5 Lessons We’ve Learned Over the Pandemic

Honestly, we’ve been asked this question so many times that we put together a few marketing lessons that we believe will be useful marketing approaches adapted during the pandemic that can be used going forward for the remainder of the year and into 2022. We will say though, if the pandemic has shown anything in marketing it’s that there is no crystal ball, there are no more rules, we need to look at our companies, show empathy for our clients, observe some of the trends and take some risks.

Prioritize Safety Over Sales

We’ve learned that you can quickly build a deeper level of trust with your customers by making sure your messaging doesn’t imply a prioritization of your business and sales over them. Instead, we learned to “read the room,” based on the social climate, too many companies just came across as “tone deaf” and we’ve started to acknowledge the stress that our audience is feeling and implement ways to cater more to their needs. 

Be Honest and Authentic

Some of the recent studies we’ve seen show that 90% of customers cite authenticity as an important factor when choosing the brands they support. Trust us when we say that people have become more adept at telling whether or not you’re being authentic and genuine. They become less engaged if they sense that we’re not being honest with the difficulties of a situation at hand. Be transparent, and try to relate to what your audience is going through by assuring and reminding them you’re in this situation with them!

Offering Thoughtful Solutions

Brainstorming new and creative ways to come to your audience’s aid by offering them some kind of support helps make them feel empowered and will make your business stand out and build customer loyalty. Focus messaging around tangible solutions to help supporters through a difficult time. There is a quote by Maya Angelou that says “People will forget what you said. They will forget what you did. But they will never forget how you made them feel.”

Be Consistent with your Online Presence

Over the last 18 months we saw that people began spending way more time online as a result of the pandemic, quarantine and social isolation which helped companies realize that a digital presence is a necessity and no longer just an option. We’ve learnt to set a consistent, achievable routine for keeping up with our online engagement, then be disciplined in our follow through. Ultimately, you have to commit because you’re gaining customer loyalty and growing awareness for your brand.

The Importance of Collaboration

Based on our experience at Marketing Guardians, partnering with other businesses is a great way to expand your reach and could give your business additional opportunities to offer new or alternative services to your consumers in order to meet their needs and create opportunities for your brand! It seems clear to us that when the pandemic is over, the world will be very different from the one we knew up until now. More than ever, retailers and suppliers, B2B and B2C companies will need to work together as trusting and transparent partners with new values established during the crisis – united forces and shared knowledge.

Let’s admit it – running a business is never easy, but it’s even more challenging in times like these. An unfaltering determination and commitment to serve your audience, clients and customers will help you get through anything. This determination has allowed our company to grow and create something we are all proud of, and thanks to our clear communication with our clients, we have seen success and growth over the last two years. If you also carry these five lessons with you long after the pandemic is over and we have all embraced the new normal, we’re sure you too will find success.