Main keyword: Post-Pandemic Marketing
Related keywords: Business Values – COVID-19 pandemic – Customer Loyalty – Personalization
Summary: The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all of our lives and as the world is starting to go back to its pre-pandemic state, businesses need to be cautious of the lasting changes the pandemic has brought on people. Businesses need to adjust their strategies in order to take advantage of this emerging market and understand how to connect with their customers.
Post-Pandemic Marketing Strategies
COVID-19 has changed the way people live all around the world and even though we are reaching the end of the pandemic and are starting to go back to our pre-COVID lives, some habits may still be stuck with us. This is why it’s important to plan strategically to keep up with the “new normal”.
Some of these permanent changes include cashless transactions, more inclination towards remote work and increased e-commerce. There is also a change in attitude of people towards businesses. As the world went into chaos people seemed more inclined towards empathetic business messaging and business values seemed to be more important than ever. Flexibility and agility were also the prime factors defining whether your business could survive in this quickly changing world or not.
What can you do for your business to keep up with these changes? We will be discussing some marketing trends from 2021 and some ideas to help you ease into these changes.
Compassionate business values
It’s important now more than ever to sympathize with your audience and have your business messaging convey empathy towards your consumers. You may have a marketing campaign planned weeks ahead but if a national disaster strikes or an important socio-political issue captures the attention of the country, it’s important to prioritize this over your campaign. Tone-deaf marketing is a sure-fire way to lose the connection that you have worked hard to create with your audience. Something as globally devastating as a pandemic can definitely bring about more ethically concerned people who will be looking at your business’ values before anything else.
Shift in online presence
As people were forced to stay inside, internet usage surged to record high amounts. Many businesses, in order to adapt to this change, digitalized their services and moved online. This included online conferences and events, virtual showing of products and more online shops. By establishing a strong online presence and revamping your business strategy to suit these changes, you can take advantage of the millions who are using their smartphones and laptops more than ever. However, it’s also important to keep in mind that as the pandemic is ending, people want to get a sense of what normal used to feel like; this includes in-person shopping and events.
Bottomline, is you need to tailor your business strategy to the needs of your customers in the post-pandemic world while keeping in mind the adjustments you might need to make to account for the permanent changes caused by the pandemic.
Exclusive Deals and Offers
This works especially well for in-person businesses that were hit hard by the pandemic. These include gyms, spas, theatres, restaurants, travel agencies etc. Get your customers excited to come back with exclusively tailored deals promoted through either social media or email. Discounts, saving options and other offers can be the perfect incentive for your customers who are slowly getting back to their old routines. However, it is also important to keep in mind that your online presence is also important and you shouldn’t lose sight of that.
Get to Know Your Post-Pandemic Customers
The pandemic has impacted people’s behavior on both an individual and social level. The data shows us that during the past year consumers were more inclined to buy necessities and provide their basic needs rather than non-essential products. Online shopping has become the staple even for people who refused to buy anything online before the pandemic. The emotional, physical and financial trauma caused by this pandemic has left a lasting scar on people and your business strategies need to be conscious of this.
People are looking for security, stability and empathy from businesses that they want to support. Studies show that consumers are now more concerned about same-day or in general guaranteed delivery rather than free delivery options because they crave that sense of security and trust from the company they are buying from. Consumers are also seeking healthier lifestyle options due to so much focus being drawn on this issue this past year.
Although there are some general changes that everyone has been through, you still need to figure out how your customers have been impacted by COVID. You need to think about recreating your customer personas as they are no longer relevant. Focus on how their motivations, goals, habits and personality types have changed and how you can tailor your strategies to your new customers. One way to get to know your customers better is to conduct personal interviews or run surveys.
Customer engagement is key to keeping up with your customers and not losing track of their expectations. Learning about the priorities your consumers have in mind when choosing a business to work with is of utmost importance. Categorizing your customers based on their personal priorities helps you target them more efficiently with offers or specially tailored advertisements.
Personalization Matters
It goes without saying that trust is essential to building sustainable relationships with your consumers. Making your customers feel special and feel that they are a part of your business can help build long lasting relationships yielding loyal customers. This is why it’s important to create accurate personas and tailor specialized and personalized ways to connect with your audience. This will create a sense of trust that can harbor the kinds of relationships you want to have with your customers.
Consistent Messaging
As businesses move online and expand over various platforms, it’s important to keep your messaging consistent. This will create trust between you and your consumers. With all the different tracking methods and cookies available today, it has gotten easier to create personalized messaging however you need to be careful to not send mixed messaging as this can hurt the trust you have built with your audience.
Final Word
As the world is slowly returning to the pre-pandemic state, businesses need to adjust their strategies to keep up with these changes. It’s important to provide the pre-pandemic experience that your consumers want but you also have to be aware of the permanent changes that the pandemic has brought on your customers. With your business’ ethics and values being focused on now more than ever, it’s important to understand how your customers have changed and how to relate to them.
