The current Covid-19 global pandemic has taken everyone by storm, we are all feeling shocked and uneasy about what is going on in the world. We’re here to offer support to anyone who is struggling with their digital marketing at the moment. We understand that following government and health experts’ advice, many businesses have had to close up their physical locations, and are under a lot of pressure and anxiety following a steep downfall in revenue. We’d like to explain to you why now it is more important than ever to keep up online visibility, and if you have the resources for outside expert help then that will of course be highly beneficial at this time. If not, there are things you can work on yourself during this time that will still be of great help for your business in terms of branding and staying relevant. While business may have slowed down at the moment, due to the current uncertainty of the situation, soon e-commerce will begin to thrive and we want to help you make the best of a bad situation. The world is practicing social distancing, this means more digital media consumption than ever and in turn, digital marketing will be your main source of lead generation. Read on to find out how and why your business should be turning to digital platforms and digital marketing during the coronavirus epidemic.
- Go Digital/ E-Commerce Will Thrive
While some business owners now have to close up their offices and public locations, most of them also have the opportunity to either work from home or find a way to make their product / service available online. Moving your business online can mean live streaming an event you had planned, offering your service (fitness classes, counselling, teaching, etc) online via video platforms, or offering your products online by creating a website and practicing e-commerce. Online leads can be handled remotely. And online consultation can be scheduled via Skype, Zoom, Facetime and so on. As time goes on social distancing and reduced physical interaction will temporarily become a new way of life, but consumers will begin to buy again. E-commerce will most likely thrive in up-coming times since people will be avoiding public areas, and so this is a time to sit tight and make plans for how you can make your business shift successfully to a digital platform.
- Now Is The Time To Focus On Branding
Now is the time to focus on building your brand, and marketing is essential to this. Once the Covid-19 epidemic is over, and life resumes to the way it was, you want your business to be at the forefront of people’s minds. You may need to make expense cuts to get through the time ahead, and if you cannot afford outside help, there are some ways you can work on your digital marketing yourself. From moving your business online, you will naturally be saving money on bills, perhaps events that needed cancelling and perhaps from the need to lower your staff. Marketing is vital for a successful business, and there are ways to minimise costs such as focusing on organic digital marketing, some of which you can work on yourself if you’re not in a position to get expert help. It’s important to note that competitors will be taking advantage of their digital marketing and it’s important to keep up and follow suit, to not lose your hard earned visibility, and so it’s important to do everything you can to stay on top.
- Take Advantage Of Digital Marketing
Digital media consumption is at an all-time high and is only set to increase as more and more people understand the seriousness of the Covid-19 situation. Many are already practicing self-isolation and social distancing, and as the outbreak continues, a lot of people will be confined to their homes. Due to this, the use of social media platforms is only set to increase, with people having to turn to these platforms as their main channel of communication with friends, family, and the world. This means that businesses can benefit highly from social media advertising at this time. The use of online advertising, and organic social media posting is a major opportunity for brand awareness and brand building. Don’t forget that this situation is only temporary, and when the situation is put to rest, if you have kept up your online visibility and presented a strong online presence throughout it all- your business will thrive when this global crisis is over. Now that your audience is solely virtual, The online world is your go-to for lead generation and powering through this time is vital to produce any form of income.
- Review Your Strategy & Build Your Brand
Now that we all have all this extra time, isolating at home, it is the perfect opportunity to review your online marketing strategy, improve your presence and build your brand. This will give you an edge on competitors, and establish you as a strong business. Take this time to ensure you’re presenting yourself in the best way possible online.
Below are some factors to focus on in your new strategy.
– Website & SEO.
Take this time to upscale your current website, or create a new one if you need to. Fill your site with well-written, optimised content that will rank your site above competitors’. This is the perfect time to focus on content creation and producing strong evergreen content for SEO which can climb the rankings, bringing your business to the top of online search results. SEO takes time to work, and now you have nothing but time to give your site an opportunity to rank.
– Content Marketing.
Focus on content creation. Create a content calendar to stay on top of your stream of content, and be sure to post regular updates, press releases, and blogs that will be of interest to your audience. Or how about planning for or creating that brand awareness video that you always hoped to create but never got around to. Increase your blogging frequency, fresh content will allow for more organic SEO and help you rank higher. Now is the time!
– Social Media.
Stay in contact with your customers, engage with them and stay active. We’re living in the digital era, and with the coronavirus outbreak calling for home quarantine- your audience is wider than ever. Practice organic posting and make the most of paid social media campaigns, seeing as everyone is online. Utilise this! To minimise costs, focus solely on brand awareness campaigns with minimal budgets.
– Email Marketing
Practice email marketing to further reach your audience. Build up an email list by incentivising with a discount code for your product/service, and keep yourself in people’s minds with weekly emails of your latest offers or blog posts. Again, a lot of people will be using email to communicate with work or relatives, and so, emails have a higher chance of being seen.
We at Evolution Digital are experts in digital marketing strategy and implementation, and can fully provide all of the above and more for your business.
*More Tips To Get Your Business Through Covid-19
1.Offer Incentives To Enjoy Your Business Online
Offer free delivery to make up for the inconvenience of the situation, and encourage your customers and potential customers to buy from you online. Perhaps lower the cost or offer discounts for the lack of choice for a face to face service.
2. Diversify Your Service & Utilise This Time
Offer as much as you can. You now have the time to experiment with other business endeavours, as well as with your current business and how you can improve it and make it even more desirable.
3. Address The Situation
Be aware of what is going on, and inform your audience of the fact! Failing to acknowledge the situation paints you as ignorant. Let your audience know that you are taking precautions and doing your part in the prevention of spreading Covid-19. Closing up store locations, following safety procedures, etc, are necessary actions to take and be announced- so your business will be viewed as smart & safe.
4. Power Through
Don’t give up. As we have already mentioned- this is the time to adapt your business and grow. Make necessary changes, keep up your online visibility and presence, and your business will survive and will come out stronger in the long run.
In Conclusion
The coronavirus pandemic has had, and will continue to have, major impacts on the business world and the economy. We understand it is a tough time for many small businesses, and we are all struggling. Hopefully, there is a swift end to this unfortunate situation. In the meantime, we hope you take our advice and utilise digital marketing to keep your business above water, and hopefully keep it profitable. We encourage all to stay indoors as much as possible and follow the government and health professionals’ advice to practice excellent hygiene and social distancing.
To help struggling businesses, we’re offering free 15-minute phone consultations, where we will advise you on how best to proceed with your business and marketing efforts. Get in touch now, we’re here and happy to help.
