It’s hard to believe we’re almost 12 months into this pandemic journey now. It feels like only yesterday the world turned upside down making “pivot” part of the 100 most used words.
Having worked with an expansive portfolio of clients both coming into that period of heavy uncertainty we all went through and also coming out of it, we’ve seen some big changes afoot. The clients who have weathered the storm the most successfully all have a few things in common and we thought it about time to remove the shrouds of mystery and share them with you.
Online’s where it’s at
If any of our clients were resisting the pull to take their businesses online in a pre-covid world they certainly had their minds made up for them very quickly when covid came knocking.
Based on the growth of the online side of their businesses last year, many of our clients have decided to not even try to go back to ‘business as usual’ with bricks and mortar and in person offerings.
This change has meant funds being directed towards amazing websites, solid customer service conducted digitally, top-notch humanising content and growth beyond geographical boundaries.
Not only are these clients on some pretty epic growth journeys these days, they’re also prepared, come what may, with future outbreaks and lockdowns and that’s a secure way of doing business in today’s world that we can get behind! 🙌
Values reign supreme
As the digital landscape became increasingly human this year, we saw lots of our clients lean into their unique values more than ever before and gosh did it make us proud!
Not only did they have team TDP cheerleading their amazing efforts, they also saw not only increasing engagement from their folks online but also an increase in their sales as a result.
We’d encourage all businesses to make this shift to stand behind what they believe in and support the issues/causes that are most important to them.
Understand their community
We’ve never seen engagement on social media quite like that very first lockdown. [Ok maybe in the golden Instagram days, but that doesn’t count!]
Looking for human connection we all not only turned to one another but also brands and businesses.
When our clients listened to what their followers were feeling, thinking, craving and needing and catered accordingly they were able to display a level of intuition that’s likely won over their audience forever.
Sometimes this meant narrowing down on a niche which can be kind of scary as a business, but also harness great rewards when you find your people. So many of our clients are so much more community focused than ever before.
View transparency as essential
This one wasn’t necessarily a change but something we saw become more pronounced since corona came to stay. Lots of our amazing clients have always been dedicated to transparency and last year saw them double down on this commitment as their crowd desired the human side of businesses even more.
This commitment can no longer be tokenistic, but ingrained in the very fabric of the business, feeling proud of processes from start to finish.
Even on Instagram the masks have come off and we’re not so worried about looking perfect all the time as it’s just not what people are craving. Far better to show up as you are because people relate to that and still love you for it!
Make the best of circumstances
At first we probably all grieved the reality that we’d just lost but admirably instead of dwelling on what was no more, many of our clients chose to make the best of what is.
For some, this meant developing new products, shifting their goals or even going back to basics to find a completely new path. That’s no easy feat we know, but it’s been such a game-changer for so many who now have an even better offering because of it.
We also feel confident these are the businesses that will continue to innovate, thrive and shift with the times and technologies on offer. Onwards and upwards we say!
Have long term goals
Short term goals last year were tricky! We were right there with you all!
This has meant a bit of a perspective shift for the businesses we work with instead starting to think a bit more long term. During a pandemic it’s definitely a less stressful way to operate but it’s also allowed these amazing businesses to keep their eye on the prize and know that all that hard work and investment they’re making is in service of something that can’t be achieved in the snap of a finger.
The key is making your goals grandiose enough to get you bouncing into the office/home office day after day while also mapping out a path clear enough to keep you on track to meeting them no matter the obstacles you face on the way.
We’re looking at some pretty different businesses than we saw at this time last year and honestly, we’re loving it. We have endless respect for the dodges, weaves and pivots [ok, I squeezed it in twice #sorrynotsorry] our clients took last year to keep their dreams alive. We’re so glad to have been a part of what we’re sure is a pretty memorable time for all of us!
What changes did you make in your business to breeze on through the pandemic? We’d love to hear from you!