Since the COVID pandemic began, life has changed in a number of ways. Not only have individuals become more mindful of where they shop or travel, but businesses were required to revamp their day-to-day efforts as well. This applies to work that every digital marketing company is responsible for, too. How, exactly, have these companies shifted their efforts so that they can continue to help small and large businesses with their promotional endeavors?
It’s important to note that there is no one size fits all strategy that applies to digital marketing. Case and point, while one company may prioritize SEO as a marketing service, another company may look to web design to facilitate a better user experience. Regardless, there are numerous do’s and don’ts of digital marketing as they relate to the current COVID pandemic. Here are just a few that will help companies navigate the waters, ensuring better results in this uncertain time.
DO’S
Focus on Digital Media – While this should have been a priority pre-COVID, it’s more important than ever before to prioritize digital media. Any social media agency will agree that different platforms should be used to stay connected to consumers. Facebook, LinkedIn, and other social networking platforms are essential for this purpose. Businesses must also be mindful of their consumers’ activity, whether in regard to website navigation or purchasing habits, just to name a few examples. As traditional brick and mortar became heavily impacted by COVID, a shift to digital media has proven to be nothing short of advantageous.
Utilize Gentler Marketing – In the current COVID pandemic, it behooves companies to serve as resources for their consumers. To this end, marketing strategies must shift to be gentler in sentiment. For example, if a company has a content calendar set where most posts are focused on sales, unused posts should be revised to emphasize consumer needs. Consumers should be provided with value that relates to the company, whether it’s real estate insight from a broker, fitness tips from a personal trainer, or recipes from an experienced chef. Gentler marketing plays a pivotal role in marketing during COVID.
Strengthen Consumer Relationships – As consumers will undoubtedly feel stressed or concerned about the future, businesses may want to strengthen relationships with them in different ways. If a user signed up for a newsletter months ago, this could serve as an opportunity to provide them with an encouraging sentiment. The same can be said for other user-focused content, such as through text messages and social media. “We’re all in this together” has been a common phrase since the COVID pandemic began. Through the actions that bolster bonds, the phrase in question has never been truer.
DON’TS
Be Careless with Content – Businesses may wonder which rules to follow when it comes to content, especially in the visual sense. In terms of photos, crowded areas and situations where large numbers of people are close to each other should be avoided. This will reinforce the COVID pandemic, resulting in content that feels uninvited. Furthermore, certain colors should be prioritized over another. Calming hues, such as blue and purple, are recommended for the purpose of fostering welcome atmospheres. This level of care shouldn’t be ignored during the content creation process.
Overlook Consumer Expenses – This is especially true if consumers pay for services that they no longer have access to. Case and point, when Planet Fitness shut down locations due to COVID, they paused payments. This was a smart business move that served different purposes. In addition to helping existing customers save money, it reinforced and built trust with them. The same logic can apply to any service-based company that has either reduced or halted day-to-day services. By overlooking expenses such as these, recovery from COVID will be rendered needlessly difficult, as the aforementioned trust won’t be nearly as solid.
Take Advantage of COVID – The idea of taking advantage of the COVID pandemic relates back to the idea of gentler marketing. There is a difference between providing consumers with information and using the current circumstances in a self-serving, manipulative fashion. At the very most, this will provide short-term gains that accompany long-term losses. Once the pandemic in question passes, consumers will remember the companies that prioritized people and the ones that focused solely on business endeavors. Once again, providing value to consumers is recommended during COVID; anything exploitative is likely to be frowned upon.
Digital marketing during COVID may seem like a challenge, but these do’s and don’ts will provide companies with a foundation to work from. From content that’s disseminated to approaches that business owners take, every action matters. For a better understanding of how to go about advertising, not only during COVID but in the long term, consult a local digital marketing agency. They will guide every facet of marketing, including social media management, SEO, and branding.
