How to Build Short-Term Wins in Uncertain Times

In the summer of 2020, businesses were pivoting in unique (and unexpected) ways. Coffee shops became mini grocery stores, medical device suppliers were manufacturing PPE en masse, and Tito’s Vodka became a provider of alcohol-based hand sanitizer. It was a moment in time we haven’t seen in our lifetime—companies everywhere were adapting, executing, and pivoting their operations and marketing strategies to respond to consumer needs.?

It’s been two years since the early days of the pandemic, and businesses are still navigating the murky waters of uncertainty. What has that taught us about forecasting and planning our long-term strategies??

Smart marketers understand that the road ahead isn’t paved. We don’t know exactly what the next 3-5 years will bring. But the last two years have taught us that we must continue to be agile as we plan our marketing strategies and prepare for an inevitable pivot somewhere in its execution.?

Recognize the journey is different

We’re still heading in the same direction, the journey to get there is just different. This is the first step in building a new marketing strategy. Change is hard, and strategies that have worked in the past, may not be delivering the same results in these times. Understanding you’re on a completely new journey to get to the same destination helps marketers and business leaders gain insight into expecting the unexpected.

Test your current offerings

Figure out what’s working for you–and more importantly, what’s not working for you. Test your current products and services, what is performing well, and what is underperforming??

What are people interested in? Look closely at their interests, are they clicking through your product emails or blog emails? Is your lead magnet growing your leads month over month, are you closing deals or making sales??

Testing to see what strategies are currently working right now will give insight into short-term strategies to deploy today.?

Pivot and fail fast?

Testing may reveal some opportunities for you to pivot strategies. For example, if you’re getting more traffic to your site through organic search, then pivoting attention and resources towards your SEO strategy could make sense.?

Pivoting shouldn’t be confused with planning a new destination–remember it’s the journey that’s different. Instead, pivoting allows you to adapt to the short-term needs of your consumers.?

Similarly, pivoting quickly may not always deliver desired results. Fail fast and move on. We’re navigating uncharted territory and there’s little time to dwell on failures. Yes, reflect and learn, but move forward.?

Invest in strategic partnerships?

The destination is simple: strengthen the brand, add value, and build consumer relationships. Continue to focus on long-term goals while navigating in short term. Getting to this destination is going to take thoughtful data, execution, and pivots.?

Investing in a strategic marketing partner can help you stay relevant to the fast-paced changes in our industry. Working with a partner allows you to do what you do best–focus on delivering exceptional products and services to your customers while trusting a partner to deliver marketing strategies that work.