Dear Reader,
I wish you and your family a Happy 2021.
Like you, I’m ready to kick COVID to the curb.
But unfortunately we’ve been thrown a curve ball. And know that I hear your sighs as I type these words.
Before I explain how to make it through this “glitch”, let’s look at a global example:
Blue jeans. (Yes you read that correctly!)
Blue jeans—the must-have, global clothing item.
On the surface, they may look alike but the difference is in how they’re replaced or repaired.
A new pair of jeans look great whether you buy them at Saks or at Walmart.
But the key to standing out over time is what you do when the jeans get dirty or ripped. I had never paid much attention to this until I saw it in action when we headed to Asia a year ago with limited space in our luggage.
- You can replace them with a new pair. This involves money and no work. And as long as you have the closet space, you’re good to go.
- You can make a “good enough” repair and hope no one notices. Until over time, your “temporary” repair gets ironed into place based on that on-going fleeting hope that it will always be “good enough”.
- Or, you can take the long view. Instead of seeing the rip or wear as something bad that needs to be hidden, you focus on how it has enhanced the value of the item. So you transform a “would be” negative into a thing of beauty. And, over time, these additions create something of value since, while the original is no longer remains visible, it provides the basis for long-term growth.
Why did I lay out these options for you?
Because while we may feel that COVID has tested us and we can see the Promised Land, we still need to get there.
And we can do this!
- Not by washing over the challenges of the past year.
- Not by hoping our temporary fixes will hold just a wee bit longer.
- But rather by using this base of knowledge we acquired over this past year to plant the seeds that will thrive in tomorrow’s sunlight.
And I know you have the strength to do this, as long as you accept that it will take longer.
I can explain why we’re in the situation we’re in, but that can wait for another time since you need to see the path forward to help you to continue to believe and hold on.
And, the good news:
You can use this “bonus” period to get your marketing in order. Even better, you get to choose whether to stick with the old, move to the new or pursue a combination. The choice is yours!
1. Brands must have and serve a higher social purpose beyond creating profitable sales. In challenging times like this, people turn to you to provide the leadership that’s lacking elsewhere.
- How You Take Responsibility To Do What Is Difficult
- 8 minutes and 46 seconds That Changed Us
- Why We Must Bear Witness
2. The 4Cs of Digital Marketing Post-COVID while you may want to return to the way things were, that time has passed. So you evolve to meet the current and evolving challenges to not only survive but more importantly to thrive. The good news is that it allows you to build on what you have created to-date:
- Contactless interactions including voice and AI.
- Contextual relevance and availability so prospects and customers can find you wherever, whenever and however they wish!
- Community inclusiveness. It’s no longer negotiable.
- Commerce focused on long-term growth, while taking advantage of the opportunities along the way. This ensures you can keep your business going until new markets reach fruition.
3. Diversify your revenues and profitability. This is the key to avoiding total downfall. Understand, while voice and AI will continue to get smarter, you’ll still need to maintain and protect your audience and their data.
Regardless of what you choose, know that you have a path forward on your terms.
I’ll provide you with the tactics you need to lay the groundwork for your rebirth in easy-to-follow doses starting next week. In the interim, if you’d like to make up for lost time, check any or all of the links above.
Until next week, let’s collectively breathe a sigh of relief that we’ve made it this far and the end is in sight. What matters now is how we get there and what we do next.
To help you get through this week, I’ll leave you with a quote from Viktor Frankl, a Holocaust survivor:
People are motivated by a “will to meaning,” the desire to find meaning in life.
As a result:
Life can have meaning even in the most miserable of circumstances and that the motivation to live comes from finding that meaning.
So believe in the end goal regardless of when it may be.
Happy Marketing,
Heidi
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FEATURED ARTICLE: Annual Content Planning
5 Types Of Content You Need To Improve Results.
FEATURED ARTICLE: Promotional Plan
How To Create An Effective Calendar To Improve Your Results.
FEATURED ARTICLE: Marketing Success Metrics
3 Types You Need To Know.
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