Post Pandemic Marketing Strategies Corona virus is an unusual public health crisis that is quickly becoming an unprecedented economic crisis. With the country on an indefinite lockdown we’re all going to need to figure out how to do business in difficult and unfamiliar circumstances.
In response to the global coronavirus pandemic, the UK government has asked everyone who can to work from home to do so. Some businesses have been closed down completely by these restrictions, while others have had an easier transition to remote working. But no business is unaffected ,Post Pandemic Marketing Strategies.
Right now, business owners are focused on looking after their people, communicating with their customers and working out how to access government support. But with no end date for the lockdown, one thing is clear: This is not a short, sharp, shock. We can’t just wait this out ,Post Pandemic Marketing Strategies.
To survive, businesses will need to adapt. They’ll need to find new ways to operate, new ways to offer value and new ways to find, engage and sell to their customers.
Content marketing is already playing a crucial role as businesses tackle this unique set of circumstances. And that will continue as we all come to terms with our new reality.
1. Take advantage of free help and support
Post Pandemic Marketing Strategies ,the UK government has unveiled a package of financial support for businesses, with more announcements likely to follow ,free help is also on hand for your content marketing activity during this difficult period.
Facebook offers the biggest reach for promoting content of any social media platform. The company is offering $100 million in grants and ad credits to small businesses ,Post Pandemic Marketing Strategies
And if you plan to start running webinars or promoting online training sessions during the lockdown, Google announced that it will unlock premium features on the excellent Hangouts Meet.
For more ideas on what big tech could do to help, this article by Rand Fishkin is well worth a read.
2. Create your own Coronavirus Content Hub
Post Pandemic Marketing Strategies ,Email is going to be an important part of your coronavirus marketing and comms strategy, but right now it’s difficult to be heard above the noise.
Your own inbox will tell you that brands are falling over themselves to update you on what they’re doing during the crisis. There are some great examples in this Slate article ,we recommend creating a dedicated landing page on your website to act as a content hub for everything coronavirus-related.
How much content you put out will depend on the nature of your business, but the key is to put it all in one place and make it easy to find from your homepage ,Post Pandemic Marketing Strategies.
This means your customers can get the information they need from you when they need it.
3. Find logical connections to trending topics
Post Pandemic Marketing Strategies ,As well as content that relates directly to coronavirus, think about the other topics and stories that are trending right now.
Agile brands that can create content to meet spikes in demand always have an excellent opportunity to connect with a new audience and build strong, long-lasting relationships.
As well as agility, you will also need good judgement here. The two key questions to ask before you create content on a hot topic are:
- Do we have the credibility or authority to add value on this topic? Make sure it’s a natural, logical fit for your brand.
- Is it appropriate? Afterall, this is first and foremost a public health crisis.
4. Offer real value now for more sales later
Post Pandemic Marketing Strategies ,you might decide that sales have to take a backseat in the short-term. Or maybe your customers decide that for you.
Either way, content marketing can help you build relationships now that will bring sales once confidence and demand returns.
The training sessions are free now when buying SEO software is probably not top priority for most people.
But anyone doing these training sessions during the lockdown is going to have a stronger affinity towards the MOZ brand and will be much more likely to become a paying customer in the future ,Post Pandemic Marketing Strategies.
And “the future” doesn’t necessarily mean waiting for a coronavirus vaccine. After the initial shock, businesses and individuals will buy again during this lockdown period.
5. Show your audience that you’re open for business
Post Pandemic Marketing Strategies ,great content gets cut through even during an unprecedented global crisis.
This recent LinkedIn post from Ahrefs (worth following if you work in digital marketing) shows that demand for relevant, useful, not-coronavirus-related content remains strong.
Likes, comments and shares on this post are broadly the same as on pre-lockdown posts.
Your audience still wants content that adds value. And continuing to create and share content for search, social media and email during this crisis is an excellent way to show your customers that you’re still here ,Post Pandemic Marketing Strategies.
6. Invest in 10x content ahead of the recovery
One of the benefits of working remotely is fewer interruptions (or at least fewer work-related interruptions) and the head space to think longer-term.
Post Pandemic Marketing Strategies ,right now we’re working with a number of our clients in the B2B space on big, in-depth eBooks and other high-value content assets ,Content like this is what you build a whole campaign around. And you can re-use, recycle and repackage it for different channels.
As well as the time to collaborate on gold standard, 10x content, remote working is likely to mean that your audience has the time and inclination to consume it ,Post Pandemic Marketing Strategies.
But it also has a long shelf-life, so if you decide to sit on this content for a while before you publish it, you don’t have to worry about it dating.
7. Experiment with new formats to replace events
Even before public gatherings were banned by the government, a lot of brands had already taken the decision to cancel their events ,In a lot of cases, these events have now switched to live streaming or webinars.
From a content marketing standpoint, webinars have a lot of advantages, such as the ability to run email drips to attendees.
But have a think about how you can mix up the format because differentiating your video or webinar content is going to be a big challenge as more and more brands do it.
