People adapt trends almost as immediately as it comes into existence. In some cases, trends can make you stand out but in following trends, it is important that you don’t let it define you.

As entrepreneurs, it is important to decide what trends merits changing elements of your business in order to keep up with the shifting tide.

A good place to start is to thoroughly examine whether and how these trends would strengthen the brand and whether adaptation is essential to maintaining relevance.

Weigh each new trend carefully.

Although it may not be clear how trends will affect your business when they first arise, it’s still important to be aware of and evaluate each one. After all, you don’t want to miss an opportunity to make a potentially positive change. You should start by looking at the scope of each trend: does it affect your overall industry, or only a handful of your competitors? Has it taken root in other industries as well? If so, you should consider how your business can leverage it for maximum benefit. For example, the shift from traditional to digital marketing has had an especially wide range of influence, and has swept across a variety of industries for at least a decade.

Don’t assume you already know your customer.

Understanding your customer is critical for ensuring that your brand truly connects with the public, and this only becomes more vital as you consider adapting to certain trends. But beyond merely knowing who your customers are, creating a two-way conversation with them can be invaluable as you decide which trends are worth addressing and how to make adjustments to meet those trends.

Any possible change, no matter how minor, should be evaluated based on whether it will positively affect the brand. In order to set the stage for the greatest possible benefits, it’s important to have clear and fundamental brand pillars that remain constant, no matter how new trends may affect the business. At the same time, conducting thorough external research to understand changing consumer habits will also help you decide when and how to adapt elements of your brand, whether those are products, messaging, services or other offerings. The key to longevity is to remember what you are as a brand, what you mean to your customers and how you can continue to remain relevant.