We are living during some unprecedented and unusual times. The world has never seen a shut down as we are currently experiencing because of the COVID-19 pandemic. With a large portion of the population staying home to protect themselves from catching the coronavirus, the traditional ways of marketing to your customer base may not work.
The current business climate is fluid; what worked yesterday may not work today or even tomorrow. If you’re struggling to reach your customers during this uncertain time, consider implementing some of the following marketing ideas. They may help your business connect with customers and set itself apart from the competition, now and in a post-pandemic world.
How Will Your Company Evolve At This Time?
The world is undergoing extreme change. Your business and your customers may never be the same. There’s no reason to fear the changes — your company has a unique opportunity to adapt to how it does business. Changing your marketing tactics to deliver the same old message may not capture the attention of your audience. Therefore, it’s a good time to find ways to reinvent your business.
Start by developing your business acumen. Read inspirational books about other successful entrepreneurs and companies for motivation. Take note of what concepts resonate with you and your company and how you can use the concepts to evolve your business towards a stronger one in the future.
How will your company evolve or reinvent itself during this time? It’s important to address this question to fine-tune your company or brand’s message. It’s a good time to promote a more conscious and human persona. Showing how your brand cares about its customers and the world itself can help your company connect with existing and new customers. Before you put energy into trying a variety of new marketing approaches, work on freshening up your company’s presence to reflect your new and improved ideals.
One way you can redefine your brand is by taking an earth-friendly approach to how you conduct business. You can use the current improvements to air pollution levels due to COVID-19 as your starting point. If you manufacture products, implement a recycling program, or commit to using more naturally-sourced materials.
If your company relies heavily on transport and deliveries, think about turning to alternatives to fossil fuels such as transitioning your company fleet towards hybrid vehicles or reducing the amount of travel your sales department does by turning to remote sales. Use this time to show how your company is responding to the changes this pandemic has brought and how it will find new ways to do business in the future. Doing so can help your business position itself as a market leader in the post-pandemic world.
Use Social Media Channels to Broadcast Your Company Messages
When it comes to the coronavirus, things change from one day to the next. The world has never experienced an outbreak of this scale, and the news about possible medical breakthroughs and how the virus works changes on a daily basis. This leaves the public feeling unsure about what the short-term future holds. Follow your audience’s lead and utilize short-term marketing methods like social media so your company marketing messages can quickly be adapted from one day to the next.
For example, you may read in the local news that some kids in the community are unable to study from home because their families can’t afford the internet. Your company could run a social media campaign offering to pay for home internet for ten families and ask customers to contact your company with names of families who need help. Then, you can do weekly follow-up posts on the families receiving internet service.
As the news changes, your approach should change. Facebook has become the leading platform for news, which means your target customers are on social media daily to check what’s going on with the world. Going to Facebook for the latest news may become a permanent habit. Use the opportunity to get in front of your customers with your coronavirus-related stories today. That way, once the pandemic is over, your customers will continue to expect your responses on social media to the popular news of the day.
Food manufacturing giant General Mills is one company that’s positioning itself well through social media for the post-pandemic world. The company shares videos on Facebook showing the lives of their employees during COVID-19, and also upload Zoom conferences with company executives about how the company is adapting to the new normal while helping the communities around them. As their customers tune in, they build a lasting relationship with the company. As long as General Mills continues to post its engaging videos, its customers are likely to watch.
Strengthen Your Mobile Accessibility
Social media has become the go-to place for news as well as the preferred place to connect and stay in touch with others. In addition, smartphones have practically replaced computers as the way the public connects online. Specifically, a study found that 81% of Americans own smartphones. If your company hasn’t enhanced its online presence to make sure your customer’s smartphone experience is optimized, your customers could navigate to websites that are.
Have your web or UX designer look at your website and update it to be responsive on mobile devices. While you improve your company’s mobile presence, review how secure the experience is. The increased use of smartphones to access everything from social media accounts to emails to personal banking comes with its dangers. Hackers are working to exploit vulnerabilities.
It’s important that your marketing strategy is mobile-friendly, but make sure the systems related to your mobile marketing plan are secure to make sure that your customer’s data is not breached. This includes having SSL encryption on your eCommerce website, requesting that customers create strong login passwords, and making sure your company’s mobile app is updated regularly.
The New Marketing Plan
Marketing was already shifting towards social media and marketing messages to connect with customers in a more personalized, human way. The pandemic has only hastened this process. Companies that can adapt quickly to the changes are likely to position themselves as community and marketing leaders in their fields. Use this time to redirect your marketing plan for the post-pandemic world.
