Marketing during the Coronavirus Downturn - Five things you should be doing for your business
When a downturn hits, the first things businesses usually cut is marketing. Rather than cutting activity all together, it's important to take this as an opportunity to pivot your marketing activities.
Think about it: for the first time we are potentially facing an environment where people are in lockdown (either enforced or voluntarily). Across the world, offices are shutting, hospitality venues are limited to the number of patrons at one time or closing altogether, public transport is like a ghost town and people are staying at home and practicing social distancing.
For us marketers, this leaves just one avenue to reach consumers: digitally.
The businesses that survive this are the ones that have pivoting to offering online services or some form of ecommerce offering.
I've been amazed at the businesses across that last week that have mobilised so rapidly, setting up online stores, webinars, online personal training, amazing deals and sales.
Yes consumer spending has tightened but some industries are booming. Look at businesses such as Hellofresh and Who Gives a Crap Toilet Paper. Now is their time to shine.
A friend of mine runs ads for an organic butcher that does online orders and delivery. She spent $120 on ads and sold over $15k worth of meat. INSANE!
Here's my advice to you to prepare your marketing activity during this Coronavirus downturn:
1) Look at your current business model and determine how you can pivot - can you offer online classes and webinars? Can you set up a quick online store with Shopify? Can you sign up to a meal delivery platform such as Menulog or Uber eats if you're in the hospitality industry? This is a time to look at opportunities rather than limitations.
2) If there is no way for you to offer your service or product in any way online, focus on adding value and building your audience.
This is not going to last forever. Those who persevere and produce regular, high-value content to continue engaging and building their audience are the ones that are going to boom post Corona. And remember: building your email list is KEY! If you are experiencing a very quiet period in your business, use this time as an opportunity to build your marketing assets, start that podcast you've been talking about for two years, finally build that membership site. This is the opportunity you've been waiting for to finally get work ON your business rather than in it. Embrace it and make the most of it.
3) Focus on your existing clientele.
Keep them happy, be accommodating and work hard to retain your existing client base.
Think about sending out personalised, targeted messages to existing customers. Check in on how they are doing, keep that relationship going and if clients do drop off, part amicably. This is a challenging time for everyone and once this passes, there will be an opportunity to rekindle your relationship. Don't burn bridges!
4) Let's get visible, visible! (did you just sing that in your head like I did?)
The Mere Exposure Effect is the marketing phenomenon by which consumers develop a preference for your products or services merely because they are familiar with them. Now is the time to explore low cost techniques that will keep your brand visible in front of potential clients on a steady basis. It may feel counter-intuitive, but setting aside an advertising budget for keeping your brand visible will deliver long term benefits. Focus on creating high quality content that is going to get shared, and reduce your budget for generating low value, low impact content. Cut any ad spend that is going out to print or radio mediums and switch your spending towards brand awareness campaigns on social media to stay top of mind.
Update your evergreen content. Your business has an archive of perennially relevant, interesting content that does not become dated and is still of value to your customers… and the search engines. Revisit your content, update it, give it a spring clean, with the objective of improving your rankings in the search engines. I've just done this for our FREE resources including our digital marketing jargon buster, our 6 essential tools to market your business online course and 4 templates to get more reviews online.
Social proof and post positive stories about your business. Revisit how you are using your case studies, recommendations and reviews at every touchpoint in your marketing, and take the time to weave this content throughout your website and share actively on social media.
5) Use this time as an opportunity to get all your ducks in a row:
Make sure your Google business listing is up to date
Upskill - check out Udemy or our free trainings
Make sure your Google analytics is set up correctly
Make sure the Facebook pixel is installed on your website
Do a social media audit and ensure all your profiles are up to date. Freshen up your cover images.
Go through your website with a fine-tooth comb. Update any old content, add new content and think about the user experience and how people move through your website.
Set up an email list or software and start building it! I love Active Campaign.
Remember, this will not last forever. When it comes to your marketing, think long-term. Continue to build your audience, stay visible and this too shall pass. Here's to coming out the other side stronger than ever.