Digital Marketing in the Time of Coronavirus: How to Succeed

Marketing in our current situation can be difficult. Many businesses have been forced to focus on survival rather than growth. Some have even closed down as they have no means for remote business. Meanwhile, customers are sticking to necessities and avoiding unnecessary purchases. Don't let the bad news get you down. Here are some ways in which you can continue to work on the business through marketing means: 

Remote video tools 

The video conferencing industry is seeing a huge boom in business, including healthcare companies that apply this technology. At this time, most forms of communication have moved online. Within the healthcare industry, doctors and patients now rely on video chat. For a list of tools that offer remote work options, visit How to Manage Remote Workers.

Utilize organic reach

With frozen budgets leading to decreased ad spend, many marketers are moving to organic means such as blogging, social media, and email marketing. These tools allow the company to reach their audience in a personalized way. At this time, being human and showing compassion is more important than ever if you truly want to reach your audience. Focus on things like improving your Search Engine Optimization (SEO) so you appear as the number one result for the keyword of your choice.  Companies who invest in smart choices now will come out on top later.  

Digital ad spend paused

On the other hand, with less competition, there is an opportunity on ad platforms. Review your existing ads and ensure they are relevant to the times. It is also important to determine how your industry is affected by the pandemic. No amount of ads will bring in revenue if there is no demand for your product currently.    

Try something new

With big changes, many marketers have resorted to new methods. Now is the time to try blogging, content creation, or social media strategy. If you are traditionally a brick and mortar retailer, then ecommerce is a must. Some companies are seeing a huge surge in sales due to online shopping.  There are hundreds of platforms where you can easily set up an online shop within a week (Shopify, Wix, Squarespace, Wordpress).

Helping comes first

Position your company brand image

How you position your brand now and the choices you make can impact the company's long term reputation. Focus on building your long term brand image instead of short-term campaigns based around sales. When reaching out to your customers, address the situation, but do not constantly talk about the pandemic as that can distract or stress your audience and bring a negative light towards the content. 

Help your customers help you

Loyal consumers may want to support your business but must get something in return. That's why gift certificates are a great incentive to have customers invest in your company. Once the pandemic is over, they can use the certificate but the purchase will help keep your business afloat in the meantime. If you offer multiple products, try highlighting your basic models instead of premium, high cost ones. 

Look inwards

Marketing doesn't only apply to customers. In times of turmoil, employees are also looking for clarity. Corporate culture can be utilized as a part of marketing. 

Highlight human on social 

Social media platforms like Facebook have seen a reduction in ad spend but major increase in engagement. With social distancing in effect, people are relying on social media to connect. Now is a time to highlight the human elements of your business. Some ideas for you: how your company has transitioned to remote work, how your daily routine has changed, updates on business changes and the impact on customers. Especially with many marketing budgets shut down, organic reach is more important than ever. 

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