To say 2020 has been a rollercoaster of a year is a bit of an understatement. This week we’ve been getting back into Lockdown 2.0 in England and then the more positive news that the first covid-19 vaccine shows promise for 2021. The challenges that every business has faced over this pandemic have been in part very similar. For some the extreme effects have meant everything has had to change many times over. As business owners and leaders, we’re all trying to keep our businesses moving forward. For me, being in the marketing and communications world I’m always reflecting on how our own business brand can help and has helped us navigate through these challenging times. How can your business brand help you succeed as we move into a more normal world during 2021?

What marketing has worked well for you in 2020?

Even though 2020 hasn’t been straight forward its worth reflecting on what has been successful for you from a marketing and branding standpoint. If you’ve had success (even if limited) this year then it might well be something to build on for your 2021 strategy. A lot of us have said we don’t want to go back to the pre-covid way of working. For me I’ve spent much more time with my family in Norfolk and working remotely is likely to be a part of how I work in 2021 and beyond.

For Glued we’ve developed a range of Zoom workshops which have worked well as part of our sales process and supporting our clients with fresh brand thinking. While we might reintroduce face-to-face workshops during the second half of 2021 it’s very likely we would continue with our Zoom workshops for audiences that are not local to the Midlands or East Anglia. Where will your potential customers be in 2021, will it really be the same as 2019?

Using your brand to keep your team together

During 2020 many of us have been working in a different way, working remotely, social distancing and the like. Has your team drifted apart and become more remote in terms of shared values and a common goal? If that’s the case in your business it can be a potential problem. Your staff might start losing interest, effectiveness and losing sight of the business vision.

Your brand, and what it stands for can play an important role: think about how you could engage your staff with your plans for 2021. That might be starting to have more face-to-face meetings and working together. It could also be asking your team for feedback online or asking them what it means to work for your organisation. These are all techniques to get your staff to engage with your mission and values, share ideas and come together. By having some sort of plan to engage everyone you will bring your team together and as a result reinforce and build your brand internally: keeping your team together.

Engage your customers, ask them what they need

We all know engaging your customers is a great way to build brand loyalty. So, this is an opportunity to find out what they want and need in 2021. Don’t assume what they needed pre-covid is where they will return to in 2021. Think about conducting surveys or calling your customers to find out what they need: you are likely to get some useful insights and it will only help you build trust with your customers as they grapple with moving out of the pandemic. Some of our customers have been using Email Marketing to start conversations and engage customers. Consider what techniques will work best in your world.

Plan your marketing and get your message right

Once you’ve got a feel for what your customers might need, develop your own marketing plan for the next six to nine months. What services can you offer to maximise your success and take advantage of a recovery.

When planning out your strategy focus on the tone of your marketing messages: some of your clients might have been flying during 2020 while others may be in a completely different position. How can your messages work for each audience? Do you have to segment your audience so you can target differently? Is what you were saying a year ago fine to revert to post-covid? What techniques are going to maximise your success over the next 12 months? What have you learnt in lockdown?

Online workshops to help shape your thinking

Throughout the year we’ve run practical Zoom workshops to help you shape your marketing thinking: topics include effective messaging for your marketing, developing a powerful brand image and email marketing.Take a look at upcoming workshops

About Glued

Glued is a marketing and branding business based in the West Midlands. We find that many of our clients can get fast results from Email marketing campaigns with qualified data included. As marketing and branding experts we use this data to create engaging, thought provoking content to support sales and marketing process.

Email davidwilson@gluedlimited.co.uk or phone 0777 900 3818.