Almost one-third of the world’s population has to stay home as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic. The implications of this for many brands is that they are on the verge of collapse. With a rise in the number of infections, there is no date for possible relief and return to normal life.
Economists are predicting trillions of dollars will be lost in one of the world’s worst recessions. These are very disturbing times to be trying to market your brand, but there is hope for brands that embrace digital marketing. With about 3 billion people at home all over the globe, the online world is certainly not under lockdown and this is something to celebrate.
With the following strategies, a brand can remain afloat despite the stormy waves the world economy is facing.
Leverage Local SEO
Now more than ever, people are searching for services and products near them. Despite the lockdown, they still have needs that they try to meet, but they would rather go to a business that is just around the corner than risk traveling miles away from home.
Optimizing your site for local search is not expensive and yet the returns can be really great. There is more traffic from searches for places “near me” and a business can take advantage of this to be visible to people within the area of its operation.
This though doesn’t come without responsibility. Being found and receiving an order is not the end of the story. Businesses need to provide impressive service. Remember that one of the ways you get ranked highly is if you have good reviews. If you are serving people with customer satisfaction in mind, you will get good reviews and that is likely to attract more people to your business.
Reach out on Email
Email marketing has never been dead and it certainly isn’t dead now. You probably have some existing clients who were usually too busy to read the entire newsletters you would send. Now, however, they are at home with time on their hands. This is the perfect time to engage with those clients, talk to them and listen to their feedback. Emails and a personal touch to communication between a brand and its clients.
You can use this avenue to build trust in your brand, share useful content with a wide range of people and cement the friendship you have. Email can build brand loyalty if used correctly.
Embrace Exposure on Social Media
The Coronavirus has forced people to take on a practice that is not human nature. Social distancing is not the way humans live, but for the sake of bringing an end to the pandemic, people are staying at home. However, they are hungry for social interaction and that is why there is an increase in social media usage. You may have noticed a friend who has been dormant on social media becoming very active in these past weeks. That is a trend right now and you should use it to your advantage in the following ways:
- Social media is where discussions are going on and you need to make your brand part of the conversation
- Try starting up a campaign that will help people pull through this difficult situation
- Make special offers that they would be interested in right now or even after all this is over.
This is a chance to be visible and to interact with clients in a less formal setting.
Boost Your Website SERP Ranking
There are a lot of idle people with free time to spend online, this is an opportunity to attract their attention. Some of your competitors may have taken their foot off the SEO pedal but for you, this is a chance to step on it even more.
It is probably easier to rank favorably in search results right now because there is less competition. Follow all the guidelines for effective SEO and watch as your site improves. Remember, this ranking will not just disappear when things return to normal so the gains you make now will carry forward even to the time when the lockdown comes to an end.
Do Not Ignore Pay Per Click Advertising
You might be thinking it is crazy to think of advertising at such a time, but the truth is this might be the best time. Think of it, your target is online with more attention to spare than ever before. Why not get your brand right in front of their eyes? It’s not a guarantee that they will make a purchase right then, but the seed has been planted, at a later time, when they think of that product or service, it is your brand that will come to mind and they will be willing to buy from you.
In Conclusion
These are hard times we find ourselves in. COVID-19 has changed a lot of things in our lives, but we need to be positive it will come to an end and we can soldier on. Now is the best time to ensure business continuity by taking advantage of digital marketing and keep your business in front of your prospective customers staying at home.
Very interesting insights! I would like to thank you for all this valuable information. All I need about digital marketing during this covid19 pandemic.