3 Common COVID Personalities and How to Market to Them

People handle challenges in different ways and the recent COVID-19 pandemic is no exception. While your business may target a particular demographic, it's very likely this demographic has split since COVID-19. Though your target audience may have similar characteristics, their reaction to the coronavirus may differ greatly. As things begin to open up, it’s essential that you understand those reactions so that you can tailor your marketing strategy to them.

3 Common COVID Personalities

People are dealing with the coronavirus in different ways. These attitudes will affect your ability to market your business and sell a product or service. So, it’s vital that you understand the three main “COVID personality,” which are categorized by an individual’s mental/emotional reaction to the virus.

We’ll admit, some of the details behind these personalities may seem a little tongue in cheek. However, understanding each category’s concerns is a must if you want them to buy from you. A buyer’s reaction to the pandemic will fuel (or squelch) their desire to make a purchase from your business.

Personality 1: Don't Tread On Me

People in this category are displeased with how the government handled business closures earlier this spring. They disapprove of government intervention and generally hate being told to do things they see as a personal choice, such as wearing a mask. If you cite health reasons and protection, they will remind you of the statistics and how many people recover from this illness.

If these are your customers, you will need to walk a fine line between following local health ordinances and not making them feel like they’re being ordered around. Business owners who want to appeal to this persona are taking a casual approach to things like mask-wearing. They're inviting customers who would like to wear a mask to wear one as well as welcoming those who don't want to wear them.  

Personality 2: Don’t Breathe on Me

These customers take social distancing very seriously. They will turn around and avoid going down an aisle if there's another human in it. They wear their masks religiously and avoid interaction with people as much as possible. They may ask your staff to touch things so that they don't have to. 

Marketing to these customers requires in-depth explanations of how you are keeping them and your staff safe. These customers will call your business and want to know what you're doing before they visit your store. Do you best to get these details out there through your social media channels, website, and email marketing as soon as possible. In addition, be ready with specifics, as they’ll likely want to see images and wait times.

Personality 3: Don’t Make It Any Harder on Me

Most of your customers will likely fall into this category. They are the ones that don’t mind practicing social distancing, but they also aren’t ready to join massive protests. In essence, these customers are trying to exercise caution without making things too complicated.

To reach this group, you’ll need to communicate:

• what you’re doing
• how easy it is to purchase from you
• how you’ve changed your business operations and any corresponding policy changes
• updated hours
• items with limited availability

This category could easily become one of the first two personalities if statistics change greatly over the next few months. Continuing with strong communications will help ease their uncertainty during a “wait and see” period.

These are strange times we're navigating, and understandably, everyone has a different reaction. While tailoring your marketing has always been important, it's more so now than ever. People no longer walk into businesses without questions. There are so many things they're curious about. Your social media marketing—both paid and unpaid—should be working to reach these segments by giving them the information they need.

Doing business with as a company has gotten a little bit harder with COVID-19. That being said, many consumers want to begin purchasing goods and services again. Making sure you're sending out the right message is the best way to continue to attract customers to your business.