The Pandemic Completely Changed Marketing in 2021 and this is What Happened.

Thinking back to just over a year ago, I remember exactly where I was when I received the notification on my phone that Colorado was going on lockdown. I was at my friends house sitting on his couch right after a morning hike. The lockdown was only supposed to be until April 11th. It's crazy looking back a year later to see how quickly things changed. Lockdown dates kept getting pushed back and back. We had no clue what we were in for.

Many workers were let go. Unemployment skyrocketed. People weren't going out. People weren't seeing their friends. Instead they were all inside and online. Companies like Zoom, Amazon, Facebook, and many more, started seeing huge increases in opportunity. Before the pandemic Zoom was really only know in the professional world. However, it exploded in popularity being used in schools and even more businesses across the world.

While many online businesses were thriving, many offline businesses were not doing so hot. Restaurants, venues, bars, storefronts, were all faced with regulations and temporary closures. The ones who survived were able to make the switch to 3rd party delivery apps, however business was still not the same.

Meanwhile the world was stuck inside which led to social media usage being up across all major platforms. With people spending more time browsing on social media, they are also seeing more advertisements. When people are exposed to more advertisements, it becomes more difficult for marketers to make advertisements that stand out.

This is why in 2021 the most important goal for businesses and marketers should be standing out. In an environment where traditional advertisements are being broadcasted everywhere, it's time to take an untraditional route.

Think about your most loyal customers. They aren't loyal to your business; they're loyal to you. People relate to people not businesses. Now this might not be true in all cases. Think about the grocery store you go to. Most people have a primary grocery store they visit.

However, odds are your business isn't an established grocery store. It's likely some pretty specific service or product meant to solve a problem in a certain niche. And the easiest way to build customer loyalty is to become a recognized in that certain niche. This is done by attaching a face to your business. Someone who is synonymous with your business.

This is seen in examples such as Amazon and Jeff Bezos or Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg. We are told they are all role models and people who we should trust. Because of this the general public trusts these companies. Word of mouth is super powerful.

Doing what everyone else is doing is not memorable. 2021 is the year to add personality to your marketing. To stand out. To be unique.