You can, for example, cut your footage with custom animations rather than just talk over a slide deck. Or you can try this whiteboard format, which stands out really well in social media feeds.
8. Re-optimise content you’ve already created
Post Pandemic Marketing Strategies ,If you’re worried about your new content getting buried by the 24-hour coronavirus coverage, invest some time and effort in improving content you already have.
Re-optimising blogs and landing pages that rank in search but not in positions that drive traffic to your site is one of the best ways to show content marketing ROI.
The coronavirus lockdown is the ideal time to audit your content and get started on a big re-optimisation project.
This will ensure that your content ranks for keywords that matter when demand for your products and services bounces back ,You can download our content re-optimisation guide (featured on MOZ) here ,Post Pandemic Marketing Strategies.
9. Negotiate with event organisers before you cancel
Post Pandemic Marketing Strategies ,Just like the financial crisis in 2008, coronavirus has reminded us that we live and work in a fragile ecosystem ,If individuals and businesses stop buying and stop paying their bills, the economy will grind to a halt and we’ll be in a global depression long after the quarantine has lifted.
It’s natural and right for businesses to think of their own survival, but we also need to work together ,so if you were planning to go to a trade show or exhibition, see what else the organisers have to offer before you cancel and take a refund.
Access to a delegate list or a digital content partnership could offer real value for you and help event businesses survive the lockdown ,Post Pandemic Marketing Strategies.
10. Audit your strategy to bounce back stronger
Post Pandemic Marketing Strategies ,the Content Marketing Institute (CMI) has identified a strong correlation between brands that have a documented content marketing strategy and brands that enjoy content marketing success.
Demand is going to rebound, and you want to make sure you’re ahead of the competition when it does.
Now is the time to audit your strategy and ensure you have the foundation in place to find and engage your target audience during and after this crisis ,Post Pandemic Marketing Strategies.
If you don’t have a content marketing strategy, write one during the lockdown. If you do, give it a thorough audit.
One thing a lot of strategies lack is buyer personas. It’s a really useful exercise to create avatars for key segments of your target audience and identify the problems they have that you can solve ,Post Pandemic Marketing Strategies.
Stay healthy, stay positive and keep going
COVID-19 is creating challenges for businesses all over the world. But remember that this situation is temporary. The important thing now is to stick together – from a distance – and ensure you’re providing value to your audience.
Stay healthy, stay positive and keep your content marketing efforts going, even if that means making adjustments to your strategy.
11. Focus on the customers you already have
If you are struggling to bring in new customers, try focusing more on the ones you already have or who are still with you despite the economic downturn ,Post Pandemic Marketing Strategies.
In addition to creating services and ad campaigns to target their new needs, you may also want to issue refunds to clients who had prepaid memberships or were on auto-pay during the lockdown period. While this could hurt your cashflow for the short term, the money you give back will most likely come back to you tenfold when the economy restabilizes and your now loyal customers are ready to start buying again.
Neil Patel, for example, started to offer his premium UberSuggest features with the free version. But while he saw a decrease in free trial signups, he did see an outpouring of appreciation from dozens of people within the industry, emailing and thanking him, and some even buying the paid plan as a gesture of their gratitude ,Post Pandemic Marketing Strategies.
Also, while he did not see more money coming in, he DID see more traffic coming in.
The point is, look out for your customers, clients, and coworkers when times are tough and unemployment rates are high. They will thank you for it in some way or another. And you will likely see growth in other areas such as customer loyalty, brand awareness, organic traffic, social media engagement, and maybe even new prospects ,Post Pandemic Marketing Strategies.
12. Move everything online
Post Pandemic Marketing Strategies ,with the lockdowns and travel restrictions of the pandemic, it’s no surprise that everything is shifting online. Scott Jones, the CEO of 123 Internet Group told Forbes that they have seen a spike in companies who want to create or update websites, create new social media campaigns focused on home-based workers, and focus more on ecommerce trends and channels.
Post Pandemic Marketing Strategies ,now is the time to increase your online presence. You likely already have some of your business functions online (perhaps you’re using one of these 64 affordable online marketing tools) but the pandemic has shown us just how much more we can do online.
Post Pandemic Marketing Strategies ,for example, you could automate your email communication or even your services. iNECTA, a cloud ERP software for the food industry now allows customers to receive merchandise, track lots, create invoices, and manage their food business all through a tool that is 100% online.
The same goes for something as basic as online classes. Preply, a language learning company, saw a spike in sales after COVID-19 because they were ahead in the game. No matter what industry you are in, there are always more things you can take online, and having those capabilities will help to set you apart from your competitors and stand out to potential customers ,Post Pandemic Marketing Strategies.
A couple of ideas on what this might look like:
- Investing in a good customer relationship management (CRM) software.
- Hosting informative webinars to build trust and attract new customers, or even to employees to take their skills up a notch.
- Supporting your employees’ work-from-home needs.
The bottom line is, the more processes you can bring online, the more you can stay engaged with your customers and employees, which is crucial for a business to stay resilient and thrive.
