Marketing Strategies in the Time of COVID19

In challenging times and a fast-changing global landscape, businesses need to plan out their next marketing move wisely to either mitigate risk or to capture some of the possible opportunities. Here are some marketing strategy ideas you can implement in these unprecedented times.

Where are we now?

According to a global study conducted by Edelman, in late March, 2020, 71% of respondents said if they perceive a brand is putting profit over people, they will lose trust in the brand…forever. Another 65% said a brand’s response in the time of this crisis will have a huge impact on their purchases in future and 84% want brand advertising to focus on how brands help people cope.

What this is telling us is that we need to be empathetic and respectful of consumers’ feelings. Marketing has always been a game of tapping into an emotional connection to gain loyalty. Without taking advantage of the current situation, business owners can use this time to focus on helping others to help themselves.

Check out this Bud Commercial for great example of how they connect with their audience on an emotional level to align their brand with the sentiments of consumers.

Any good strategy starts with where are you now and then determines the goal (where do you want to go) before establishing the steps to get there.

I’ve done some research by asking business owners where they are at this point of the pandemic. It seems they fall into one of 3 categories: Protect, Promote or Pivot.

1. Protecting the business. They’re pumping on the brakes by withdrawing from business activities, cutting costs and stopping anything that’s not critical to their current operations. While it's good idea to reduce costs, it's still important to consider continuing some marketing during this time so consumers don't think you've closed down for good.

2. Promoting the business. They’re moving ahead by continuing with their current business but being cautious during this time. While they're still operating, there are other challenges such as managing labor, and other costs associated with alternative delivery methods. Marketing is required to promote a business to ensure consumers know that they're still active. A focus on how a business is aiding the community at large is important to consider in marketing efforts here.

3. Pivoting to a new concept. They’re taking a U-turn and deciding to try something new. How exciting! Now is the time for putting those backburner ideas into play. A well thought-out marketing strategy is critical for getting the word out when launching something new.

Where do you want to go?

It is a fine time to assess your future goals. Business owners should take this opportunity to think about where their company will be in 12 months from now. Although the future is uncertain, there will be an end to all of this, so considering a game plan now will contribute to greater success when things start to turn back around.

There are two broad objectives in marketing that can achieve company goals: branding and lead generation.

• Branding is delivering visuals, messaging and experiences through multiple channels over a long period of time to develop a perception in the mind of the consumer.
• Lead generation involves finding ways to capture contact information of potential customers so you can then send them more relevant content to help them make a decision about your offering.

While we wait for the world the change, there is an opportunity to build up your brand presence and/or develop leads for the future. Now is the time to set some goals so you can start moving in that direction.

What to do now?

What can a business do now, in the time of COVID19, to start taking the steps toward their future goals? Here are a three ideas to give some direction on what can be done right away.

1. Focus on SEO

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and SEM (Search Engine Marketing) go hand in hand. If you have the budget, invest in some digital paid ads. If now is not the right time to pay for ads, you can work on your SEO strategy to optimize your website.

· Perform Keyword Search

Having the right keywords in your website content contributes to better ranking on a search engine like Google. We are all Google’s audience and their job is to make sure we get the information we want by ranking the most relevant websites in our online searches. Spending some time researching keywords and adding them to a website can help to push it naturally up the ranks. There are plenty of tools for keyword research. Start with understanding who your market is and what words are most important to them. Word to the wise: don’t keyword stuff.

· UX: on page

Having the right content on a website is one thing, making sure visitors to the website are able to find it is quite another. Test out a website by assessing how a typical consumer might find the information you want them to access. Are there sufficient calls to action? Is it apparent where consumers should go to get the right information? Is there relevant content to keep them on the website? These factors will also contribute to better SEO if optimized.

· Off page: backlinks

Improving the links on other websites that go back to yours can be time consuming but worth the effort. Find out what links have higher authority in your industry and aim to add your contact information on them with a hyperlink back to your home page. For backlinks, remember that more is not necessarily better. You want to be on sites that add value to your customer and industry.

2. Work on Your Social Media Presence

There are a few things that can be done to bump up a brand on Social Media.

· Research channels for your market – do you know where they are going to get information? Is it Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn? Assess who is following your brand and your competitors. Do some research find out what other platforms work best to reach them.

· Develop both curated and original content – it’s always good to share content that has already been developed by industry experts. Your audience will benefit from the information and you look like a genius because you’re sharing valuable knowledge. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t post your own original content (i.e. blogs, photos, videos etc.) to demonstrate what your company is doing.

· Engage with your audience. Now is the time to respond to comments and encourage sharing posts with your audience. Go to their Social Media sites to like, share and comment on their posts. Take this time to build your following by making those connection requests.

· Build your brand by consistently posting relevant content on a regular basis through the various Social Media channels to reach your target market. Consider colors, visuals and messaging that contribute to your brand and use those elements in your posts.

· Help others. Now more than ever is the time to reach out and do what we can to help one another. Is there something of value you can share on Social Media that will benefit your target market? Think about how to “pay it forward” or offer something that can benefit not just your customers, but the local community at large.

“The most important thing to remember is you must know your audience.”

– Lewis Howes

3. Develop Your Email Marketing Campaign

You don’t have to spend time right now trying to come up with ideas for your next newsletter or email, but you can use this time to grow your contact list. To do this, you can create a free offer where recipients need to provide their email address in exchange to get it. Make sure it’s something of value to them and let them know you will keep them on your list to continue sending relevant information. This isn’t a sales approach so don’t try to sell them anything; it’s a marketing tactic meant to keep them interested in your brand so that they will think of you when the time comes to purchase.

When the time does come, you’ll want to develop relevant content and share it on a regular basis through your newsletters. The open benchmark for emailed newsletters is 30%. If your previous newsletters aren't achieving this, research some new subject lines to make them more captivating for your market. Also, don’t forget to abide by spamming legislation! That means only use email addresses to provide more information, rather than for sales purposes.

In summary, it's a good time to strengthen your brand online and work on some lead generation. In this way, your business can be prepared to move forward during the time of COVID19.

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Toni Guffei is a Marketing Strategist who works with growing and changing companies.

Twitter Handle: @tonironi