A lot is changing right now. Remote work, online sales and digital marketing are all the new normal, and while some companies have always existed in online spaces, others are struggling to adjust their marketing strategies and to thrive in this new environment.
With the economy reaching some pretty frightening lows, many organizations are looking to cut costs to stay afloat and marketing budgets are a prime target. So how can you restructure your marketing efforts right now to become both cost efficient and effective? Here’s how you can market yourself wisely during this pandemic.
Invest in social media
Check in on the state of your social media marketing. Social media is a great platform for marketing efforts as in most instances, the value has not caught up with pricing. Unlike traditional marketing, you can pretty much choose how much you want to allocate your resources; whether it’s sweat equity or pushing full steam ahead with expansive paid strategies and influencer outreach.
Social media will still reach your audience during a pandemic (and may even be more effective now than before COVID-19). Many research companies expect social screen times to continue their upward trajectory’s as the stay-at-home orders continue.
Capitalize on this low handing fruit to keep your audience informed, run giveaways, future proof your business with Gift Cards on Instagram & Facebook, and in general, just continue to “buzz” around your business with interactive, live events.
Repurpose marketing materials
If you’ve had to lower your marketing budget due to the pandemic, that doesn’t mean you can’t continue your branding efforts. In other words, just because business has slowed, doesn’t mean you’re down and out. Start leveraging & repurposing those evergreen marketing materials.
Do you have a really effective blog post hanging out on your website? Instead of starting from scratch on other platforms, see if you can edit and repurpose longform content by turning them into Infographics or videos. Chop up that blog post for Twitter. Recut your marketing videos for Facebook. Resize your website assets for instagram posts. Chances are you’ve spent a ton of resources developing this content. Now’s the time to get creative! and if your haven’t, use this time to get organized and being to position your self for a better online presence.
Make your website as user-friendly as possible
Ideally, you would have done this already. Yet many businesses are a bit behind in optimizing their digital presence. You’re relying on digital marketing and online sales now more than ever. Now’s the time to start implementing website strategies that include:
- A helpful chatbot to automate and answer customer questions
- An optimized ordering & checkout service
- A sleek, responsive design that’s build for all browsers & devices
- Comprehensive FAQs & Covid-19 related business updates
- Virtual Appointment Booking
- eCommerce Capabilities to start selling those so desired products & services online
Move your programming online with Webinars & Virtual Appointments
Important work conferences cancelled? Time to turn to online webinars. Through online platforms like Zoom, you can host and attend industry events at a fraction of the cost of going in person.
If you’ve never hosted or participated in a webinar before, now is a great time to learn. Webinars are an invaluable marketing tool. They also help you network and build your brand authority. Let’s show your audiences why you’re the best at what you do.
Focus on services that resonate right now
Concentrate your marketing efforts on the parts of your business that people are most likely to need or want during a pandemic. A simple example would be emphasizing your shipping options or offers your customers can take advantage of now.
This may also call for some restructuring of your services. During a pandemic where people have been asked to quarantine or isolate, they will be interested in low cost, high return products & services. Things they can justify as a necessity or has some sort of entertainment value. Thinking about the why is more important now than ever.
Communicate effectively
Marketing during a pandemic isn’t all about generating new leads. You need to work hard to retain your current customers, as well. A lot of people are looking to cut costs right now, and you don’t want your service to be one that gets the axe.
Offer honest, empathetic and frequent communication with current clients, customers and your audience as a whole. Let them know how your company is addressing COVID-19 concerns and reassure them that you’ll still be providing invaluable services. In my mind, retaining current customers should be far less expensive and generally easier than gaining new ones. Don’t skimp it.
Marketing strategies during a pandemic require customization
Every business is in a unique position during these challenging times. Some businesses, like food delivery subscriptions and content streaming services are thriving. This pandemic is a growth opportunity for them. Not all companies are so lucky. Many are investing their best marketing efforts just to tread water and hope they can come out stable on the other side of all this.
This poses a unique opportunity.
Reduced marketing budgets offer a significant opportunity for you to gain market share & brand equity. Decreased competition result in less competition online. This equates to lower Ad Costs. See where I’m going with this? You now have an ability to reach a larger in-market audience and position your business for success during and after these times of uncertainty.
The world is only going to become more digital. Many of these marketing strategies will remain just as effective once the pandemic has subsided. Understanding which channels bring in the highest ROI and learning ways to expand on those efforts will not only help your business today, but can lift you to brand #1 well into the future.
Still not sure where to start or want to dive into the weeds? Shoot me a message – I’d welcome the opportunity to share a few ideas you can implement in your free time.
