Irma D. Rutherford Hallam CEO Julio Taylor made his predictions for 2021. His first point was the permanence of the post-COVID realities.
Digital habits will forever change economies around the globe as a result of the growing role technology plays in our lives. It’s time to rethink and reset business operations to meet these new digital expectations.
We, as marketers, must adapt to the changing landscape to stay relevant and viable. McKinsey calls this the Next Normal. Our job is more important than ever because of the increased competition on the internet, the digital fatigue that our customers experience, and their desire for immediate solutions.
How to make your marketing more effective in 2021
Here are seven ways to improve your marketing in 2021.
Focus on the end goal.
It’s essential to have a strategy in place that is flexible enough to adapt to external and current factors.
Years ago, when I first started learning to sail, I discovered that getting from one end of the lake to the other took work. Conditions could change instantly, and I had no choice but to go with the wind. From above, it may have appeared that I was taking two steps forward and one back at times. By trimming my sails and tacking left and right, I finally got to where I wanted.
The same is true in business. Your overall strategy will keep you on track to your destination, while your quarterly and month-to-month tactical planning allows you to react to changes in the wind.
Update your knowledge about your customers.
In the last 12 months, there have been significant changes in the customer’s behavior. Remote working, schooling, and video calls are all common. Online shopping for everything from gardening supplies to grocery essentials is also popular.
What has your customer done? This may have highlighted new challenges and pain points that you can address.
Ask them. You can host an online focus group or talk to 5 to 10 customers individually to obtain qualitative feedback.
- What they do with your product or service today
- What is working?
- What doesn’t work in our current environment
- What else can you provide?
After you’ve gathered this information, you can send a survey to your more extensive email list and social media audiences. This will allow you to measure the sentiment.
You should constantly adjust your strategy in light of what you have learned.
Relationships are everything
This is the perfect time to focus on building relationships, whether in a B2B environment or a B2C one.
B2B marketers can use this to create an account-based marketing strategy or call their key customers. Ask for something other than a sales pitch at the beginning of the conversation.
Consider how you can make your contacts more valuable. Consider:
- Share relevant headlines and research that you find on your customers’ industry.
- Invite your contacts to smaller, more intimate events such as discussions and panels so they can participate and ask questions.
- Short one-on-one meetings with thought leaders can be arranged to gain access to them.
- Create content that addresses your customers’ concerns and highlights new opportunities.
Start getting to know your B2C customers in ways other than how they interact with your brand.
Changing your strategy or doing anything consistent with your brand is optional, but building a stronger relationship with your customers is worth the effort. You can hold small focus group discussions, send direct messages via social media or test a personal content strategy using 10 to 20% of your activities.
Create content focusing on broader trends, such as work-life balance or ways to stay healthy and strong. Then, celebrate what your users create through your channels with a user-generated content strategy.
Remember that active listening is the second step. Think of new ways to serve people when they share their feelings and experiences.
It’s time to make your website more user-friendly.
Google Core Web Vitals, the newest update to its algorithm, prioritizes the user’s experience on your website. Google’s Core Web Vitals update, due in May, will assess your website’s speed, responsiveness, and visual stability. This will affect your search engine ranking.
This is the best time to start if you’ve never done user experience work. You can spend a little money on completely overhauling your online experience.
Step by step. Plan the ideal customer journey and then monitor if customers follow it. Install a tool such as Hotjar or Crazy Egg and ask your customers about their experience via a pop-up questionnaire. Then, make small changes.
Balance the activities of existing and new customers.
A recent Gartner study of CMOs found that 73% focus primarily on their existing customers to drive growth. While your current customers are important, you can also cast a wider net today.
COVID disrupted many supply chains and our daily routines. Many customers have experimented with new brands out of necessity or choice. These new buying habits will likely persist.
Launching a campaign introducing your brand and products to potential new customers is a great time.
Lead with purpose
We are all facing fundamental challenges right now: a public health crisis; social justice demonstrations; political uncertainty; climate change. People are looking to businesses to be leaders.
A survey conducted by B Corps and ReGenerate revealed that 72% believe companies should be held accountable to the environment and the people in addition to maximizing profits.
Transparency and authenticity are essential. Ask yourself a few simple questions before you make a public statement or begin a socially responsible marketing campaign.
- How diverse is the board of directors at your company?
- How sustainable is the supply chain in your company?
- How transparent is your supply chain regarding ensuring that people are treated fairly?
- Are you a business that has practices that are harmful to the environment?
- What is the difference in pay between your highest-paid and lowest-paid employees?
The public quickly spots brands that need to live up to their values. Make sure your house is in order before speaking out.
Investing in yourself
In the coming year, we will see considerable changes in our work, shopping, playing, connecting with others, and having fun.
Investing in your skills and knowledge is one of the best preparation methods. This can increase your confidence and make you more adaptable and resilient.
