COVID-19 And Marketing - What's The Right Message To Send Customers?

Abe Dearmer

Jun 05, 2020

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6 min read

Customer-Service

COVID-19 has affected every area of our lives, whether it is work or personal. In this unprecedented time, many businesses are suffering since the lockdown has left companies working from home and trying to make the best of the situation. If you are worried about the future of your company, there are many customers who are wondering the same.

The Coronavirus pandemic has everyone around the world feeling uncertain and wondering what their next steps should be. This is the time to adapt and grow, instead of losing hope! While it does sound cliched, we all are in this together and are facing the same issues.

As a brand, you must reach out to customers to show them how you are working towards building your business back up and are still available for your customers no matter what. Marketing doesn't need to stop at this time - we just need to change it and align our strategies with the current situation.

Communicate with your customers

Just because your normal way of operating isn't possible right now, doesn't mean you have to go radio silent. Take this time to keep in touch with customers and prospects and build towards your business. With everyone working online since the pandemic, Forbes reports "total internet hits have surged by between 50% and 70%, according to preliminary statistics."

Use this to your advantage and reach out to customers through virtual platforms. Make sure you are compassionate and you empathise with your customers to create a better connection. Try not to be negative about the situation and spread positivity at this time.

Be human and project selflessness and compassion in everything you do. Find the right strategic message for your company and use the best way to impart it. With limited ways of communicating, use everything possible to your advantage and create a fruitful relationship with your loyal customers and prospects.

Virtual conversations

Until things go back to normal, you can still stay connected with clients and customers by offering online consultations and meetings. Work doesn't have to come to a complete halt and you can still carry out meetings on platforms such as Skype or Zoom and engage virtually to keep things going.

Email marketing

As always, email marketing is still a great way to reach out to your customers and prospects on a regular basis. It is less intrusive than calling or asking for a virtual meeting, yet allows you to stay on top of your customers' minds.

Use emails as a way to update customers on what is happening with your brand and how you are trying your best to tackle the effects on COVID-19 on your company. Add CTAs (Call To Actions) in your emails, continue conversations, and create brand recognition as well as drive customer engagement.

Ebooks and webinars

This is the best time for people to learn something new so why not give them something they can look forward to? Publish free to download ebooks that readers can get by simply providing their email or contact details. This way you won't just be imparting knowledge, but will also be able to create a database of leads for future use.

Webinars are another great way to engage people into visiting your website and interacting with you. Since people are open to learning new skills and techniques you can provide training courses or educational online sessions to reach them and build yourself as an authority figure in your industry.

For instance, if you were a bakery, you could teach simple baking lessons on how to make delicious cakes at home, icing techniques, and more! Similarly, a marketing company can teach basic techniques on online marketing or how to use social media to do so.

Blogs, Vlogs, and Podcasts!

If you don't already have a blog, this is the best time to start one! They are a great platform to share value-adding content, updates, and generally provide your consumers with information about your products and services. In this time, having a set of blogs uploaded every week can keep traffic coming to your website and they are also a good way to add more SEO value to your website.

If you don't have the knack for writing, making videos or vlogs is another good option to start with. They are quick to make and also give you the bandwidth to speak about lengthy topics.

Yet another option you can use is uploading podcasts. Just like vlogs, they give you the space to upload long conversations, interviews, and valuable content that your customers may be interested in.

You can also integrate the three platforms by interlinking and creating a network of great quality content that people look forward to reading, viewing, hearing, and sharing! Kill two birds with one stone by adding a short description for your podcast or vlog and add it as a blog, or even transcribe your viewable content to work as a blog. Basically, it is best to cover all your bases when reaching out to customers.

Social media

Tie all your value-adding content together by posting about it on social media. With everyone trying to pass their time, social media platforms are being rampantly used and companies must take advantage of that. Post about your upcoming or new blogs, videos, webinars, and more to let people know what you are offering.

You can also use social media websites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to share funny posts and humour related content that is sharable to increase traffic. A little bit of fun in these trying times can help others relate to you more!

Advertising strategies

Online advertising is the need of the hour as it is much cheaper than traditional ways of advertising. You can secure a lot of brand recognition at this time by harnessing their power since most online ad prices are based on a bidding system. PPC or Pay Per Click advertising can go a long way, especially when combined with your new value-adding content system.

Giftcards

Whether you are a company offering products or services, gift cards are a great way to generate revenue. With a lot of people trying to support their favourite brands, they are sure to invest in gift cards for their loved ones or even themselves.

They are a great way to generate revenue now and offer your products and services at a later date, allowing your company to stay afloat in these difficult times.

Take the time during this pandemic to take a step back and see your brand as a whole. See what you need to work more on and get started immediately. During this time, the best you can do is reach out to customers and assure them you are still trying your best to work as normally as possible. This is the time to gain trust, make more connections, and go forward stronger together!

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