Marketing in 2021 cannot be like 2019.
Too much has happened.
Society suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder.
To think everything will return to normal is to believe the last 16 months never happened.

It did happen.
Businesses were shut down.
Customers were locked out.
And human touch was banned.

Customers changed.
They rethought their lives.
They decided what was important and what could be thrown away.
Habits changed.
Eating out meant ordering from an app and getting food delivered.
Getting out meant going for a Sunday drive on a Tuesday afternoon.

Before the 2020 pandemic, we would meet over coffee, wine, or a celebration of food.

We would work to convince others to try our products or switch from our competitors.

We would try to bond with our customers.

But then the world stopped. Bonding over Zoom isn’t fun.
For heaven’s sake, it’s called Zoom. Get in, get out.

That’s not bonding.
It’s a Nooner.

As we return to a bit of normalcy,
Zoom is not going away.
It’s cheaper than a flight to the other side of the continent.
But it should not replace face-to-face contact with your customers.

As you plan your return to success, don’t forget about the bonds you’ve built.
Getting back to the ho-hum life, some will be afraid.
That’s normal after a year of turmoil.

We’ve swished around the bucket so many times, we’re not sure if we’ve been waterboarded or just delirious.
Our instincts have been toyed with.
The world we knew has changed.
People will adjust.
They always have.

But there are some things that don’t change.
People buy from people they trust.

The things you do to create trust are more important now than in 2019.
Customers need their toes to tingle like when they are next to the fireplace.
Customers need to know you’ll take care of them like their mommas did when they were sick.

In the turmoil of the 2020 pandemic, political liars, and societal unrest, the kingdom is swaying between chaos and stability.

As a business owner, you have the power to bring a slither of stability – one day at a time.
You have the opportunity to better humanity – one moment at a time.
You have been given the greatest gift – to serve.

Your customers will love you for it.
It’s not about your product.
It’s about them.
And those who take care of them will be rewarded with the greatest gift a person can have.

The feeling that you had a small part in making the world good again.

There is no marketing that can make you a better person.
That can only come from you.

But, and this is a big BUT.
If you love to serve, and you know how to connect with future customers through words, you will be a King among Kings.

Moats are busted.
Castles are empty.
And people are looking for something to believe in.
There’s never been a better time to give them what they’ve always wanted.
TRUST.

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