6 Marketing Tactics to Deploy Post COVID-19
by Startacus Admin
The coronavirus pandemic and its effects are realities that took the world by storm. Even as lockdown restrictions are being eased all over the world, some changes have come to stay. The crisis has created long-term effects that have changed the business landscape totally. In view of this, businesses ought to engage pivoting strategies to maintain continued relevance once the pandemic ends. Everything from products that ought to be prioritized, new trends to be adopted, and even the demographics to be focused on might have to change. One area that you should definitely pay attention to is your marketing strategies.
Generally, marketing is the process adopted to reach new customers as well as sustain old leads. Great marketing strategies follow the customers. Thus, the strategies to be employed are influenced by customer habits and preferences. Marketing tactics post the COVID-19 pandemic will be no different. Customer behavior during the pandemic has radically changed. Thus, as a business owner, you have to find a means to tweak your strategies to reflect these changes. Else, you will be left behind.
Below are 6 marketing strategies to employ post-COVID-19.
1. Pay Attention to Online Marketing
During the period of the pandemic, online shopping became the new normal. This is due to the lockdown and social distancing regulations by many countries. In the thick of it, people could not go out. Essentials such as food supplies were ordered online and were then delivered to customers’ homes directly.
Another reason for moving online is the search for entertainment. In a bid to stay active, people turned to social media. Platforms such as Instagram and Youtube, with a strong focus on video content, were the rave. When the pandemic ends, the residues of this new habit will still be left. Customers, used to the comfort of online shopping, will want to continue on this route. Thus, it would only be wise to move your business online to cater to this new habit of your customers. This move will make it necessary for you to also engage in online/digital marketing.
Digital marketing employs tactics that are focused on virtual spaces. In digital marketing, you will be making use of the internet, mobile phones, and social media to reach customers. The tactics employed here include Search Engine Optimization (SEO), email marketing, social media marketing, etc. Digital marketing comes with a lot of benefits, made even more important in these uncertain times. To survive post-COVID-19, you cannot forgo digital marketing.
2. Employ Customer-focused Advertising
Advertising systems have to be also changed after the pandemic. Your focus should be on reinforcing brand loyalty. During the pandemic and after the pandemic, businesses that will survive are those with loyal customers. This is because the uncertainties have provided a good excuse for customers to migrate to other brands.
Factors such as the attitude of the business during the pandemic, price, health safety concerns will be carefully considered by customers. The outcome will be that customers might move to other businesses. To make sure that you stay in the game, you have to make sure that your advert strategies strengthen customer loyalty.
The trick is to make use of non-obvious marketing strategies like conversational marketing. Conversational marketing advertises goods and services overtly. Here, dialogue is prioritized, meaning that a two-way communication channel has to be maintained. In conversational marketing, there are constant interactions between the brand and the customers. Through these interactions, trust and loyalty are built and strengthened.
3. Identify New Products and Opportunities
Ideally, it might be counterintuitive to introduce new products soon after a pandemic. This is especially so when viewed from an economic perspective. The economy of most nations suffered a hit during the pandemic, with citizens bearing the brunt of it. Hence, the average person hardly has enough to cover their basic needs. Thus, you will be hard-pressed to find any customer with funds to spare on new products and services.
Additionally, even the customers who are not in dire financial situations on account of the pandemic are being skeptical. The uncertainties generated by the pandemic brought with it a sense of skepticism for customers. Even when they can afford to, customers are less likely to purchase goods except they have to. In most cases, the only goods that are essential are food or medications.
However, the Coronavirus pandemic presents unique challenges as well as opportunities. In the first place, there are specific gaps occasioned by the pandemic. For instance, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) became essential during the pandemic. The production and sale of items such as face and nose masks, as well as sanitary products, soared during the pandemic. Even post-COVID-19, there might still be a need for those items.
Also, consumers’ behavioral shifts during the pandemic could create avenues for new products to become relevant. Products and items that were essential during the pandemic might still be relevant even after it ends. You will have to identify and leverage such opportunities to introduce new goods and services
4. Offer Support
Offering support creates loyal customers.
There is no denying that the COVID-19 outbreak brought unprecedented changes to everyone. When the dust settles, and you are back in business, do make sure you lend a hand to customers who are affected. During the pandemic, direct ways you can help can include providing items like face masks, hand sanitizers, and even food. Even when the quarantine ends and you are back in business, you can still continue in your efforts. Customers may not necessarily need protective equipment that period; they will still need food and medicine.
Apart from helping directly, you can also help indirectly. You can organize charity events and benefits. You can also act as a link between organizations that can offer help and your customers. This way, you will be helping your customers, albeit indirectly. Of course, generosity should come from purely altruistic intentions. So this is not to say that you will be engaging in marketing under the guise of offering support. People are often able to tell when they are being tricked.
However, there are marketing benefits that could come from offering help to your customers. One of them is an increase in customer loyalty. You have to understand that loyalty is a two-way street. Much in the same way that you expect customers to stick with you through the trying times, they expect the same from you. When you show genuine concern and offer selfless help, it will not go unnoticed.
5. Incorporate Safety Precautions
Being safety conscious tells your customers that you care.
One important marketing strategy to employ is focusing on increasing safety precautions. From all indications, the virus will not disappear totally. Day to day operations would have to be changed to accommodate health concerns occasioned by the pandemic. Your business should get in front of this by developing and engaging in health and safety practices.
Thus, guidelines such as compulsory use of masks, operating remote teams, limiting physical contact with customers, etc. should be implemented. More so, you should communicate these changes to your customers. This message should be concise and straightforward. Make sure that it is free from promotional content. Customers want to know that your concern is genuine. This projects you as a business that takes the safety of your customers very seriously. Additionally, it will help the customers know what to expect when engaging with your business in the future.
Additional Channels to Explore
Apart from the tactics discussed above, there are others that shall not be discussed singly. One of those includes offering exclusive content or discounts. Even when the pandemic comes to an end, customers may be skeptical about expending funds. They may be hesitant to spend money on nonessential goods and services. When you offer discounts, it will give an incentive for customers to patronize your business.
You might also want to consider marketing automation software. Marketing automation software helps marketers identify and solidify leads in order to improve campaign performance. The process employed is fully automated, providing a system that optimizes marketing campaigns. This simplifies the process of advertising and curating responses from customers.
Video marketing is also one sphere you may also want to give strong considerations. Video content is unarguably the best means to evoke responses from any audience. It is for this reason that platforms such as Youtube and Instagram are thriving. Incorporating videos that highlight your goods and services is one way to tap into this huge demography.
Finally, you should consider making use of chatbot marketing. You will expect that your customers would have a lot of questions as soon as you begin business. Concerns may range from questions about safety standards to even inquiries about any new directions your business is taking. Chatbots provide an efficient way to respond to these concerns while also marketing your business through guided selling. Here, instead of employing several customer care personnel, the chatbots can be optimized to carry out these functions.
Conclusion
You must remember that customer prioritization is key. While applying the tactics discussed above, keep your customers at the center of your plan. In doing so, you will ensure customer satisfaction, and thus customer retention will not be far from reach.
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Published on: 30th July 2020
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