The COVID-19 pandemic had massive effects above and beyond the health of those who were infected. With many governments imposing curfews, lockdowns, and restrictions in movement in efforts to curb infection rates, the operations of businesses in virtually every sector of the economy were disrupted.
Compared to when the pandemic was at its height, rates of infection and death have plummeted around the world. But as much as the situation seems to have been reined in from a health perspective, the ripple effects on business are still being felt. With many workers still telecommuting and others yet to recover their pre-corona income levels, it is far from business as usual.
How do you adjust your approach to marketing to encompass this new normal? Here are some strategies that will help you effectively reach your target audience in the post-pandemic era.
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Go Online
At the height of the pandemic, governments placed restrictions on movement that forced people to spend entire weeks and months indoors. No more idling away weekends at shopping malls, meeting up for random dates, or attending live events.
For businesses, this meant opportunities to physically present products to potential buyers were all but extinguished. Traditional advertising avenues like billboards were no longer effective, with hardly anyone on the streets to view them.
This meant businesses had to channel their brand messaging through media that their target market could access from the comfort of their homes. Radio and TV still have their rightful places in people’s lives. But the truth is, more and more people are reliant on the Internet for all their informational needs.
Going online is far from just setting up a website; it’s harnessing the power of the World Wide Web to deepen and broaden reach. Unable to venture outdoors, many people turned to e-commerce stores for everything from work supplies to food. For instance, many restaurants converted themselves into virtual kitchens focused on delivering the same dining experience right to their customers’ doorsteps.
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Focus On The Customers You Already Have
Going online during the pandemic was not a guarantee to make sales. After all, your rivals may have already established an online presence. But what made your customers keep patronizing your brand was their relationship with your business.
This is because they have found your products to reliably offer a solution to their wants or needs over time. it could also be because they espouse the same values that you propagate as a business. Your marketing strategy during this post-pandemic period should therefore include measures to strengthen these relationships.
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Create Engaging Content
Engaging content is a must if you hope to win the attention of your target audience from the myriad distractions online. Among the sources of those distracting communications are your competitors.
Creating engaging content for your online prospects doesn’t just happen. You have to have a strategy for this, backed by a solid in-house or outsourced expertise to guarantee scrupulous execution. Acquiring such expertise may be costly, but can be a worthwhile investment if it will lead to conversions and traffic from search engines.
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Show Compassion and Empathy
With the incomes of many adversely affected by the pandemic, smart businesses must adopt a more empathetic tone. Instead of bombarding customers with promotional messages, offering solutions that could lighten their financial obligations could evoke loyalty.
For instance, commercial banks waived loan repayments for customers who had lost or suffered drastic reductions in their incomes. Regardless of your line of business, you can find ways to demonstrate empathy to customers. Though this will put a small dent on your current profits, you stand to win in terms of customer loyalty.
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Marketing Localization
One of the biggest lessons drawn from the pandemic is the need for businesses to tailor their communications to be more personal to individual customers. It is no longer enough to define a demographic or market segment and offer them one-size-fits-all messaging.
You need to identify not just the general region from which your customers are likely to come from. You should target your potential buyers down to their specific zip codes. For example,
If you’re based in the Big Apple, you can tap into marketing agencies in New York City for campaigns that appeal more strongly to NYC residents.
But you shouldn’t focus solely on their geographic location – you should also communicate to your customers based on their individual circumstances. The more personalized your marketing approach is, the more likely they are to respond positively.
All-Weather Marketing Strategy
As you roll out your post-pandemic marketing plan, your mind should be on developing a strategy that can weather all types of storms. The pandemic is not the only adverse event that can happen to a business. To survive the tests of time, your marketing plan should be centered on the customer. A plan that is focused on offering solutions to real pain points will always prevail.
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