05/09/2020
Call or visit us to guide you through your business adaptation / transformation during this Covid 19 pandemic at 472-4657 or Unit #10 eTeck Mall, Sangster's Hill, Scarborough, Tobago:
ADAPTING YOUR MARKETING STRATEGIES DURING A PANDEMIC
Throughout the history of the world, many entrepreneurs from all over the world have seen many shifts in business due to pandemics.
Any pandemic can alter the way a business operates in just a matter of minutes. This is a given and it has happened before, but it doesn’t mean that it makes things any easier or there is a sound strategy for every contention. All that aside, this pandemic is unlike anything the world encountered before. It has forced a lot of land-based/brick and mortar businesses to turn to the online realm. A lot of online businesses have had to come up with even more creative and unique means of marketing.
Whatever the situation is, there is no denying that there has been a lot of adapting as of late. No matter what industry you are in, it is likely that you’ve already seen the effects of this pandemic. If you don’t learn to adapt and change now, you might end up closing your doors for good. How does a business adapt during this or any other pandemic?
Reworking Your Main Message
First things first. You have to get your message reworked. Everything now must adapt to the virus. Everything must be scheduled around the virus and the threats that it poses. Given the type of business that you are in, it is likely that you’ve had to make many changes. Make sure that your message reflects these changes. In fact, it doesn’t matter the type of industry that you are in, you’ll want to put pandemic-related information right on your home page or storefront. Ensure that your marketing strategies are all sensitive to the current conditions and capitalize on the situation. Just don’t make it like you are specifically using these to boost your business.
Getting To Re Know Your Customers
A key principle behind any marketing strategy is knowing your clientele. It can be hard to convince someone to take advantage of your services and products if you don’t know how your products and services can enhance their life, concerns, business, or pain points. Figuring this out is a must for any businesses and it is likely that you’ve already uncovered this information. The only problem is that because of the pandemic, it is likely that these priorities have changed. You’ll first need to discover what your customer’s new priorities are. Then you’ll want to capitalize on this information to capture their attention. Whatever the situation is, this information should be considered a foundation for your new campaign. Just know that different customers will likely have different needs, wants, and desires, which means you might need to be versatile in your approach.
Careful Communication Is Key
It is imperative that you know and understand the challenges and hardships that your customers are facing today. It is likely that you already know a lot of them because you are facing them as well. However, communicating that you know and understand these challenges can be a different story for some. For instance, if you run a party rental business it would not be a good idea to initiate a huge sale on party dress or supplies, given that social distancing has been encouraged on all levels.
Instead, you might want to consider offering a sale on face masks that cover nose and mouth, gloves, disposable shoe covers, face shields, hand sanitizers and discounts on rental of isolation tents. If you are in the type of industry that will suffer more than most, then carefully reworking and communicating your business motto could be the difference between you staying open or closing up shop for good.
September 2020 Business Matters Magazine, UK
