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4 Important COVID-19 Learnings for Marketers

Things evolve quickly when the world gets a major shock, such wars and plagues. History has taught us that only the businesses that adapt can thrive, according to a recent article from The Hour

email 3249062 640 smallHere are four learnings so far in 2020 that all marketers should consider when trying to connect with existing and future customers. 

  1. Empathetic marketing is needed now: sending messages that identify with people’s pain makes sense. While this may not be the standard way of marketing for many firms, it would be wise to send a good percentage of your customer outreach in this direction. Right now, recognizing the fragility of a portion of your customer base is important, according to The Hour.
  2. Actively gather feedback on safety: Health and cleanliness standards have taken on even greater importance with customers due to the coronavirus. Firms need to work hard to solicit feedback from their customers on this topic and then subtly mention their safety and cleanliness standards in their advertisements and customer interactions.
  3. Reevaluate the marketing mediums you’re using: At the start of the pandemic, email was an invaluable tool—and it still is. But, firms overused it and now it is harder to break through the massive wave of emails in customers’ inbox. In such an environment, it makes sense to reevaluate the mediums you’re using. For example, 77% of consumers “have a positive perception of companies that offer SMS as a communication channel,” according to MediaPost. So reports The Hour. You may also need to segment your customer base and decide which channels are best for which segments.
  4. Your customers are different now: The COVID-19 crisis has caused many consumers to stay home—and that change may be permanent even after the pandemic is over. That’s according to the Salesforce State of the Connected Customer report, which examined consumers in Australia and New Zealand. So reports CMO from IDG. Digital customer interactions jumped from 36% in 2019 to 52% this year. More than half of customers expect those interactions to remain digital in 2021. “Digital is no longer ‘nice to have’ or even a choice for brands. COVID-19 has changed consumer behaviour for good and businesses will need to continue to accelerate their digital transformation to keep up,” says Jo Gaines, Salesforce for Advertising, vice-president Sales, according to the CMO article. And, observers say that consumers aren’t comparing brands and their digital experiences versus the natural competitors within their own industries. Now, firms’ digital experiences are being compared to companies that provide the best digital experience, regardless of industry. Customers said they want to see flexible shipping and order options from brands, and they expect interactions with companies to be consistent no matter the department or device.
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