Four tips for handling email marketing after a global crisis
The only challenge more daunting than navigating the start of the COVID-19 crisis is figuring out how to position your brand, now that the world is returning to some semblance of normalcy.
Assuming that you’ve been continually marketing your business throughout the pandemic, your task now is to usher your customers into the new normal as gently as possible, while positioning your company as a safe and comfortable environment.
At the height of the COVID-19 crisis, most companies took time to reevaluate, recoup their losses, and use email marketing to gain as much market share as humanly possible.
Back then, the goal was to focus on your specific area of expertise while encouraging customers to follow reliable guidance. This would have helped your company to build trust by showing your audience that you respect their ability to make informed and responsible choices.
If you continued to communicate with your audience during the crisis and didn’t shy away from issuing an official statement with regard to the COVID-19 situation then you did yourself (and your business) a favor.
Four tips for handling email marketing after a global crisis
But what happens as the world starts to transition slowly out of a global crisis? Now the goal of your email marketing strategy should be to reinvent and reintroduce yourself. Here are four tips to help you navigate this transition.
1) Segment your customers to reflect current trends
Research shows that consumption habits have changed considerably in the past year or so. Due to growing uncertainty, impulse purchases have dropped by 30% while online shopping has increased by up to 20%. On the other hand, the demand for local products and services, as well as more sustainable and health-enhancing options is growing.
So, it would do you well to segment your email list to reflect these and other customer preferences as you plan your email marketing strategy moving forward.
Thanks to your continued communication during the pandemic, you should have a wealth of data to work with, giving you an intimate understanding of your customer’s changing needs, aspirations, challenges and opportunities.
2) Evaluate consumer engagement
An air of uncertainty still lingers due to the economic effects of the crisis. Consumers simply don’t have as much to spend as they did or they are more guarded than before. And as spending habits change, so too do your customers’ response to your marketing efforts. What may have worked pre-covid may not be as effective at getting you results now.
So, pay close attention to your email marketing analytics in order to fine-tune your strategy and messaging. The most important thing is to continue using email marketing as one of your primary advertising methods because customers continue to rely on digital communication and prefer it over in-person interactions.
However, you should carefully plan your email marketing strategy so that it doesn’t come across as purely sales-focused but sensitive and mindful to consumer’s needs and concerns.
3) Let customers know that you’re open for business
Because COVID-19 remains a moving target, most states will re-open tentatively so business owners must be ready for anything. Consumers are aware of this as well, and some are still hesitant to return to normal activity. If this is an issue that you face because you’re in the hospitality or tourism industry, then you should totally address it.
Share your reopening plan with your customers and tell them how you plan to help them through this difficult transition. Remember that in most places businesses still have to abide by certain health and safety protocols and your ability to reassure your customers in this regard will go a long way.
It also helps to have flexible cancellation and refund policies so that customers feel more comfortable to invest with your company. This rings especially true for companies in the hospitality industry, such as hotels and resorts as well as those in the events space such as wedding planners and the like.
4) Be a beacon of hope
Lastly, thank your customers for their continued support throughout the pandemic and let them know that you’re ready to welcome them back. Make sure you have special offers ready to go to help get the ball rolling.
Your initial post-pandemic emails should also indicate how you plan to maintain health and safety as you open up. For instance, if you run a hospitality business, you could highlight new safety features like contactless room service or digital check-ins.
Your emails at this time should also be hopeful and encouraging. Help your customers to see the positive and let them know that you’re there for them. Personalize your emails so that they’re reliable and easy to connect with and remember to use segmentation to connect with different segments of your email list.
What you say now is important
While it’s important to maintain communication during a crisis, what you say after the fact can play a huge role in how customers perceive your business. So make sure that you keep the above tips in mind as you transition your business to the post-covid era and navigate the challenges that lie ahead.
If you need help getting started, email marketing agency Code Crew can help you reintroduce yourself with confidence and actually get the results you’re after.
Photo by Kelly Sikkema
