If marketing is the farthest thing from your mind during this pandemic, you’re not alone. Between the news (which is just never good), self-quarantining measures, working from home alongside your partner and kids, and keeping your business afloat—there’s just a lot going on. Maybe you’re just focused on weathering the storm and coming out on the other side in one piece. As a business owner or operator, however, this time of uncertainty is the perfect time to focus on growth, strategy, and most importantly, marketing.
Here’s why:
#1 Build Connections
Right now, we’re all drawn together by the shared experience of COVID-19. This is an opportunity to relate to your customers better than ever before, by reaching out with what they need, when they need it. If you don’t feel that your service is applicable to the needs of your customers right now, it may be worth re-evaluating your strategy. You don’t have to mention the pandemic explicitly to make this connection work, either—simply let your customers know how you can serve them right now with a quick email or social post.
#2 Reach a Captive Audience
Your customers are sitting at home scrolling through social media, surfing the internet, and reading the news. Screen time has reached an all-time high, and it’s up to us to take advantage of this opportunity. Focusing on your marketing efforts right now with strong content marketing strategies, social media updates, and increased ad budgets is a great way to reach this captive audience. If you aren’t utilizing a full suite of marketing services already, now may be the time to start.
#3 Break Through The Noise
You may have noticed that every brand in existence has been focusing on marketing during the pandemic. Your inbox is probably full of headlines like “In times like these…” and “Are you affected by COVID-19?”. It’s a lot. By focusing on the value you can bring to your audience instead of blatantly trying to take advantage of the situation, you have the opportunity to be memorable. Break through the marketing noise right now with timely, relevant information delivered with a service mindset. That’s how you get remembered long after the pandemic is over.
#4 Promote Your Pivot
Have you had to pivot your company’s services or strategy to reach our new, socially-distanced world? Let your customers know with an email campaign or focused advertising strategies. Even if you’ve gone to the trouble of reworking your services so that you can continue to operate, no one will know unless you tell them! So don’t be shy—ramp up your marketing once you’ve established your pivot and let your audience know how you can help them.
#5 Invest In Your Future
Let’s face it. At the end of this time of uncertainty, everything is going to go back to something like normal. A little wary, a little more hygiene-conscious, we’re all going to go back to work, back to the mall, and out into the world again. And when that day comes, you’ll have two choices:
- Start working on marketing your business again, right when everyone else does. You’ll be fighting for your customer’s attention right along with your competitors.
- Sit back and relax, since you got a three-month head start on your competitors. Your customers will have already made their choices and may have already contacted you and entered your sales process.
We know which one we’d prefer. Marketing during a pandemic might not be the first thing that you think of, but it’s a crucial investment in your company’s future after the dust settles.
In the end, this “pause” on our activities and the way we’re used to doing operating doesn’t have to stop you from growing your business. Powerful, mindful marketing through a crisis like this one can help you step up for those who need your services right now and puts you at the front of the pack when this is over. For the latest content to help you with growth, strategy, and marketing during this time, check out our new series Zig When They Zag: Resources to encourage a growth mindset in uncertain times.