Are you a small business owner? If so, the spread of COVID-19 has mostly likely created havoc on both your life and business. The SHRM study reveals 62% of small companies have witnessed a decrease in revenue after the pandemic attack. It created a change in the cash-flow, and many businesses now need to modify their business processes, including their marketing strategies.
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Marketing During A Pandemic – Guidelines By Bradley J Beman
The pandemic has modified the way customers and business owners function. Which in turn has brought about a new normal. Bradley J Beman, an entrepreneur, states that most business owners want to leverage their marketing activities during COVID-19 and keep their business afloat. For this, the following tactics are useful:
Customer Reassurance
Your customers are your biggest supporters. With uncertainty around, it is important to reassure them that you are still available and ready to help. Emphasize that your brand is still here and will continue stay. How can you do this, you may ask? The simplest way is by letting your customers know how your business is responding to the pandemic. For this you can:
- Send the email updates
- Add data in consumer accounts
- Post daily on social media
If you follow these strategies, your customers will appreciate the updates and the sensitivity shown.
Get Social
Social media had a strong impact even before the pandemic. The number of people on social media is expanding at a fast pace. When you want to market your small business during COVID-19, social media engagements and interactions will reign supreme. If you’re going to market your business socially, you can:
- Create an online contest
- Post useful content frequently
- Either join in or start a conversation
- Provide limited and special offers
- Leverage paid advertisements and sponsored posts
- Keep customers updated with crucial information and changes
Social media is an excellent way to generate a buzz about your small business. It is inexpensive and helps you to connect with a broad customer base promptly.
Creativity
Small businesses can no longer rely on their previous marketing ways. You instead have to take calculated risks and get creative with your marketing strategies. You should make sure that your products and services stand out from other players in the similar field while avoiding aggressive marketing tactics.
An intelligent way to begin is to ask your customers about their issues and what kind of service they expect from you. You can highlight your brand offerings and promote your services and products. Also, providing online seminars, workshops, or having customer and brand engagement sessions to understand your audience’s needs better can help you improve.
It’s also essential to have faith in your marketing strategies, or else you won’t be able to attract the customers you want during such testing times.
Enhance Online Visibility
The pandemic is making people stay at home to maintain social distancing norms. Now is the time when small business brands should focus on their online presence. When you have strong online visibility, you can draw in new customers. Customers and online viewers are continually looking for the latest content and updates. When you level up your social media networking game, you can reach out to customers who you couldn’t otherwise because of the lockdown. These new online viewers can become curious to know more about your brand. Once you provide them with detailed information, they might become loyal customers as well. Small business owners need to work keeping this possibility in mind.
The global pandemic made online searches increase between 50% and 70%. Leverage this trend and:
- Generate valuable content
- Optimize business websites
- Enhance the user experience
- Add keywords to web pages
- Get engaged in online forums and communities
Virtual relationships
Fostering a strong brand and customer bond needs work through careful planning. Small businesses can strengthen their customer relationships virtually, promote their brand, and market their products during the pandemic. It is best to put yourself in the customer’s shoes. This will help you see the services and products they expect from you. For better communication, you can opt-in for Instagram or Facebook live sessions once a week to connect with your customers and listen to what they have to say.
Additionally, you can create video content based on the audience’s main points and ask for their responses and reviews. One of the best ways to enhance customer bonds virtually is to say yes to user-generated content.
When you are communicating with your audience, take an honest and conversational tone. Lastly, being empathetic towards customer requirements can help you get through these trying times.