There is no question that the COVID-19 pandemic has changed how business is done. Since most people are cutting back on spending, it’s important to improve your company’s marketing strategies as soon as possible. Here are five things you can do to get more customers and adapt to the new business world.
Establish Your Business as an Essential Service
Since the implementation of COVID-19 legislation, the majority of households around the world have grown financially conservative. Even after the limits were eased, many customers still exercise caution when it comes to their purchasing. This is why it’s critical to position your company as necessary.
A product or service that is considered vital is one that people cannot live without. The term “essential” does not always imply that people are physically reliant on your products. Your product or service could offer emotional or mental support, valuable knowledge, or simply make routine tasks easier.
If your business offers furniture, for example, you can customize your offerings to employees who now work from home and want greater organization. You may sell a product that promotes mental wellness or even a toy that keeps kids occupied.
You can also position your product or service as a necessity in your customer’s daily routine. Some websites gain greater traffic just by being the first to publish lottery winning numbers or the weather forecast for the week. You can drive daily visitors to your site by pairing your products with an app that assists with tasks such as cooking or exercising.
Bottom line: Examine your product or service and come up with a fresh, useful, and relevant application for it. Adapting to change is critical for any business’s survival, and now is the time to figure out how to make your products relevant in the post-COVID world.
Create a Cheaper Option
During a recession, businesses frequently create smaller, more cheap versions of their items. Some businesses provide limited versions of their complete service. Creating a less expensive choice for customers should both attract new and maintain existing customers.
Do you have any food goods for sale? They should be sold in sachets. Consider selling your products singly if you normally sell them in sets. If you’re a professional service, break down your packages, price each service separately, and let the customer pick and pay for the one they want.
Bottom line: Do whatever you can to assist your customer in affording your products.
Improve Your Relevance on Social Media
People will dismiss your social media ad no matter how shiny and well-spaced the graphics are if it isn’t relevant. Posting a neutral ad for your products and services on a popular subject page won’t cut it either.
This new climate necessitates the attentive management of social media accounts. To put it another way, you’ll need a committed staff to scour digital places, find out what others are saying about your company, and communicate with potential customers in a meaningful way.
Responding to Customers
Your social media manager’s work entails not only responding to customers, but also interacting with angry customers, “trolls,” and your company’s competitors. This entails communicating with individuals across the board, from Twitter to Reddit.
As a result, your social media manager must have a thorough understanding of internet tracking technologies. He/she/they must also be selective in their responses to persons and posts with huge audiences, interacting in a way that is not insulting to others or detrimental to the firm.
Creating Content Based on Popular or Trending Topics
This strategy necessitates both patience and speed. Be patient because you may need to wait for the proper issue to become popular. And once it works, you should be able to easily develop relevant content.
A topic can be used as a marketing opportunity in a variety of ways. It could be an opportunity to provide individuals with clarity on a difficult topic. You may start a conversation, respond with solid facts to correct a misunderstanding, or make lighter material like a Tik Tok video or a brief infographic.
If you do, don’t include any external links. Unless the material is highly significant, users prefer to stay within the social networking platform they are logged into.
If a competitor’s business is in danger, you can gain recognized and profit. With a joke or a furious commercial, add your two cents to the debate. Your company can also take a stand on a contentious issue, but this should be done with caution and taste because it has the potential to backfire.
Ordinary Heroes Need Your Help
Yes, leveraging influencers to promote your products can be beneficial, but investing in regular individuals who accomplish exceptional things can also be profitable. When it’s appropriate, you can use stories about local heroes and events to make a financial or other significant contribution.
Airbnb, for example, frequently donates lodging to people in need, such as Ukrainian refugees. Similarly, you can make a public donation by following a famous hashtag (ideally one that is still active). It’s even more powerful if you have the evidence in the form of photographs.
Bottom line: It’s best to think of your organization as a person when traversing digital areas like social media platforms. Using relevant material to engage users can help your company stand out. But, as they say, “the internet never forgets,” so be careful with the stuff you generate.
Referral Programs Should Be Restructured
If you don’t already have one, you should think about starting one. Although referral schemes are not new, their importance is frequently neglected. Launch a referral program regardless of the size or type of product or service your company offers.
A referral program provides you with an army of salesmen that are prepared to promote your company in exchange for a monetary reward. How much should you pay for referrals, though? Are people eager to promote your business for something other than a monetary reward?
It’s a bit of a paradox to offer big prizes or compensation for referrals. You will generate less money if you pay people more for bringing in business… unless you raise the price of your item… which may be less appealing to budget-conscious clients.
Limiting your referral programs to your employees or creating one exclusively for your personnel could be a viable option. Employee recommendations might allow you more flexibility in terms of the benefits they earn. Some employees may be ready to forego monetary compensation in exchange for days off, a brief vacation, or a free supply of your company’s products.
Bottom line: Consider creating special referral programs specifically for your staff members. That way, you will have more control over the rewards, and your employees will be motivated to bring in new customers. Ask around to find out what they would be willing to receive as payment other than cash.
Keep Your (Old) Habits
While the world has changed, some traditional marketing principles should still be followed. Make sure that all of your company’s communication channels, such as websites, social media pages, and blogs, are up to date. Continue to write keyword-rich content and follow other tried-and-true SEO methods.
For positive ratings, brand your merchandise, keep your promotion offline, and provide excellent customer service. If you still have a physical location, make it look professional and easy to find.
Bottom line: While the world has changed dramatically, keeping established business standards remains critical for trust.
For your company to thrive, you must relearn why it is necessary and provide less expensive solutions that are more suited to your clients’ budgets. Take use of digital spaces and referral programs, as modest modifications in your business practices can help you keep up with the pandemic’s huge developments.