The Coronavirus pandemic has dramatically changed the ways businesses operate to the point where you might not recognise it any longer. Customers disinfecting their hands as they walk into your store with face masks adjusted and a shifty look in their eyes is weird.

However, it isn’t the only way your company has altered in the past four months. As a marketing outfit, you’ve got to transition to the new principles of advertising in the wake of COVID-19. The world is in a unique predicament, which means you’ve got to provide more answers than questions.

Here are four tips for your information.

Address It

Carrying on as if nothing has happened is a mistake. Society has changed so much that it looks weird when you see an advert that doesn’t centre around COVID. Sure, it gets old and you’ve got to strike a balance, but that moment hasn’t arrived yet. The virus is too new and shiny for things to go back to normal anytime soon. As such, it’s imperative to mention something, anything, about the impacts of the disease and how you’re trying to resort to a new normal. That’s the only way you’ll make customers happy to shop in-store with you again.

But Avoid Tone-Deaf Ads

The flip side of the coin is that you go overboard and appear tone-deaf. The last thing you should do is highlight how behind the times you are as it highlights your brand as outdated and almost immoral. During periods such as these, it’s about the message. With this in mind, you should forget about a visually-pleasing video or media that’s immaculately produced. After all, splashing thousands on a single advert juxtaposes what you’re saying – that everyone is in it together. How can that be when families are struggling to pay the mortgage and you’re spending money frivolously on marketing?

Target The Important Correspondence

Internet usage has more than doubled as people with extra free time are stuck as home bored. This means your communication channels will be inundated with messages, all of which appear important. They’re not because most of the information – your return policy, opening hours, etc. – is available online. Plus, there’s the junk mail that sneaks through and adds to your workload. To be productive and efficient, you must spot the unnecessary correspondence and avoid them. Otherwise, you’ll waste time answering questions that your website can do in ten seconds.

Don’t Be Greedy

You can’t expect customers to spend the same way they did before, which means your pricing strategy is wrong. To keep it would be to encourage shoppers to go elsewhere, and that’s a significant error considering 80% of your finances comes from 20% of your loyal consumers. This is the time to prove that you’re not only about turning a profit but also finding solutions as a team. Slashing your prices is a sign that you’re happy to help the less fortunate, and a catalyst for people with money to spend.

These principles will change. When they do, though, is anybody’s guess, so stay alert.