5 things that you need to do to market your business during covid-19
Businesses have learned valuable lessons about marketing during a pandemic, and we’ve seen creative and customer-centric brands thrive while many companies are closing shop. When you’re fighting to survive, you have to adapt fast. If you need help increasing awareness or sales, adjusting your marketing strategy might be the place to start. Your marketing strategy should be one of the first things that you should adjust. As there is no one-size-fits-all guide on how to advertise during Coronavirus, we decided to look at what works and what other companies are doing to reassure customers it’s safe to shop.
How to advertise during Coronavirus
As a print services shop preparing many marketing-related materials, we’ve had the tremendous opportunity to see first hand what works and what our customers are doubling down on. We’re noticing an increase in brands reaching out to their customers, whether through direct mail or flyers. Furthermore, marketing spend isn’t slowing down.
Quite the contrary, we’re seeing businesses increase marketing budgets to minimize losses because of the Coronavirus lockdown. But some of the best Covid ads haven’t been advertisements at all! We’re witnessing companies reaching out to customers just to say “hi”. So, let’s dive a bit deeper in this peculiar phenomenon that is Coronavirus marketing.
Reach out to customers.
If there’s one thing every business should be doing during a pandemic, it’s reassurance. It’s your responsibility to address consumers’ heightened concerns. One of the best Covid ads that you can create for your business right now is your investment in customer safety. How you communicate these safety measures is also essential to attract new customers.
Suppose you’re a brick and mortar business. In that case, a custom yard sign or a building sign can help you raise awareness that you’re open for business and following all safety measures, by keeping the premises of your business sanitized.
Take this a step further and update customers whenever government restrictions change and how you’re planning to adapt your operations. Also, let your customers know that you’re looking out for them. Everyone is having a tough time, so make sure to lend a hand when you can.
While this may not seem to directly increase revenue, you’ll likely see increased customer loyalty and brand awareness, which can go a long way toward customer retention and repeat sales. This is important as return clients bring in a consistent cash flow your way.
Ramp up your marketing efforts.
The very first thing that many businesses did during the first lockdown was to cut their marketing budgets. But is this the right approach?
Well, it turns out doing the exact opposite may be better. We saw this between the first and second lockdowns. Over 50% of brands said they’re ready to ramp up their marketing efforts after the lockdown ended. But going into lockdown doesn’t mean a cut on marketing spend — you just have to shift focus.
SEO is great, especially if you’re a small local venture.
If there’s one sure thing, many small businesses are suffering right now. That’s why investing in SEO and building up your online presence in Google can be helpful, especially if you’ve moved your business online. While slow, you can see significant growth in online sales within three months, depending on the size of your competition and your niche.
Facebook ads are amazing, but you have to be mindful.
Facebook is a force of nature. Whatever the public notion is, if you’re smart about running Facebook ad campaigns, you can see a dramatic increase in sales. Almost 40% of social media users said they’re spending more time browsing, watching, and interacting on different platforms. This offers a tremendous opportunity for small businesses to advertise to their local customers.
The safest way to advertise on social media is to hire an expert to do it for you. They can help you optimize ad spend, using your marketing dollars more efficiently. Target the right audience, to ensure your products are seen by potential customers. And, last but not least, craft converting ads, which will lead to revenue boost and recoup your ad spend.
Bring branding outside the office.
Now that people are spending less time inside malls and shopping centers, you should think of ways to market your business outside. While billboards can be expensive, there are other ways to bring branding out. Marketing during a pandemic requires you to be bold, creative, and more importantly expand your marketing efforts throughout your local community. Banners, feather flags, vehicle wraps, and even magnets are all amazing ways to get noticed. If we take our cleaning business example from earlier in the article, a branded vehicle could do wonders to advertise your business.
It’s no different from a moving billboard, and it promotes your brand 24/7. And if you don’t want to wrap a car fully, car magnets can also be a great fit.
Mail directly to customers.
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, we think that one of the best Covid marketing campaigns you can do is simply communicating with your customers. Business mailers and flyers are the perfect ways to tell customers about any promotions that you’re running in a way that feels personal, creative, and unique.
While there was a slight dip in direct mail marketing, it turns out people are still interested in receiving information about their favorite brands in the form of mail or flyers.
That being said, you’ll still want to ensure that your communication is aligned with the current situation and communicate key messages, such as the steps you take to keep customers safe.
How to craft an effective marketing campaign during Coronavirus.
While marketing can save your business, there are a few golden rules that can help you craft punchy, memorable marketing campaigns.
Focus on adding value to your local community ― It can be something аs simple as repurposing branded vehicles to help with food distribution, or if you can afford it, food donations to local shelters. This is powerful because you’re showing people that you’re here for them.
Organize events that will inspire people ― As long as you stay close to your niche you should enjoy some nice brand exposure. Take advantage of Facebook Groups and forums where people are interested in your core product and start engaging with them. It can be online workout sessions for fitness centers, virtual baking classes for bakeries, or Zoom coffee talks for coffee shops.
Limit the sales messages ― It may sound counter-intuitive to you, but in such hard times, there’s no better ad than showing people that you care. Instead of selling your services, find ways to join the conversation. Talk to people, understand their pains and struggles and relate to them.
Conclusion
The US is currently experiencing a very interesting stage of how brands market their products. Companies that are able to respond and adapt their marketing efforts through Covid are still seeing success and growth during difficult times. The most important thing is to adjust your messaging accordingly and stay connected with customers. Get in touch with us today to see how we can help you craft the perfect marketing campaign during Covid-19.
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