So, COVID-19 has sent your business for a loop? We get it.
And now you have to pivot your marketing strategies? We totally get it.
And you just have no clue where to start? We sooooo get it.
And a lot of people are shouting at you to buy ads or do SEO? Oof, yeah we get that too.
Look, there are STILL a lot of unknowns out there about how COVID-19 will affect the business world as we know it. One thing we do know is that the show must go on. Somehow, some way the world will come into the new normal and we all, as humans and as businesses, will have to adjust how we operate in a market that may never be the same.
How different will the world be? We just have to wait and see. But you can be guaranteed that there will be effects on your business. So, how do we prepare for the unknown?
Our recommendation is to stick to marketing tactics that work. You know, the kind that don’t break your proverbial piggy bank, don’t ride with fads (we see you tiktok), and don’t just slap a band-aid on it (cough cough, ads, cough).
While we’re waiting to see what shape the world takes, we don’t have to reinvent the wheel. We can still keep the business rolling by focusing on content creation. Nothing mind-blowing here, just a friendly reminder that while fishermen (it sounds weird to say fisher-people) can’t fish, they repair their nets. In this case, your “net” is one or all of three of the digital ages’ most time-tested marketing forms.
Newsletters
One of the first successful marketing campaigns we saw personally during COVID came in the simple form of a newsletter. It was a small breakfast place with amazing food. The campaign was very simple, it basically said: “Hey, we’re cookin’ – if you’re eatin’. Open for pick-up. All our menu items are $9.99!”
And boy, did it do the trick. We ordered the next day and when we went to pick up our meal, there were dozens of carry out orders waiting along with ours. This café could have easily lost tens of thousands of dollars, but instead they sent out a newsletter that reached their fans and turned COVID into a win.
Never forget the power of a newsletter. And on that note, never forget the power of collecting emails. The more contacts you have for your email campaigns, the more effective your campaigns can be.
Blogs
Blogs have been the backbone of digital content for decades now. The main purpose of blogs is to drive traffic to your site with content-rich articles. But oftentimes businesses forget this or get too busy with the actual running of the business. In order to stay relevant as a business, your blogs have to stay relevant.
If you were searching for the best lawyer, would you go with the attorney who hasn’t posted a new blog since 2015, or the one who is staying up with the times and posting blogs about current events and contemporary subjects? We like relevancy and think it speaks to a brand’s status as a relatable business.
So, while you’re sitting around waiting for customers, write some blogs, or better yet, hire a team of professional content creators (cough, cough, us, cough) to create a content strategy for your company.
Social Media
Keep posting and keep engaging with your audience. Now is not the time to go silent. Post informative and engaging content. Post about how your team is grappling with the current state of the world. Just keep posting. But remember the 80/20 rule. 80% of the time you should be giving something to your audience: knowledge, insights, recommendations, a breath of fresh air. And 20% you can ask for something. Want to play it extra safe right now? Shoot for a 90/10 ratio.
We know we haven’t necessarily delivered earth-shattering news to you with this blog, but we hope that it served as a reminder to keep the content mill churning. It can’t ever stop or your business will stop.
Good luck out there. We’d love to hear from you about how COVID has affected your business and how you’ve evolved or adapted to confront the changes.