Strategies for Digital Marketing in the Testing Times

Saurabh Mittal

GL Bajaj Institute of Management & Research, Greater Noida

[email protected]

 As the world is facing the tough times, battling against #COVID19, the businesses have taken a major hit. Brands are anxious too as no one knows when it will be back to normal! Marketing specially is a consistent effort by brands to ‘Attract’ new pool of people, make them ‘Interested’, ‘Convert’ them in to customers, ‘Leverage’, ‘Retain’ and ‘Enhance value’ to the customers as well as business! The marketers have invested their resources and energy in attracting the people to their offerings but the #Coronavirus is eating it up. People are confined in their own space with almost no outside movement. How do businesses retain the customer base? Some important strategies for digital marketers:

 1.      Consistency is the Key

Never stop! Try to explore ways to communicate with the people. Fresh content on website and other digital properties is needed for your search rankings too. People may be at least visiting if not transacting on your digital properties and outdated content will give wrong impression.

2.      Develop Engaging Content

Explore the opportunities to venture in new territories. May be some small fun activities like Quiz, Puzzle, Game or funny Videos could do the magic! Some online events like webinars, interaction sessions or music concert could have some relieving impact on the customers.

 3.      Avoid Hard Selling

People are going through tough times! Hard selling will have reverse impact on your marketing strategy. In fact it could be irritating to people as the life is right now limited to basics. Even discount schemes may be un-attractive at the moment!

 4.      Be Human

Express your true concern for the well being of customers. May be some emotional touch in your communications will help. Share the verified knowledge with your customers which could be helpful for them. You may showcase some CSR initiatives or philanthropic activities too. May be helping resolve queries of people or tips to keep the kids/ elders busy. Sharing some important health, safety tips!

 5.      Stop Flashy Things

This is not Celebration time! People are home because of Pandemic. So, too much blinking and shining graphics may not go well with the mood of people. Simple presentation may impress the people more at such times.

6.      Be supportive

Can you as a brand help the people in whatever small way possible? Customers struggling with your products need your support or service. Online ticket raising, chat, response to the social media posts etc is needed.

 7.      Sharing the good stories

Subtle celebration for the good things in tough times will make people more attached. Support and appreciate the good work by your customers, government, other people, organisations or even competitors. We are all together!

 8.      Gratitude

Posts on social media, blogs and website may also express your gratitude to the fighters in tough times. Express your gratitude to the customers for their consistent support to your brand and extending your hand to their support too. 

9.      Stop Fake News!

Be careful before 'Sharing' any content from unverified sources. It can be harmful to the society and to your brand also. Your social media profile managers need to be extracareful before re-tweet/ re-post or even ‘like’.

10.  Take them along

Share the stories of your organisation's good initiatives in tough times and request the people to help you in the same. May be a Group Contribution to relief funds or special donations. It builds the relationship further.

 11.  FAQs

Customers visiting your website may have may queries, which in normal times can be resolved in store/ over phone etc. But many organisations are running with minimum staff, which results in delayed response. So, let’s enrich FAQs on website which are easy to understand and execute. ‘Do it Yourself’ is a great help in tough times.

 As a marketer you need to utilise this time as well. So, put your heart again to win over the customers!