Despite the devastation of the global pandemic, it has been great to see so many emerging entrepreneurs. Many people finally realised their dream of having their own business, saw an opportunity for online ventures and went for it! But not long after, things have changed. As we come out of lockdown, the clients that only relied on your online services are now opting to see people in person. If your business is solely based online, here’s how to navigate marketing for online business after lockdown.
Check if your customers want something different
Our lives changed completely as we entered lockdown and now we are going through another shift while coming out of it. Chances are, if you started your business during lockdown, your customers have different needs now. For example, you may have ran weekly online music or exercise classes. That worked for a while, but now people are returning to their local music teacher or PT. How can you make online worthwhile?
Start by finding out what your customers are after and what can you offer that others can’t. Maybe weekly classes are not something people would rather do online, but how about an online course? Surely, once you have designed the course already you can offer it at a more competitive price, to a larger audience. Maybe there is a membership or a community you can create which, again, is more cost-effective and worth going online for. Market research will help you establish the next steps for your business if you have found yourself struggling after lockdown.
Focus on the personal element
Most customers miss the personal element that we were deprived of during lockdown. This is something you should really consider in your marketing for online business. You can still recreate that human feel. For example, if you have an online course, don’t just leave it there for customers to go through on their own. Create a community section, check in with people taking your course and cheer them on. You could even make your pre-recorded course available at certain dates, so you can be present in your community for that time. Stay in touch with your customers, share their experience on social media (with their permission, of course) and make them feel like they are a part of something bigger when they come to your online business.
Be adaptable
You may have started your online business back in lockdown, but now things have changed and you’re having to restructure again. Don’t be afraid to change your marketing strategy and adapt your business model to suit the current situation. Maybe you were doing online seminars over lockdown and noticed that numbers are starting to drop. This could be your call to go direct to your customers! You could organise local masterclasses, get in touch with universities or colleges – whatever suits your business. If you started an online retail business, pop-up stores, taking part in markets or festivals are a great route to go that doesn’t require opening a permanent shop location. Look at consumer trends – just like you found your niche during lockdown, you can find it again as we return back to normal!
We can help!
At MacMartin, we have successfully helped to navigate our customers’ marketing throughout lockdown and beyond. We can look at the most effective strategies, tailored to your business. We are a team of multi-skilled creatives, so we can help with all areas from web design to graphic design, social media, email marketing and so much more!
