Digital Marketing during a Global Pandemic – 4 Tips to Consider
COVID-19 has turned our life upside down. From social distancing to constant hand washing to fear of getting sick, it has altered all of our lives in every possible way.
Things didn’t end there; our businesses have also suffered as retail sales dropped by 20%. Moreover, the unemployment rate has spiked by 6% in the first month. Even companies like Apple have closed down the stores resulting in fewer sales and income.
Although businesses are being cautious, it’s an ideal time to seize new online business and marketing opportunities. Long-term studies have suggested businesses should increase their marketing budget during economic uncertainty so that you have an advantage and don’t lag behind your competitors once the economy throttles back up.
Here are a few alterations you can make in your current digital marketing practices during a global pandemic:
Empathize with Your Customers and Each Other
Businesses can’t undermine the impact of COVID-19 on consumer behavior and attitudes. According to a recent survey, 76% of people have developed new daily habits during the global pandemic, and 89% plan to keep it.
Therefore, staying proactive on customer needs and changes in behavior is highly necessary for businesses to move forward and meet their customers where they are. They must empathize with their customers, and marketers can direct business owners to develop consumer understanding.
As business owners and marketers, you can offer free premium services, which will give you higher-paid customers in better economic times. Enhancing customer relations and satisfaction in times of need should increase your return when things stabilize.
Use Omnichannel to Suit Your Business Goal
The first step to leverage digital marketing strategies during a crisis is by redefining your business goal so that you can identify your brand’s unique offering. For instance, you might formulate a marketing campaign that rewards online shoppers and make the most of your omnichannel experience.
Although replicating conventional shopping is difficult, you can improvise it with personalized product recommendations, customized advertising, and special offers.
Improve Inbound Marketing
Are you prepared for the surge or fluctuation in online traffic? Instead of doing the guesswork, it’s best to test your entire inbound marketing plan. Take time to optimize and expand your SEO, enhance your website with new features, and add other visual resources such as graphics and videos.
To further help people find your business while staying at home. You can augment voice search results, improve geo-targeting, and enhance the quality of your content. Upgrading new information related to your approach for addressing COVID-19 can help you better connect with your audience and show that you take their health seriously.
Offer Educational Training
For a value-based rapport, you can offer learning opportunities to your audience as safety restrictions has given them time to invest in their professional growth. More and more people are looking for ways to upskill for increased opportunities and agility. It also helps them adapt to new changes and combat the ill-effects of the pandemic.
To stay relevant to your business sector, you can offer courses or educational materials that complement your product or offering. For instance, if you’re an online clothing brand, you can provide your customers blog content to clean stubborn stains, increase the life of clothing, or ways to reuse clothes creatively.
Digital Marketing and a Global Pandemic Summary
Undeniably, digital marketing helps businesses strive and grow at all times, but it has become all more important and effective during COVID-19. It allows businesses to develop stronger, more meaningful relationships with its clientele that can offer benefits for years to come. Hopefully the tips discussed will increase your business outreach despite the challenges you face and will create a lasting impression on your customers. So make the most out of it and enjoy years of loyalty!
