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Now that the digital revolution has officially swept the world at large, people have come to expect a specific set of standards from every company. It's a new era in business, and companies need to keep up with today's demands to be crowned the industry leaders of tomorrow.

But how will this work with the cutthroat competition that's snuffing life out of businesses in the digital world? Here's the reality: If you plan to succeed in the future, your business must become nimble and, for lack of a better word, cool. Traditional tactics no longer drive business; it's all about fostering innovation, encouraging risk-taking and embracing new technologies.

In the 21st century, technology is an essential component of every organization; even digital-marketing pros need technology to be all they can be. Tech is an important means for boosting your digital presence, building customer loyalty and improving your digital efficiency. In fact, "IT no longer just supports corporate operations as it traditionally has, but is fully participating in business value delivery," said John-David Lovelock, research vice president at Gartner.

So what does it take to lead? What constitutes an extremely successful digital presence?

1. Automate workflow

In every business, there are tasks that you have to do repeatedly. These could be very simple tasks such as checking emails and responding to them or more complex tasks such as accounting activities or saving documents in the right folders. And if you are doing these tasks manually, they could be taking up a lot of time better spent on more creative and important things.

2. Track your projects and maximize productivity

Project-management software is designed to keep teams organized, productive and focused. It's especially useful for small teams that need to stay synchronized without many meetings and memos. To keep business projects on track, you need to know the status of each one at a glance. These days, there are plenty of collaboration tools and project-management software that can help you make sure you're on top of things.

Technology is all about speed and efficiency. This means that the tasks that used to take you a long time can now be done in minutes. This frees up a lot of time for your employees, giving them more time to focus on more creative things like ideation. You can also use technology to improve the accuracy of tasks such as data entry or reporting, saving time and increasing productivity.

3. Improve collaboration

For your employees to be productive and successful, they need to communicate and collaborate. Technology makes it easier than ever for them to do so. Video conferencing allows employees in different locations to communicate in real-time, share ideas and brainstorm solutions to problems together. This technology allows your team to work together at any time from anywhere in the world. It also enables real-time updates and improvements, boosting productivity, increasing transparency and reducing costs.

4. Make your customers fall in love with you

New technology makes it easier to track customer issues and address them promptly. Customer-relationship management systems are great examples of this technology in action. Using automated systems such as chatbots or virtual assistants enables businesses to provide immediate assistance without hiring additional hands.

Technology allows businesses to deliver personalized marketing campaigns in real-time, essential for acquiring new customers and retaining business. Data-gathering systems like CRMs enable you to collect customer demographics, purchase history, preferences and more so you can segment your audience by key factors like age, gender and location. Then, companies use this data to deliver customized messages via email, social media or even television ads that are more likely to result in purchases than generic advertisements. With AI, marketers can use predictive analytics to forecast what a customer will do next and recommend the best marketing strategies in real-time.

5. Analyze performance and analytics

KPI tracking software allows companies to track KPIs (key performance indicators) and determine which areas need improvement. KPI tracking helps businesses keep track of their goals and strategies. This type of software provides an accurate picture of how well a company is performing by measuring key performance indicators based on historical data and current trends in business activity. Using this information, you can make informed decisions about your company's future direction.

6. Enhance cybersecurity

Technology is a double-edged sword when it comes to cybersecurity. While it offers opportunities to protect your business from hackers, cybercriminals also use technology to attack you on multiple fronts. With all the news about cybersecurity breaches, every business should have a strong cybersecurity plan to protect its data from hackers who can hijack it and use it for malicious purposes or hold it hostage until they get paid a ransom.

The great thing about the digital age is that it's never too late to start using technology to its maximum benefit. You just need to find the right tools and the right experts to help you get started.