Marketing is an extremely important part of doing business, and in the midst of COVID it can be even more significant. Of course, it can also be more complicated, because it's not always easy to market your products or services when you might not be able to interact with customers in person. Here are 10 marketing tips to make your pandemic-era marketing easier and keep customers engaged, so they'll come to you for their product or service needs either online or when the world opens back up again.
A lot of your customers are at home, staying away from others and socially distancing themselves. They may be working from home, or they may have jobs that require them to be out and about. If they're essential workers, they may struggle to get what they need during their time off due to so many things being closed. To help them remember you, and to stay at the forefront of their minds, you want to make sure you're frequently showing up in their social media feed.
Your customers need reassurance, now more than ever. Whether you show up in specialty directories for specific items they need, or you're offering a more general level of goods and services, there are plenty of customers who want what you're offering. But they have to know that it's safe to interact with you, and that you're taking the pandemic seriously. They also want to feel confident that you're not going anywhere, and that you'll be there for them when things get better, too.
Don't keep your customers in the dark. By updating your information and status on social media and your website fairly frequently, customers can feel like they're following along on your journey. You'll be able to let them know you're still around, and give them some insight into what life and business are like for you with COVID causing disruptions. Customers are also generally more understanding of issues and problems when they're updated frequently.
It's time to do something different, because you can't really do things the same way you used to. Even for online-only businesses that aren't being shut down due to social distancing and other regulations, there can be difficulties. Shipping takes more time, and items may be frequently out of stock. Additionally, there are concerns such as how the items are handled. For example, cleanliness procedures and employee contact protocols should be discussed in your marketing efforts.
One of the ways for customers to find you is to get your information into plenty of online directories for your product or service. That should be part of your COVID marketing strategy, but it's not the only thing to consider. There are many alternative business options for your company to look into, whether it's expanding what you're doing or completely changing the way you address something your company currently does to make sure it works for marketing in pandemic times.
When you communicate with your customers -- and potential future customers -- you want to be clear and direct. That way they know where you stand as a company, and what they can expect from your products or services. Keeping them up to date and not leaving them to try to figure out what you mean by the information you provide can go a very long way toward quality marketing for any kind of company. No matter the product or service you offer, being clear is valuable.
A lot of people think that building up relationships with customers has to be done in person, but that's not necessarily the case. You can also build good relationships with your customers when you reach out and interact with them virtually. During COVID, when you may not be able to effectively market your brand in person, you can work on building up virtual relationships with your customers. That gives you plenty of opportunity to keep your products or services in your customers' minds, so they don't forget about you.
Whether your customers found you from a business directory list, your website, or in some other way, they're now relying on you to work with them during the pandemic and beyond. This isn't the time to make jokes or be flippant about the situation. Instead, it's important to be serious about the risks and dangers that are such a big part of life for so many people right now. If you don't take things seriously and be respectful in your marketing efforts, you could find that you're losing a lot of your customer base.
When you provide any information on the pandemic, the guidelines for in-person interaction with your business, or other health and safety related knowledge, make sure to stick to the facts. You have every right to your opinion in your personal life, but from a business standpoint it's important to remain unbiased. That way you don't offend or alienate any of your customers, and you aren't giving them false information that could cause a problem in the future.
Most companies market through online avenues, and also through other types of interaction. But with COVID, so many other options either aren't available or won't help you get customers during this difficult time. That's why it's so valuable to work on building up your online presence, so you can keep customers interested and coming back to your company for the products or services they need.
The pandemic changed the world, and made it more difficult for a lot of companies. But with some careful and thoughtful adjustments, you can continue marketing your products and services in ways that work for your company and customers, during COVID and beyond.
