After a difficut year and ongoing lock-downs, it’s time to start getting back in touch with your customers and re-assessing your marketing.
We’ve all been through a tough and transformative time over the course of the Covid-19 pandemic. The world that existed pre-Covid has gone and we live in a post-Covid landscape where many areas of life, business and society have changed radically.
For example:
- The standard 9-5 office-based work pattern is dead, to be replaced with hybrid working and a more flexible approach to work.
- Online shopping has become the default way for consumers to buy, whether it’s their weekly groceries or their fashion shopping.
- There’s a greater focus on mental health and wellbeing, both in the workplace and in society as a whole.
- Having been cooped up in lockdown, people are wary of packed, busy spaces and want more space to distance and feel comfortable.
But what’s this got to do with your marketing, you may ask?
How social norms drive your marketing
Understanding the needs of your target audience is the key aim of any marketer. And if we’ve changed as people, those needs have probably changed too.
In short, if your customers have changed the way they live their lives, is your business still relevant in the post-Covid world? If you’re going to create engaging and effective marketing, you need to know that your potential customers are still engaged with you as a brand.
Here are some important questions to ask yourself:
- Has your sector seen much transformative change? If you’re a bricks and mortar store, do you need to focus more on online sales? If you’re a bar, should you promote that you’ve created more open space, so people feel welcomed and not so cramped in?
- Are your customers still engaged? Do people see your brand as in-tune with the ‘new normal’? Use your content marketing to talk about the transformation of your brand, tell stories and show your audience that you’re moving and evolving along with them.
- Are your products/services still relevant? Some business models just won’t work, post-Covid. If you ran a coffee shop that sold almost exclusively to commuters, the footfall and sales revenues may no longer be there. It could be time to pivot.
- Are you making the most of online sales etc? If you’re new to eCommerce and online sales, you’ll need to put some real effort into promoting and marketing your online presence. Target existing customers and tell them how convenient it is to shop online.
- Which marketing channels are performing well? In the digital world, the way we consume marketing is changing. Look at the return on investment (ROI) from all your marketing channels to see where it’s best to focus your money and time.
- How can you enhance your reach and conversion rates? Talk to your sales team, engage with existing satisfied customers and get feedback on where your marketing is hitting the mark, and where it’s falling short. Then try new tactics to expand your ROI.
Talk to us about transforming your marketing, post-Covid
As businesses, we’ve all been through a testing time recently. But the only way to succeed in these challenging times is to review, rethink and evolve your business model and marketing.
If you’re looking to re-evaluate your business strategy, come and talk to us. We can review your numbers, look at changes in your sector or niche and help you to formulate a new business plan for this year and beyond.