Most of us were taken aback by the enormous impact that COVID-19 had on our personal and professional lives.
On a personal level, it completely changed the norms of social conduct, from the way we communicate with our neighbors, to the way we shop for groceries. On a professional level, we now need to implement all these new measures to keep our coworkers and our clients safe.
Business owners across the globe are trying to find innovative ways to stay afloat amidst the pandemic that had a negative impact on numerous industries (hospitality, food, recreation, retail, and so on).
As more and more countries slowly lift restrictions in order to reopen the economy, we have to think about enhanced sanitization, protective equipment, social distancing measures, etc.
Given these new circumstances, many companies have had to rethink their marketing strategies overnight. Based on our research, some of these strategies were rather successful, and we’ve decided to share them with you.
Here’s how you too can shift your digital marketing strategy and continue building your brand during COVID-19:
1. Give back to the community
Many people have suffered losses because of the pandemic, so one way to get close to your community is by helping those who need help the most.
If you’re an accounting firm, offer quick video call consulting for free, or if you’re in insurance, try to give your clients some discounts on policy renewals. If you’re in the clothing business, invest some of your efforts into making face masks for those in need.
Anything you can do to give back to your community is highly welcome, and as an indirect benefit, you’ll gain more exposure.
2. Stay positive
On a psychological aspect, you’ll draw more attention to your business if you use positive messaging, especially regarding the current situation.
Specifically, people want to hear how things will eventually go back to normal, so try to craft your marketing messages to reassure your customers that “this too shall pass.”
3. Go Digital
This is pretty much a given at all times, but especially when we’re in the middle of a pandemic. Your customers will still shop online, maybe even more than they used to. So if you haven’t got one already, it’s time to get a website.
Even if you’re in the service business, you can still offer online consultations and communicate with your clients, and a website can be of great help in your efforts (especially if your website design is proper and was made to convert).
4. Think about PPC
From what we’re seeing in current trends, now’s the time to start with PPC (Pay Per Click Advertising). COVID-19 made many businesses stop their PPC campaigns, but overall traffic on the web went up.
Even if you’re not offering a physical product, you can still get some valuable traffic and leads. Keep in mind that users will browse the web more frequently now that they have more time, which means they will probably look for services after the storm is over.
Some final notes
One thing is for sure, businesses across the globe have to think of innovative ways to reach out to audiences that have been affected by COVID-19.
The way we interact with each other has significantly changed, so it doesn’t come as a surprise that companies also need to change how they interact with customers.
We hope these little tips will help you rethink your marketing strategies and keep you on the right track as we navigate through these unprecedented times together.