13. Invest in Facebook ads
Post Pandemic Marketing Strategies ,as more people spend time at home and on social media, the ROI on PPC ads in many industries has skyrocketed. This is a good way to remind people that your business is alive and well and that you aim to be a very significant part of the ‘new normal’.
Facebook ads in particular are quite affordable—even for local businesses—and can help you showcase any changes you have made to your business or any COVID-19-exclusive discounts or promotions you might be offering. Online ads have always been engaging, affordable, and well targeted, but now more than ever before, they offer you the ability to truly scale your business.
With Facebook’s granular audience targeting capabilities, you can reach customers based on gender, location, hobbies and interest, marital status, profession, and the list goes on ,to see all of Facebook’s ad targeting options, check out our epic infographic here ,Post Pandemic Marketing Strategies.
The pandemic has also lowered the CPM (cost per thousand impressions) on ads since companies do not have a very big marketing budget to play around with. This is a good time to invest in a good Facebook ads strategy that can serve as an affordable way to bring in leads and sales that will help you make more money.
Post Pandemic Marketing Strategies ,Advertising messages are most effective when they are consistent and repeated. Which is what makes Facebook retargeting another strategy to try during/after the COVID-19 pandemic. With retargeting, you target your ads at people that have already had some form of contact with your brand. Referring to my first point about investing in your existing customers—it really is the same logic.
14. Run exclusive deals and offers
Post Pandemic Marketing Strategies ,as businesses begin to reopen, a good way to get people interested in coming in is by offering exclusive sales promotions or deals. You can announce or even advertise these offers on social media platforms as well as promotional emails.
These kinds of offers will help bring in new customers while also getting old ones interested in coming back. This idea can work for multiple industries (theatres, spas, gyms, etc.) but it works particularly well for industries that have been hit hard by the coronavirus—restaurants and travel, for example.
Discounts, freebies, and similar saving options could be the incentive customers need to invest in you. You could even offer membership deals for customers that choose to invest in you during a certain time period. This will help you earn some money even when times are tough ,Post Pandemic Marketing Strategies.
15. Give your communication strategy an overhaul
Post Pandemic Marketing Strategies ,as people’s priorities and schedules change, the previous communication strategy you had in action may not be right. It would be wise to rethink the newsletters you are sending out, the content you are creating, and the general approach you have towards your customers.
This could mean redoing your content calendar altogether or maybe putting some blog posts on the backburner while you focus more on articles that cater to doubts, fears, and questions related to the current situation. This also means that you need to take the time to get to know your post-COVID-19 customers.
One way to do this is to send out an email survey with questions about their current priorities, pain points, and desires. Make them easy to answer (multiple choice or choose a point on a scale), but keep some questions open-ended because this way you might discover a few golden nuggets of information about your customer ,Post Pandemic Marketing Strategies.
You can then use this information to rethink your communication strategy and serve your customers better.
You may even give your ads, emails, videos, webinars, and podcast episodes an overhaul so you are keeping the current priorities of your customers in mind. (For more help in this area, head to our post on marketing during COVID-19).
Mediavine, an advertising network geared towards bloggers, did a great job with sending out regular emails both during and after the peak of the pandemic, with helpful resources, updates, and supportive messaging. Taking the time to communicate to your clients that you are there for them right now will have a lasting impact beyond the pandemic ,Post Pandemic Marketing Strategies.
16. Focus on a few main paid advertising channels
Post Pandemic Marketing Strategies ,as I mentioned above, PPC ads are the way to go right now but focusing on Google Ads, LinkedIn ads, Twitter ads, Facebook ads, and Instagram ads all at once is going to you no good. You need to figure out where your target audience is hanging out and then focus most of your PPC efforts on those channels.
If you’ve been searching for “what are some good marketing ideas” recently, we hope we’ve given you plenty to digest. What these COVID-19 marketing ideas show us are business owners that refuse to bury their heads despite the trying times. Hopefully you, too, can glean some insight from these smart marketing tips during the coronavirus and use them for your business ,Post Pandemic Marketing Strategies.
Just be sure to adjust your strategies and marketing. Meet your customers where they are now (and that’s mostly at home and online). Find a way to pivot and give your business the best chance to stay afloat by making your website easily found online through a strategic SEO strategy.
Yes, these are challenging times for everyone. But your business can still flourish if you’re willing to try a new approach and not pull back on your marketing during a critical time for your company to show compassion and empathy. Now is the time to connect with your customers like never before and not separate from them ,Post Pandemic Marketing Strategies.
“Frequently Asked Questions”
Let’s start by defining the basic purpose of each. A marketing strategy focuses on how a company can reach an identified market over time and deliver against its overall value proposition.
The marketing strategy is your approach to achieving your competitive advantage — the marketing plan contains the activities that will get you there.
The steps of the strategic marketing process (mission, situation analysis, marketing plan, marketing mix, and implementation and control) are different than the process for a specific marketing effort.
The key elements of any successful marketing plan include the concepts of product, price, place and promotion, also known as the four Ps of marketing
Got a question? We’re here to answer you! if you don’t find your answer here, drop us a line on our Social Pages.