The deadly COVID-19 pandemic has left a large number of conventional businesses and methods of marketing obsolete. Businesses across the globe were left with no choice other than closing down or turning to digital marketing to stay afloat. However, organizations that were already employing digital marketing, faced negligible to no disruptions in their activities. That itself is a clear indicator of how lucrative the arena of digital marketing is and why ‘Going Digital’ will occupy a major room in the new normal.
Large corporates and small businesses have realized it alike that getting through these trying times requires some novel and quick adaptations. e-Commerce was already on a growth trajectory even before the outbreak, but the onset of the pandemic has given it some added momentum. With a robust and effective digital strategy, there sure is light at the end of the tunnel. Desperate times call for desperate measures and that is why finding creative ways to get past and survive the pandemic is more important than ever.
Here are 6 tips for businesses to survive during pandemic:
Re-align current marketing strategies
Consumer behaviour has made a monumental shift and so organizations have to identify ways to connect and satisfy a completely new set of expectations. People are spending a lot more time online but of course with a different mindset as compared to pre-pandemic. Posting content that is context and tone-appropriate is ideal. This is the best time for a brand to display its brand values- integrity, empathy, trustworthiness.
People are stuck at home and are tackling major uncertainties. Tactful branding and marketing campaigns can attract and engage these consumers, even if they do not have a purchase intent at the moment. Investing time and resources to identify ways to resolve their problems are easy ways to capture leads and boost sales. As a brand, understand people’s fears and frustrations, show empathy and accountability. These actions will definitely strengthen brand equity.
Upgrading communication channels
With more and more people getting online, not having adequate brand touchpoints increases the risk of losing customers. All sorts of questions and information are being searched online and even the slightest laid-back treatment to such queries can cost the brand a genuine sales ready customer. As a digital marketing agency in Dubai, we always recommend our clients to deploy chatbots on their websites and mitigate any such risks. Revisit and revise your current communication channels to fill out any gaps and establish foolproof methods.
Harnessing the power of digital marketing tools
Thriving during a crisis requires robust plans and social media marketing is a great place to begin. The increase we see in time that people are spending on social media platforms means you have an audience just waiting for something worth their time. All you got to do is go up and large on social with fresh, relevant, and shareable content that delivers value to your audience base. Pay per click or PPC marketing as it is commonly called is a great way to bring your brand out from the shadows. With PPC, you get to take control of the driver’s seat and customize campaigns to fit your exact needs and goals. One of the biggest benefits is the ease of tracking you get to have through Google analytics. Nothing remains in the grey area and you are assured to have absolute transparency on every penny you spend. Google paid search Ads through SEM or search engine marketing is one of the most important tools for any business. It lets you reach your customers instantly through optimized Ads based on their search intentions. Search Ads allow businesses to expose their brand name either in the ad’s headlines, description, display URL or extension links, thereby bringing about high brand awareness. Search engine optimization, SEO is yet another critical part of any successful marketing strategy. As an inbound marketing strategy, it works wonders in getting organic traffic. With a strong and competitive SEO strategy, you can expect an impressive ROI.
Focus on customer retention
Your existing customer base is your gold mine. They have made an investment in you and this is the time to build and develop communication strategies to strengthen customer relationships. Hammering your customers with sales offers seems like you are giving a deaf ear in the unprecedented pandemic situation. Instead, focus on reassuring your customers with loyalty programs, reward systems, personalization tactics, etc.
Revise new business development strategy
The time is overdue to equip your sales reps with virtual tools to conduct business as usual. It is not only a cost-effective solution for the long run but also erases geographical barriers that once might have been an expansion roadblock. If your product or service has the scope to be upgraded into an e-Commerce format, the time is now to get it implemented. Today’s preparation is tomorrow’s success. Continue to use technology to augment, not replace, people. Business leaders need to devise lockdown exit strategies to return to regularized modes as and when the severity of the pandemic eases. Making room for business model flexibility is crucial and allowing experimentation on scaling and KPI reforms will aid the adaptation process. The goal should be to build business resilience, one that stands the test of times to come.
Business Repositioning
While businesses are closing down or struggling to stay afloat by bringing in whatever sales they can right now, it is time to look within the organizational setup. Restructuring assets and resources to make the collateral losses minimal is vital more than ever. Repositioning businesses for growth during recovery requires offloading any peripheral overheads and absolute cost effectiveness in tactical necessities.
2020 will forever be that year that caused massive upheaval and uncertainty. Don’t wait for the resurgence of traditional marketing and business methods, instead think of setting up a sturdy digital marketing platform for your business. As the world has learned newer capabilities, the idea of ‘What can be done’ has been reframed. While you gear up to grab post-pandemic opportunities, we can help you to build a brand that will weather any storm.