5 Small Business Marketing Tips to Implement During COVID-19
5 ways to use Covid-19 to your business advantage
5 min read
The coronavirus outbreak has shaken up the world and the global economy. Entering this uncharted territory has been overwhelming and challenging for businesses of all sizes, but having a powerful strategy to fall back on can help them keep their heads above water.
This time of uncertainty has left entrepreneurs and small business owners in a state of stress on how to approach the crisis. However, now is not the time to make short-sighted decisions that could impact the long-term success of your business in a post-pandemic world.
In this time of crisis, business owners should be focusing their efforts into lucratively marketing their brand and building rapport. Not every business is capable of generating revenue, but that doesn’t mean they can’t offer value to their customer base and stay relevant through digital marketing.
This post will take you through some stellar marketing techniques that will help you stay relevant and resilient during and after the pandemic.
1. Highlight How Your Brand Can Help at This Time
It’s important to understand that customers will remember you by the services you provide and not the promises you make. Since customers can’t visit your stores, so you need to figure out a creative way to virtually deliver value to your customers.
When prospects land on your page, they don’t normally know what they want; so they will take their time to browse and see if your business addresses their requirements. Brands should spotlight how their products or services can benefit people during quarantine and make their lives easier.
Engage in modest self-promo, but keep your focus on providing comfort, support, and value to customers in these stressful times. If you’re a food business, then give away coupons and discounted deals to medical workers and first responders in your area. Look for creative ways to lend a helping hand to customers and offer sustenance.
2. Reach Out to Loyal Customers
Do your loyal customers know that you’re still open for business? How are you supposed to gain quality leads and generate revenue if prospects don’t know you’re taking orders? Log onto your customer database and shoot emails to all your past customers.
Don’t miss out on this marketing opportunity. Due to the pandemic, competition is low, which means a few strategic moves can put your business ahead of the competition and in front of the right customers. Utilize social media and email marketing to reach your target audience without having to spend a large buck and let the sales come in. If you use your time and resources tactically, it can work in your favor and help you dip into a network of hungry prospects.
3. Practice Empathy While Promoting Your Brand
At this time of heightened tensions and doubt, we crave any form of emotional connection. Brands that go out of their way to develop a deeper understanding of their audience will stay at the front of every customer’s mind even after the crisis is over. This includes establishing a clear communication channel with your customers that thrive on transparency and honesty.
If there are any setbacks in delivering a parcel on time, let them know immediately, so they know what to expect. When there are extended delays in delivery, send them a personalized note for being patient and trusting your business. You can even include a free sample or a discount code on their next order. This strengthens the customer’s faith in your brand and secures their loyalty.
4. Reconsider and Modify Your Marketing Budget
It’s evident that public events are not an option anymore. Businesses that were planning future product launches, PR events, in-person gatherings, etc. should switch their advertising tactics to more profitable channels. This is where digital marketing can give your business a head-start in the pandemic setting while simultaneously saving costs of organizing big promotional events.
Currently, investing in outdoor advertising will bear little to no results as people are self-isolating indoors, to slow down the spread of the virus. Businesses that accurately read the room and make the appropriate changes to their marketing budget can reallocate those funds in online marketing to reach a larger audience. Consumers are spending unparalleled time at home, which means that the majority of them will turn to search engines and social media to look for the products and services they need.
Brands can invest in search engine optimization to boost their search results ranking and get ahead of their competition. This will be beneficial, not just during the crisis, but even when the pandemic is over. While there is no set date for when this crisis will end, implementing flexible and fluid marketing will help your company reach its target audience and stay at the front of their minds.
5. Amplify Your Online Presence via Social Media
Brick-and-mortar stores can no longer welcome customers due to the strict rules of practicing social distancing. In order for such businesses to continue generating revenue, they must exploit tactics that can help prospects locate your business and inform them you’re open for orders. If you have social media profiles that you’ve neglected for far too long, now is the time to re-establish your presence and build an understanding with existing and new customers.
Through your social media pages, prospects can locate your physical stores nearest to them and inform others about your business. Moreover, businesses have the opportunity to focus on relationship-building and deeply understand the preferences and demands of customers during the pandemic. This, in turn, will help them in creating refined social media campaigns that generate higher conversion rates. If a business is unable to make a profit, then that shouldn’t keep them from trying to engage followers on social media. Establish your brand as a reliable source of information and share compelling content, so visitors keep returning to your pages. Whether it’s COVID-19 updates, safety tips, or other forms of content – keep creating posts that can educate customers in any way.
When you leverage social media to promote your brand, it’s important to measure the performance of your practices to know what’s actually working. Which posts receive the most engagement? Which post gains the most clicks? These kinds of questions will help you identify the areas that need more work. Your engagement metrics are your game-changers.
Wrapping Up
Everyone in the world is trying to get a grip on this new reality and learning to adapt. The main idea is to show up and let customers know you’re here to stay and offer them your undivided support. The business might be slow, but using this time as a learning opportunity to figure out which tactic can help you in the long-run will put you at the front in the race.
Source (https://hivelife.com/small-business-marketing-tips/)
Translated and edited by Tomas Eitavičius