The coronavirus pandemic has been tough on everyone. Marketers are no exception. But dealing with changes in the marketplace is what we’re good at — right?
Well, this situation is unique, to say the least. So here are a few tips to help your campaigns remain viable during these challenging times.
You need to be able to solve a problem for customers before you can market to them. Pretty simple, eh? But during a pandemic, the problem you think you’re solving may change right before your eyes. So you have to be ready to communicate that.
The key is to find out what is changing. Any way you can (survey, questionnaire, online form, etc.), ask your customers. That way, you can determine who is struggling, and in which specific areas. Once you know that, you can reverse engineer your marketing communication strategy to address it.
The best way to engage with your customers is to create personas. If you’re like most companies, you have many customer personas. Now’s the perfect time to take a good, long look at them. Not just the demographics, either. Dig into their motivations and needs. For instance, some customers may be more price-sensitive after being laid off or furloughed. Or you may have SMBs in markets that are struggling in this rollercoaster economy. You don’t want to communicate in the same tone to distinctly different segments.
Businesses are changing. By choice or by circumstance. If there’s something about your business that’s different, say so. If you’re offering new products, new delivery options, expanded hours, etc., shout it from the rooftops. Communication is the key. And it makes it a whole lot easier for customers to continue to do business with you. Plus, they’ll be less likely to be miffed if you don’t serve them the way you have in the past.
During uncertain times, both consumers and businesses are being more careful about the purchases they’re making. That’s a trend that will likely continue post-pandemic.
The rub is, now it’s harder to close a sale. But it also gives you an opportunity, a chance to tell your story in a compelling and genuine fashion. An excellent way to do this is with content. Figure out what’s unique about your company and tell that story. Convince them that your business is the one they should choose.
Regardless of which channels you use to attract prospects, the experience has to be — has to be — simple. Simplicity gives you your very best chance to convert those prospects and visitors into leads and sales.
That means everything from the first page on your website to the last word your customer service agent utters has to be clear, concise and easy. If your personas are on point, you should have a solid idea of who you’re talking to. And then you should redouble your focus on making the experience as smooth as possible for them. That gets them through the purchasing process without any questions, concerns or confusion. They’ll remember the experience. And they’ll be back.
BONUS TIP: Use Data to See What’s Working — and What’s Not
We’ve all run our share of A/B tests. But right now, it’s imperative that you collect data and analyze your site visits, click-throughs, orders, sales and any other KPIs that are important to you. Then you can use all that data to ramp up the offers that are working and stop the bleeding on the ones that aren’t.
If you’re feeling the effects of the quarantine, J&C can help. Whether you need to craft a customer message during the COVID-19 crisis or need a strategy for the “new normal,” J&C is experienced in motivating customers to act. With new customer behaviors and new consumer patterns developing, direct response channels and tactics should be built into your re-evaluated marketing strategies.
Contact me at dquigley@jacobsclevenger.com. I’ll show you how we’ve helped other companies like yours get through uncertain times.
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Topics: Productivity
