Connecting with your Tribe
Marketing in the post COVID world by Christina Skillman
How should businesses and entrepreneurs be marketing in the post COVID world? This is a big question and one that we as the business community need to answer. On the one hand, if we pretend to act like everything is “business as usual”, we come across as being tone-deaf and insensitive. And if we go too far in the other direction, we run the risk of coming off as insincere or “fake”.
The old adage of “people buy from people” is going to be even more important coming out of this than ever. And I am going to raise the stakes on this by adding “people buy from people like them”.
Marketing in this current climate and beyond is going to be about adding value to our prospects before they buy from us or even THINK about buying from us. How do we do that?
- Who Are You - This is the time to get crystal clear on who you are. What are your core values and what makes you unique? By really doing that soul searching and crystalizing your core focus which includes your values, your unique service offerings, AND your target market (think demographic, psychographic, and geographic), you set yourself up to come out of this crisis miles ahead of your competition. This exercise takes a lot of time but will repay you in dividends. You simply cannot be all things to all people. Fine tune your messaging to your target market, then go after them with everything you got.
- Tell Your Story - “Branding” goes way beyond just having a nice logo. Once your core focus has been clearly defined, it is time to review and revise all of your marketing collateral (your “brand”) whether it be print, website, blog, video, photo, email newsletters or social media. Your audience wants to hear from you and know you. They WANT a relationship with you and to feel understood (read “safe”) before you ask for their business. Is all of your marketing material pulling in the same direction and telling the right story? If not, this is the time to revamp your old content.
- Provide Value - Start working on Content Marketing… now. While it may still be too soon to start pulling the trigger on big deals, that doesn’t mean you cannot be or should not be top of mind to your ideal customers coming out of this. How do you do this? By adding extreme value. By providing them with ideas or information that is useful and will make their lives easier in some way. Content marketing should first and foremost be about selling, without really selling. Take some time and strategize topics or ideas that may be related to what you do, without any direct call to action. If your audience enjoys your content, they will keep coming back for more. And when they are ready to take action, you will be the first person they call.
The better you define yourself and communicate who you are through your content, the better you will connect with those who truly resonate with your values. If you’re trendy, then you’re going to attract others who are trendy and not attract those who are retro. Only when you are clear about who you are, then you will attract your true tribe. We as the business community need to be ready for when our ideal customers come looking for us. Because when the time is right, they WILL be coming.
Author: Christina E. Skillman CEO / Creative Director at Skillman Video Group, LLC | www.skillmanvideogroup.com | 1-800-SVG-0140 (800-784-0140)
Since founding Skillman Video Group in 2005, I have served as CEO and Chief Creative Officer, leading a team of creative professionals that prides itself on its grit, can-do attitude, and commitment to excellence in all forms. As the CEO, I am responsible for the future of the agency. I make the big decisions, maintain the big relationships, and spark the innovation for future growth. As the Chief Creative Officer, I am responsible for managing and directing the creative team and their output.
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