Keeping your business afloat amidst the Corona crisis should be the ultimate goal of all entrepreneurs feeling the impact of Covid-19. About 62% small business owners have reported a significant drop in their income since the Coronavirus made its face to the world. There are two ways to respond to this crisis as a business owner. First, you can maintain your current marketing strategy and expect your sales to increase post COVID-19. An enterprising business owner can even take responsibility by implementing drastic steps geared toward improving their marketing strategy.
Here’s how to develop an effective marketing strategy and stay afloat during a pandemic.
- Give Your Customers a Guarantee
Your customers should be your number one precedence, because without them you wouldn’t exist. Even although the time may be tough, you need to reassure them of better days to come. When it comes to a turbulent season like this, silence is not the best answer. This may create the false impression that your company won’t survive the storm. Keep your lines of communication open, let your employees and clients know about the problems at hand and how you plan to steer them through difficult times.
The big question is, how do you keep that bond stronger? Well, in the digital age, keeping in touch with customers is a matter obviously. For example, you can create social media posts to keep your followers informed about the state of a business. Second, send them personalised e-mail updates. You can even send notifications to them via their user accounts on your business website. Updating your client’s expectations during this abnormal time is essential. How you treat your customers during the pandemic will determine your long-term relationship with them.
- Grow Your Online Presencee
With many geographic areas still under lockdown, more people are staying at home than before the global health crisis. This can be the best time to grow your business’ online reputation. Savvy entrepreneurs are joining the digital marketing bandwagon. Why do not you jump too? There may never be a better time to create a solid online business brand than right now. Yours online reputation management techniques will make you more trusted and get you closer to customers who have been looking for your product through the internet. This will also help increase your visibility online. Studies have shown that internet traffic has jumped 50–70% as a result of the pandemic. Seize this rare opportunity to create a believable business brand that will survive the scourge of future pandemics. Here are some ways to increase your online presence:
- Design a mobile-friendly website for your company as most of the web traffic comes from smartphones
- Create useful content. Clients won’t turn down anything that adds value to their life
- Hire SEO experts to optimize your website and social media handles
- Participate in online community forums
- Create Your Email Marketing Campaign Strategy
Your revision Marketing e-mails strategies to address customers’ urgent needs during the pandemic. At a time when so many people are grieving the loss of their loved ones, you do not want to stick to your pre-pandemic tone. Change your e-mail language to reflect business dealings. The frequency of your e-mail campaigns should even be considered. Stay on top of your game, but make sure that your emails add value to your target market.
For example, if you’re a health care provider who has closed as a result of a pandemic, it does not imply that parents and their kids do not need your services anymore. Instead of wasting time reminding them over and over about your work schedule, give them tips on how to stay healthy during lockdown. That way, you add value to their lives. They will likely honor your brand eternally.
- Strategicize Your Pricing Model
Price is among the factors that determine which company’s customers to choose to work with during the pandemic. When times are tough, you need to create an agile pricing model. This is one effective technique for staying afloat during a pandemic. Implement a short-term plan to allow your team to gain insight from your customer landscape, and adapt your pricing model accordingly.
- Review Your Sales Strategy
The Corona virus pandemic has caused major disruptions in many business settings. The inherent uncertainty requires business owners to revise their sales strategy. Refreshing your customer experience and searching at the sales process is essential for the company’s future. By reviewing your sales process, you can find pain points for customer satisfaction. Your next action plan is to optimize your sales funnel and process to support growth during the pandemic.
- Help Your Community
The giver never lacks. Now that Covid-19 is threatening people’s careers, lifestyles and economic conditions, you may want to reach out to help your community. Over the past few years, it has been your customers and the business community that have contributed to your organization’s success. So, giving back to society, particularly in these trying times, is another wise investment. Grateful members of the community will at all times remember how you made them feel if you saved them during this global disaster.
It’s up to you to see how well you can help your community during the pandemic. For example, offering a donation in cash or kind is a way to show your gratitude to your loyal customers. You can even help your community by volunteering for projects and sharing your knowledge and experience with budding entrepreneurs.
The needs of your target market have evolved a lot since the first Coronavirus and quarantine waves hit the world. Therefore, you’ll have to modify your strategy to suit the new world that exists. Get familiar with what’s happening around your business, go online to improve your image, meet the needs of your community, and most significantly — convince your customers and keep your trends updated.
