The pandemic has led to nations limiting business activities, which has added immense pressure on business owners. While some organizations have closed, the remaining are left to deal with the harrowing aftermath. They are facing unprecedented challenges, including supply chain disruptions, a slump in customer demand, regulatory changes and increased uncertainty about the future.
And yet, businesses must go on and find ways to recover despite the crisis.
The trouble is that ad hoc responses and hurried plans can’t help businesses survive in the post-pandemic world; leaders must lay some concrete rules and find exciting new ways to speed up their recovery so they can get back in the game faster.
Now more than ever, business-to-business (B2B) companies need to rethink their sales and marketing strategies for a post-coronavirus world, where “normal” is set to take on a new meaning. The ensuing approach must be agile and cost-effective to meet the demands of the future.
Here are some marketing ideas for you to consider:
Optimize your online channels for prime user experience.
Many of the companies that relied solely on in-person services suffered most during the initial outbreak. And while it’s true that these services were likely already available online to some degree, they weren’t used often.
As the impacts of Covid-19 exposes the shortcomings in our online sales strategies, businesses need to optimize these online outlets to mitigate a poor user experience. Organizations also need to train sales teams to make customers aware of — and provide — remote services as they create and develop new channels of virtual communication.
Restaurant mobile ordering was already predicted to become a $38 billion industry by 2020. I believe the coronavirus has only accelerated this growth — within the restaurant industry and outside of. Use these tools to enhance the reach of your business in times when opening up shop isn’t possible.
For example, you can make cashless delivery and noncontact shopping readily available for consumers to provide them the utmost convenience at their fingertips. Also, ensure your sales funnels are interactive and responsive to customers’ needs, and that your apps are optimized for mobile use.
Adapt and improvise to changing consumer demands.
Marketing during this time is a challenge in itself because the purchasing power of many consumers has been limited. Unfortunately, in a post-pandemic economy, many people might never be able to regain their former buying power.
That’s why the modern customer is likely to be more selective when it comes to spending their money and giving their business to a company. This also means that they’re going to be less responsive to any marketing gimmicks you have up your sleeve. You’ll have to rethink advertisements and other promotional material to ensure that it continues to be effective in the post-pandemic world.
Reevaluate your current marketing strategies to make sure that they are a good fit for a more selective consumer. Consider avoiding pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, as it may increase customers’ frustrations and seem like blatant advertising.
Consequently, use content marketing to provide value to your prospective buyers in the form of how-to blogs, webinars, etc. Also, considering Google’s algorithms are constantly updating to provide customers with instant results, make sure you frequently update your website to meet new requirements.
Connect and engage with customers on social media.
Brands will need to proactively connect and engage with audiences through their social media channels — not only because more consumers are converging online but also because many employees and organizations are conducting business online. As such, B2B companies can expand their reach online and tap into new markets that weren’t exactly available in the same manner as before.
In places like Europe, YouTube is even slowing down its services to keep up with the increased usage of the platform, and I’ve been seeing many users turn to influencers as a source of entertainment during these times. Here, businesses can form partnerships with influencers in similar niches to promote products from sources consumers trust.
Refocus ad spend on more profitable areas.
Historically speaking, businesses don’t benefit from simply cutting costs (subscription required) in uncertain economic times. So instead of holding on to your money, refocus your marketing spend on a more progressive strategy. Channel these funds into new online marketing techniques and fresh sales opportunities.
Where traditional sales tactics meant curating new content and billboards, new ideas mandate businesses to spend time and creativity on repurposing content to suit the needs of the modern buyer and add value to their customer interactions.
Take the content from your old blogs and reuse it to create podcasts and short video snippets that customers can browse on the daily. If you miss in-person conferences and seminars, consider hosting virtual events, which can be a great alternative to real-world events. These virtual events not only open up doors for you to build first-party customer data online (which consumers might hesitate to give out under normal circumstances), but you can also create follow-up content to nurture leads and spawn future engagement.
The endnote: Power your marketing strategy for a post-pandemic world.
As some states have begun to reopen, others are backtracking amid rising cases of Covid-19, and the future still remains unclear. Organizations need to prepare and change their tactics to make sure that business goes on as usual despite the uncertainties.
Adjusting to this new reality means that businesses have to revamp their marketing strategy entirely and come up with innovative ways to entice customers. By tapping into their consumers’ purchase decisions today, businesses can gain actionable insight, develop a profitable sales strategy and adapt to the new hybrid consumer culture.
This article was originally published on Forbes.com