Digital marketing has never been more aggressive especially now that the majority of the people are all on the internet. With the lack of face-to-face interactions, businesses and other social engagements turn to different online platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and other popular media forms to connect.
It’s no denying that the year 2020 came as an unpleasant surprise to all of us, and to say that the world was overwhelmed by the immediate changes it brought to countless lives is an understatement. To say the least, people foresaw that the year 2021 and the coming year, 2022 would be somewhat the same. Hopes of returning to the “old normal” seem too far-fetched right now.
Nevertheless, marketers have turned the pandemic into a learning experience on how to improve their overall social media presence. Basically, marketers have found a way to redefine digital marketing amidst a pandemic. Right now, you might be wondering, what new tricks are up digital marketing’s sleeves. Here, we’re going to share smart and useful techniques on how you can up your marketing game a notch in the #NewNormal.
Importance of marketing during Covid-19
The world is at a standstill, lives are on pause, people are taking breaks, why shouldn’t my business do the same? Simple, rain or shine, pandemic outbreak or not, your business and the loyalty of your customers will depend on how you respond to dire situations such as this. As they say, it’s adapt or die when you’re doing business in a fast-paced world.
According to Forbes, continuing (or improving) your marketing efforts can greatly benefit your business in terms of:
- Getting ahead of your competitors
- Learning more about your audience (different circumstances can bring out new things)
- Strengthening business relationships online
- Planning for success (post-coronavirus)
There are two ways on how you can view this pandemic roadblock. Either, you could see it as a hindrance to success, or as an opportunity to be more assertive and strategic. Now is the time for you to put yourself in the shoes of your customers to make better marketing strategies. Here, we’ll be sharing a few tips and tricks on how you could do just that.
1. Reassure Your Customers
Don’t lose any customers! Remember, you owe your success to them. During uncertain times, it’s important for you to reassure your customers that the business is doing well and you are taking steps on how to deliver despite the trying times. Here are ways on how you can do it:
- Send out email updates
- Post regularly on social media
- Add information in customer accounts (e.g., on the dashboard)
In return, your customers will definitely appreciate the updates and your sensitivity towards the situation. Trust us when we say that this will leave a pleasant impact on your audiences.
2. Get Creative
When almost half of the world is at home and online, there is no better time than now to start thinking of new and inventive ways to market your services or products. Trust us when we say those old marketing tactics might not work as they used to.
To be frank, try not to fall into your previous marketing strategies. Remember that the online platform can be anyone’s stage as long as you got wifi. Ideas will be all over the place, now, what you have to do is do them better.
Standing out has never been more important than now. If you come up with hot original content, you might just win over the pandemic since this will attract new customers. And new customers equal a booming business at the time of a pandemic. Not a bad win huh?
Ways on how you can promote your business online:
- Care kits are in! Send your loyal customers cute things that correlate to your branding. It doesn’t necessarily need to be big. A small token can go a long way.
- Host a live online selling
- Give irresistible promos!
- Hold seminars
- Try TikTok!
We’re not saying it’s going to be easy, but the best way to tackle this is to simply have fun with your content. Brainstorming with a team can help. The more rains, the more ideas! Here’s what you should think about:
- What will attract your customers
- What kind of trends are they into
- What will make them buy your products and services online
- Witty words, captions, and graphics
- Engaging post contents
These are a few ways to fire up your social media! So get some eggs cracking and bake some amazing ideas.
3. Kick Things Up On Social
We’ve been in the Covid-19 spectrum for quite some time now. And one thing we noticed is that there is no better way to promote your business than during a pandemic. According to Forbes, the Covid-19 virus actually pushed internet users to a whopping 70%. That means millions of people are looking for something online, whether it be for entertainment, online classes, or for content purposes.
If there’s a perfect time to kick start online marketing strategies, it’s right now. This is the time to showcase what you offer and what you can do via beautifully crafted posts and captions. There are three key things you have to remember when you’re on social media, be active, be social, and be relevant. Here are a few things you can do:
- Start or join conversations
- Utilize sponsored posts or paid advertisements
- Post more frequently
- Have an online contest (e.g., share for a chance to win X)
- Keep your customers in the loop with store updates
- Promote special or limited-time offerings
4. Build Relationships Virtually
Sounds easy enough? To be honest, building relationships online are actually more difficult rather than in person. Remember, to build relationships, you need to have a foundation of trust and mutual respect. Building those relationships using an online platform… let’s just say it’s not the most ideal. But it can be done.
Put yourself in the shoes of your consumers and ask:
- What would my audience want to hear from a business?
- How would they feel when they read this marketing material?
- What would they want to see?
The key thing to remember when building relationships online is to have open and honest conversations. Make your business approachable. Also, keep in mind that this is marketing amidst a pandemic. Therefore, talk to your customers with genuine empathy.
5. Improve Your Online Presence
Take advantage of free time (when it presents itself). Do the research and do the analysis. Look at your social media pages (or your websites) and look for areas that you can improve on. This is going to help you have a stronger online presence. Once you do this, it can prove to be an advantage to attract new customers. Here’s what you can do to boost your online presence:
- Optimize your business website for mobile
- Create valuable content
- Do some SEO research
- Incorporate keywords on your website pages
- Engage in online communities and forums
- Improve user experience
Once you hit all of these goals, your business will no doubt be thriving despite a pandemic in our midst. Keep in mind, once you’ve already pulled off these strategies, doesn’t mean you should stop. If we’re living in a fast-paced world, the internet is twice as fast. Continue innovating your social media and jump in to new trends!
If you want to know more about how you can boost your business online, check out our feed and click a topic that interests you!
