by Usman Sheikh3 Things Marketers Can Do With The Covid-19 Pandemic
3 Things Marketers Can Do With The Covid-19 Pandemic
There really is a lot going on these days with the world-wide pandemic that has put much of the world at a standstill. Industries and countries have been impacted. The global economy is going towards a recession and it does not look like it will let up anytime soon.
Even in this bleak picture, marketers can do a lot to help build and deliver on a brand. In fact, we would argue that it is even more imperative to work towards connecting with your audiences with the right message and using the right mediums. Yes, face-to-face interaction is limited- but it does not mean all channels to connect with your customers, fans, followers, and prospects are closed off. Customers will look to your brand for guidance, engagement at this time.
So here are three things we recommend that marketers can be doing in the COVID-19 crisis:
Don’t Stop Being Marketers
Let’s begin by looking at a dictionary definition of the word “marketing” so we are all on the same page:
Some words that pop out here – promoting, selling, research and advertising. Can those still be achieved in today’s environment?
They certainly can!
Even though the economy is taking a big hit and safety and health is on everyone’s minds, does not mean that businesses should simply give up and stop functioning. Then why should marketing stop? In fact, as good marketers, we owe it to our customers, prospects, fans, and followers to provide additional guidance on how this pandemic is impacting their business and what they will do to help. People are looking for guidance here. These are unchartered waters. They have time on their hands and a lot of anxiety and uncertainty.
Uncertainty + Time makes for a great opportunity to engage with your brand followers and customers. Become a beacon in the industry of relevant information on the things that are happening to help curb the spread of the virus.
There is a lot that can be done to communicate to your prospect what you are doing as a brand, how you are affected and what you are contributing to society to help in these crazy times.
Share Good News
There are a ton of scary stories being published as of late. People are anxious and scared. People need hope.
At the same time, in every industry, in every country and community, good things are happening. People are helping each other. Companies and brands stepping up to go above and beyond to help.
These stories need to be told. Brands and marketers can help with this.
Are there any heroes that are worthy of mention? Are there any deliberate steps the company is taking to ensure everyone is healthy? Safe? Secure?
Share the news, spread the word. It will not only help the brand – but it will show others that there is hope and that if we stick together, we can survive this crisis.
There are a lot of mediums that can be used to share this news:
- Social Media is the safest bet. A tweet or a post can go a long way in getting the message out. Create content and share often
- Email marketing: Share the company initiatives underway to help out with this crisis to all stakeholders involved.
- Blog about it. Publish and promote the blog via social, email and or ads.
- Hold Press conferences and interviews.
0 Journalists are hungry for anything related to COVID-19. They want to see how companies and brands are stepping up to support their employees and local communities - Share on YouTube information sessions for employees.
o Creating 30 seconds to 1-minute video series (while still ensuring that Social Distancing is in place) that tackle a topic, initiative, community, employee on this crisis and what is being done to help goes a long way
These are some of the simplest, tried and tested ways that brands can use to get the word out. Important thing is to be genuine and yourself.
If the resources are there, you can do all of those things and more. If not, start with one and really stick to it. Or a combination of the above works as well.
It is imperative that the brands don’t take this opportunity to create initiatives and very “salesy”. It’s about being authentic and really just broadcasting what good others are doing vs. doing good for the sake of broadcasting.
Invest In Your Brand
Given most businesses are working from home and everything can be done virtually. Now is a great time to conduct additional research or do a new design and plan for your next campaign. You can do a redesign of your website. Start your SEO campaign if you have been holding it off as it takes time to get traction with it anyways.
Most of the larger projects that are associated with the brand-building can take weeks to months. These can be initiated now that offline marketing events are not happening. Reach out to your digital marketing partners to initiate those discussions and understand your options better.
Closing Thoughts
Your employees, vendors, and customers still need to believe your brand is strong and vibrant. As marketers, it is in times like these we need to continue doing what we do best. Work with engaging the target audience, build on the brand and really get the message out. This means thinking outside the box instead of trying to wait it out and lose this opportunity for your brand to stand out.
People are more online now than before because of this pandemic.
Most coding, SEO campaigns, optimization, social media designs and or online ad campaigns happen remotely these days anyways. Given the budget is there, and people have time – this makes for an opportunity to showcase your brand as a thought leader in the industry.
Don’t stop being marketers. Continue to reach, engage and connect with your customer. They are looking for it now more than ever.
Make every impression count.
Have we missed anything you think should be added to this blog? Reach out or add your thoughts to the comments section.
From a start-up helping local small businesses, over a span of 5 years, Usman has built Web Worx Labs to be a leading provider of digital marketing solutions that employs 15+ full-time employees and has customers in over 30 countries.
Outside of work and his passion for all things digital, Usman is a proud father of three, loves running and is an avid reader.
Follow Usman on LinkedIn or Twitter as he is always sharing tips on strategy, branding, marketing and analytics.