It’s fair to say that “innovation,” while an attractive word to most entrepreneurs and investors looking for the next big thing, is not always looked at with quite such rosy eyes. If you were to talk about how you’ve innovated the next big practice in car safety, most people would raise one eyebrow.
Sure, there are way too many car accidents per year, but the airbag, seatbelt, and speed awareness combination is a relatively good mitigation plan, and anything that chooses to mess up or upend that system is really going to have to prove itself first.
This can be applied to many different fields. It can also seem that while some things struggle to catch on, others just need time, and you need to be proactive about that. Right now, the most obvious example is that of smart rings. In a world where smartwatches are worn by a great number of people, why should people opt for an expensive accessory they can’t interact with as easily for the same results?
Well, because they may offer better and more accurate readings of your general health. If you can promote a new understanding like that, then perhaps people will stop side-eyeing your approach to innovation and actually listen to you.
That’s the hope anyway.
In this post, we’ll discuss how to promote your innovations or new adoptions, even in a field meant for stability.
Highlight Your Experience & Qualifications In A Field
Even if you don’t have decades of formal experience, be upfront about how much research you’ve done or how much you’ve learned through real-world problem-solving. When people see that you’ve taken the time to understand the nuances of a field, they’re more likely to give your ideas the benefit of the doubt for that reason entirely.
However, if you do have experience, then that can be a great place to open up the conversation. If you’ve managed events and feel as though the booking solutions you’ve encountered are needlessly complicated, then maybe you wish to resolve those issues and can put this at the heart of your brand. Credibility and authenticity are essential when you hope to break the rules, and sometimes that means telling people just how long you’ve played by them.
Point Out Commonly Experienced Pain Points & Statistics You’re Trying To Address
Any good marketer knows that in order to swoop in with a solution, you have to point out issues that need to be fixed. No one is enthused by someone trying to fix an issue that almost nobody experiences. There are a few good questions to ask as far as this goes. What are the gaps in the current system or product lineup? What frustrations do people deal with that your solution can ease?
For instance, to use our smart rings example we used in the intro, the main pain points might include bulky smartwatches, inaccurate health readings, or the desire for a more discreet wearable. If you can illustrate these issues with real statistics or user feedback, your case becomes much stronger. Data like “X% of smartwatch users report discomfort after prolonged wear, especially when sweating in the gym” or “Y% of people want health insights without constant screen interaction” can make your argument feel more tangible.
Then they’ll listen to your next steps.
Lay Out Three Simple Narratives For Your Solution
No one sits around asking to be marketed to, this becomes an incidental part of their day. So for that reason, people often need an easy way to visualize how a new innovation fits into their lives without having to strain too hard to understand it. A clear, simple narrative can help them make that connection, as any comms director will tell you. It doesn’t need to be complicated; in fact, the simpler, the better.
Three narratives you can use for different campaign elements can be helpful. For instance, if you’re hoping to promote a healthcare solutions platform as part of your clinic, you could explain how this helps you reduce wait times, introduce more value-based care, and connect with wider physical networks for referrals as required.
If someone is told of a problem or two, and given three clear new solutions to resolve it, well, they’re likely to see your innovation and change with less suspicion than before. You can also research common feelings of friction in tests or focus groups to help curate your narrative to address those issues ahead of time.
With this advice, we hope you can promote innovation even in fields known for stability.
