As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, many small businesses across different industries are having to reinvent themselves to cope with the changing consumer landscape. However difficult this period might be, you must consider the long term effects that this crisis could have on your business if you cease all of your marketing efforts. Now more than ever, utilising digital marketing can help you continue creating revenue opportunities, which are key to business survival during this crisis.
While we don’t know when the pandemic will be over, optimising your digital marketing can help you stay connected with existing customers and prospects. Most consumers are spending more time online because they are confined to their homes, thus engaging with your audience and creating meaningful content that resonates with them will go a long way in building and maintaining trust.
Digital marketing strategies to focus on during COVID-19
1. Review your online presence
If your company doesn’t have a website, consider building one during this period. A website is an invaluable resource and is useful for generating leads which you can nurture and convert when the situation improves.
If you already have a website, your top priority should be improving its visibility. Conduct a technical audit and analyse its performance. Look out for all the factors that are hurting your SEO scores. If you have a company blog, use it to create content relevant to the pandemic and how it impacts your industry. You can also utilise it to update your customers as to the measures being taken at your business during this period.
Lastly, revisit your keyword research. If your landing pages are currently optimised for conversions, you could try focusing on creating content that educates or inform your audience for future remarketing opportunities.
2. Improve your social media engagement
Re-evaluate your social media strategy and identify areas of improvement. If you had been slacking, now is the right time to reach out and start a dialogue with your target audience. People are looking for ways to connect with the outside world during the crisis and social media helps businesses deliver the kind of meaningful engagement they need.
You can create posts informing your customers if you’re working remotely or if you have paused operations until the lockdown is lifted. If you’re an essential service provider, you might want to let your customers know how they can do business with you during the crisis.
3. Consider using email marketing
Another way to keep your customers and prospects engaged is through email marketing. You can start sending them regular updates and keep them informed about your business and what you are doing to address the coronavirus. Keep in mind that a lot of companies will be sharing news and resources about the pandemic so it’s very important to only share information you think is truly useful to your customers.
Final Thoughts
Even during a crisis, consumers still expect to hear from businesses. The COVID-19 pandemic and nationwide lockdown present an opportunity to review marketing strategy to remain relevant in the minds of their customers.
While digital marketing is not the ultimate answer for businesses struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is a good way of staying in touch with your customers throughout the crisis. By communicating regularly, and ensuring your business maintains a good online presence, your business can remain relevant to your customers and prospects.
We’re here to help
Akio remains open during the lockdown. We remain committed to providing our clients with services during these challenging times and anticipate that our delivery of marketing services will move forward without interruption.
If one of your main goals is to build an online presence for your business or drive more relevant traffic to your website, we are here for you.
