Don’t let COVID-19 put restrictions on your marketing efforts.
Welp…
As of December 13, 2020, Alberta will shut down several businesses again as COVID-19 cases continue to rise. Although there are several opinions on how the provincial government is treating the pandemic - it’s important to remember COVID-19 has unfortunately affected the health and wellbeing of communities worldwide, and keeping our friends, families and communities safe should be our first priority.
It’s affecting the health of the public, and it’s also impacting the economy. Many business, if not most, have been feeling the effects of the virus since the initial height of the pandemic in March and the re-introduction of restrictions have made it just as difficult.
Although there are some restrictions in place again, one thing is for certain is that as a company, you should not restrict your marketing efforts as well.
You can’t afford to cut your marketing budget.
In April, Coca-Cola paused their marketing spend across the business as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. They did so without thinking twice because… well it’s Coca-Cola. They can afford it. And although it can be commendable that they did it to further put their priorities within their communities, redirecting their marketing dollars to provide PPE and beverages to frontline workers, for other businesses it might not be as easy.
While slashing your marketing budgets may seem like the next logical step, it will greatly impact your business once this is all over. And it will be over soon. If your businesses really want to survive and come out stronger, it’s important to think long term and see the bigger picture.
In a blog for ZGM Modern Marketing Partners earlier this year, I wrote about the importance of not “ghosting your prospects and customers” during this time and why maintaining your visibility is crucial. With the new year coming and a lot of businesses re-upping their marketing budgets in January, that article has turned out to be a piece of evergreen content that you can revisit into the future.
Businesses around the globe are questioning the value of marketing spends, but this is actually where an optimized and sound digital marketing strategy can now come into play. “Should I reduce my marketing budget?”. The answer is no and all you have to do is look at the food-chain of growing your business.
Your business need sales, and sales need marketing.
Reducing or stopping your marketing efforts will only slow business growth. Now is not the time to reduce your marketing spend… but it’s a good time to shift your marketing’s focus.
Here are a few things you can do to eliminate any restrictions to your marketing efforts.
Strengthen your online presence with content.
McKinsey’s COVID-19 briefing note in July spoke on a number of areas but especially to the growing use of digital channels across a range of industries in the B2B and B2C space. This accelerated trend of potential buyers now doing their homework online before picking up the phone to buy, speaks to the fact that digital has truly taken the forefront in terms of communication - especially in time of isolation.
This is the best time to focus on your content creation and SEO strategy. Instead of going dark, focus on pushing out easily accessible information that will keep your audience engaged, informed and entertained.
Now is the time to nurture your prospects and customers with a steady course of thought leadership articles, blog posts, and data-driven information in premium formats that they can use to determine your company’s legitimacy and the value of doing business with you.
Start thinking about a revised content strategy that re-visits your customer profiles and incorporates how different people consume information. Include multiple channels. Maybe start a podcast or a video series to add more audible and visual content?
Re-introduce your brands’ purpose.
Even if your customers know who you are, do people know what you stand for? In times of crisis, it’s time to really focus on your values. Re-tell your story. Find stories that reinforce your corporate mission and values and let folks know what you’re all about. This is an additional way to build trust and to find the ideal customers who align with your values.
The bonus? This also boosts your brand as an employer as well. Marketing during a pandemic can offer a hidden opportunity to take a look at your HR recruitment and retention messaging to ensure that it communicates your company culture. Be transparent about how you’re keeping your workers safe both physically and mentally.
Combining your purpose as a product or service offering as well as your purpose as an employer externally can attract and retain like-minded customers as well as top performing talent.
Continue to delight your current customers.
This is easy. This is affordable. This is an essential part of your marketing and this is the part of your customer service that truly feeds the flywheel.
You have your customers’ contact information, so build a communications strategy to continue to delight your customers through email. Email marketing is not just for lead generation and brand promotion. To leverage email marketing to its fullest, you should consider the entire customer experience to help retain your current customer-base.
Deliver valuable content to them. Things like renewal notices, educational how-to’s, referral discounts and/or just updates about the company will show your current customers that your business relationship doesn’t end after the sale. Whether you’re selling a consumer product or on-boarding new B2B clients, this is a crucial part of your marketing initiatives.
Another piece of email content that can help your customer as well as your business is a survey. Deliver surveys to collect data on your clients’ current challenges and personality. This allows you to understand their concerns through each step of your service and also gives your customers a chance to be heard.
As a result, you’ll be able to serve your customers better and they, in turn, will become much more invested in your products or services.
Your competitors are leaving the door open.
You’re not the only organization considering reducing marketing spend. Some of your competitors probably will and have already pulled the plug on it. So this truly gives you an opportunity to capitalize on lower cost advertising and increase your market share.
Need to figure out a way to best use your marketing budget? You know who to talk to ;)
Wanna learn more?