The “new normal” could be anything but the norm for a large number of people in post-pandemic marketing. (Yeah, we hate that phrase too!) What this could mean for entrepreneurs and small business owners is anyone’s guess, but there are some things we are likely to see moving forward.

As mentioned in a previous post, there are some very specific, strategic steps you can take to protect and “relaunch” your business as we (hopefully) leave this health crisis behind us. Among these are: researching your competitor’s actions and changes, finding new services that may be needed in your niche, and perhaps finding ways to “partner up” with other entrepreneurs to expand your reach.

We believe these are all important steps you can take to create a newly focused marketing strategy. However, you will also need to respond to the ways your prospects and clients may have changed their behavior as a result of the pandemic. After all, business owners are not the only ones who will realize that they have to respond to changing trends in the market. Your customers will almost certainly behave differently than they have before.

Focus on a Changing Client Profile

So, the question for you becomes… How might consumers react to the “new normal” their lives have become?

The answer to this question will absolutely alter your own perception of the perfect client, as well as how you are able to approach and appeal to the needs of prospects. Here are a few tips:

• Appeal to core needs instead of focusing on high margin luxury services – Be conscious of their needs over wants. It’s a simple fact of human nature that many people are going to withdraw from social interaction to some extent. Whether from fear of infection or because of social distancing rules and regulations, they will not be as eager to take part in face-to-face encounters.

This will, to a large extent, force them to focus their energies on taking care of necessities instead of shopping for more extravagant solutions. Be conscious of this altered dynamic to your ideal client profile as you develop your post-pandemic marketing strategy.

• Offer special pricing – Incomes have shrunk for many which make buying the things they need more challenging. (This also means that money for luxuries may not be available.) With that in mind, it’s likely that a new valuation for your products or services is in order. In other words, it is highly likely that the same old, same old will not work when it comes to pricing your services.

Offering freebies, gift cards, and discounts on packages could be the best way to maintain your revenue flow. Though profitability may suffer, it’s better to have some income than trying to hold out for maximum profits in a time of crisis.

• Improve your online reputation and/or profile – Reputation may be the single most important factor in a post-pandemic world. How you responded to the crisis and, literally, how you managed to stay in business will be critical to your client’s and prospect’s perception of who you are and how you can help them.

Take Your Reputation to the Next Level

Developing new services and packages that are designed to offer relief from the stress and anxiety your prospects and clients have experienced will go a long way toward improving your reputation. This will also display your sense of empathy and your implicit understanding of their needs.

Further, praise from satisfied clients will be even more valuable than before, so make sure you have the testimonials page on your website up to date. You want to show them that you are on the cutting edge of this crisis, that you have the knowledge, talent, and skills to lead the way. That means that old testimonials, say praise from three years ago, will have little value (especially if they’ve seen it before).

Do you have ideas about how you can appeal to the changes in your client base that can help with a post-pandemic marketing strategy? Feel free to share them with us and the YOMT community in the comments section below.

If you need help revising your ideal client profile, or with developing your post-pandemic marketing strategy, our team can help.  Get in touch with the YOMT Team today