, hundreds of people take the plunge and launch a new venture. But many fail. If you’re eager to succeed, and you have grand plans for the future, creativity is key. If you can stand out from the crowd and capture people’s imaginations, you have a much better chance of success. Here are some ways you can inject more creativity into your new business.
Marketing and branding
Marketing and branding are essential for any new business. Even if you have a fantastic company, it will still fail if nobody knows it exists. When you’re setting up alone, you want as many people as possible to know who you are and what you do. There are myriad techniques you can use to spread the word. Traditional methods include flyers, leaflets, and posters. You can also use direct marketing, telemarketing, and SMS messages. Your base and anything that carries your brand name should also be a marketing 
tool. Nowadays, many firms also rely heavily on digital marketing. SEO strategies and social media campaigns can generate significant levels of interest almost instantaneously.
When you’re designing marketing materials and coming up with branding ideas, aim for originality. Go for simplicity, but make sure you come up with something eye-catching. Think outside the box, and try and create a logo or strap line nobody has seen before. In a crowded marketplace, your creative talents could make the difference. Your unique designs could help you secure a client, rather than lose out to a competitor. Don’t rush the design process. Take your time, and do some market research. Think about what consumers want to see.
Recruitment
The people you hire will make an almighty difference to your business. If you want to add that spark, look for creative people. Keep an eye out for CVs that are a little different to the others. Listen out for interesting ideas that crop up in interviews. Don’t focus all your attentions on experience and high grades. Sometimes, it pays to have fresh faces who bring bags of enthusiasm and motivation.
Once you’ve got the right people on board, give them leeway to use their skills and their imagination. Encourage creativity. Provide inspirational workspaces. Organise team meetings to throw ideas around and let people bounce off each other.
Try and make every day at work different. Even the most exciting opportunity may lose it shine if you’re doing the same thing day in day out. Variety is the spice of life, they say. Your employees are more likely to be motivated if they’re taking on varied tasks. Taking time out can also be hugely beneficial. If you have a rest, you can return to the job with a renewed interest. As an employer, you should encourage regular breaks. Creative hobbies and exercise are proven to stimulate the mind. Try and incorporate them in your office daily routine.
Creative content and social media
Social media plays an increasingly instrumental role in modern marketing. If you have a successful social media campaign, this will help to tip the balance sheets in your favour. The beauty of social media is its ability to reach out to a vast number of people. Facebook, for example, has more than a billion users worldwide. In an instant, you can connect with thousands of eager Internet users. The key to getting the most out of social media lies in captivating an audience and maintaining their interest. To do this, you need creative, compelling content. Flooding a user’s newsfeed with essays won’t generate sales. Update your page periodically. Post videos, clips, and images that are funny and thought-provoking.
It’s always good to have a plan in place when it comes to your content. Make sure any posts are relevant, and cater for your target market. Make sure your website and your social media profiles are visually appealing. The aim is to get the user to see the page and immediately want to find out more. It’s proven that humans respond better to visual stimuli, so add videos and photographs. If you’re selling a product, for example, you could put together a showreel, gallery, or a short film. If you’re struggling for inspiration, search online and take a look at examples of a company case study.
When you’re competing against other firms, it’s essential to stand out from the crowd. Using your creativity can help you to achieve this goal. Be original, be unique, and don’t be afraid to be different. If you’re a creative person, run with it. Your talents, teamed with dedication and hard work, will help you to succeed.
Staff Writer; Matt Brown