How To Take Your Business Forward In The New Normal

If we’ve learned anything during the pandemic it's that life is unpredictable. Many of the things we once took for granted now feel like luxuries that you can’t always count on.

Today things are looking up. As pandemic restrictions lift around the world and life returns to some semblance of “normal,” businesses are facing a whole new set of challenges and opportunities. Depending on what the pandemic meant for your business, as a business owner, you might be asking yourself some tricky questions:

If you experienced success, how can you sustain your growth and continue to evolve?

If your business stagnated, what can you do to get back on track for growth??

If your business struggled: is it now possible to turn things around, and if so, how?

Over the past few weeks, we’ve been exploring these questions in an effort to give you tactical advice to make the most of this period of revival. No matter how your business fared over the last two years, we hope that you’ll be inspired to try something new.

Riding the Wave of Growth

Not all pandemic business stories are tales of loss, so let’s start on a positive note!

Some businesses far exceeded their previous projections, whether in spite of the restrictions or thanks to shifting lifestyles and consumer habits. Before 2020, would you have believed it if someone told you Zoom would be the next big thing among grandparents and retirees??

The same holds true for some startups and small businesses: For example, a premium dog toy company noticed that people were spending more time at home with their pets or adopting new dogs during lockdowns. They saw a huge uptick in sales and now they’re primed to sharpen their online presence, expand their multichannel marketing strategy and move into new markets.?

If you experienced something similar, and you’re wondering what comes next, our recommendation is to double down and make deeper investments in tactics that are working for you, while also experimenting with new channels by applying the 80/20 rule. You can’t count on pandemic-driven growth forever, so use the funds you have to try new things, nurture your audience and scale up your marketing to keep the momentum going.

The Shift to Digital

While some industries grew, unfortunately, others were dealt a bad hand. For example, restaurants, travel businesses and retail stores all struggled due to forces completely out of their control. Some business owners had their hands tied, but others were able to make changes that allowed them to survive - and even thrive.

For example, a swimwear brand saw sales immediately slump as people were no longer buying swimsuits for vacations, and many retail stores were closed. Their solution was to revamp their website and begin investing in direct-to-consumer digital marketing. As things return to normal, the brand is now poised to reap the benefits from the investments they made into digital, while simultaneously growing more avenues by shifting back into physical stores.

Or looking at another example, an interior design studio was able to shift to an e-design offering, opening up a global audience and removing the need to travel from home to home. With in-person consults now a possibility, they have the opportunity to cater to a broader range of customers, offering a more affordable e-design service, as well as a white-glove in-person service.?

If you’re in a similar position and you made the effort to shift your business online, now is the time to start dialing up your marketing efforts further and capitalise on pre-pandemic consumer trends coming back, such as travel and leisure, while thinking about how offline options can become a strong compliment to your digital presence through enhanced in-person offerings.

Rethinking Your Business Model

We would be remiss if we didn’t acknowledge that not every challenge is a golden opportunity. The last two years have ushered in some trends that seem to be here to stay…

With nowhere to go, people shifted their style toward comfortable, casual, low-maintenance looks. Fashion, beauty and cosmetics brands had to adapt their offerings, lower their prices or wait it out while suffering losses.?

Of course, it’s not easy selling lipstick when it’s mandatory to wear a mask in public, but what happens next? So far a minimalist style is a trend that appears to have sticking power, but will more elaborate night time looks make a comeback?

If you count yourself among those whose industry was dramatically changed during the pandemic, now is the time to do some market research to figure out if your product is still a good fit.?

It may be necessary to reconsider your offer, refresh your brand, or make a pivot to something new. If you’ve struggled financially over the past two years, this may be a tough pill to swallow, but the return to normal that you’ve been waiting for may not be quite what you thought.

Put it Into Action

If reading this has made you feel like springing into action, our mission is accomplished! While the future may be as uncertain as ever, this is an exciting time for businesses to rethink what they’re doing, double down on investments and explore new possibilities. The question isn’t if you should get to work. The question is how.

Good luck!?

If you’d like to learn more about how to get back on track with your business, contact me for a marketing chat.?