A Digital Marketing Plan to Increase Your Business Post-COVID and Get Revenues Up, Up, Up!
2020 isn’t the year any of us were expecting. Every business on the planet has seen disruptions somewhere. Customers have disappeared. Profits that once were skyrocketing have now bottomed out for many corporations and small businesses. Some have even faced the worst – permanent closures.
Though the coronavirus pandemic is still in full swing and with no end yet in sight, the initial shutdown has faded to reveal a partial reopening with new rules and safety policies. So companies have reopened. Great news! However, this doesn’t mean the customers, profit opportunities, and revenues have returned.
Make no mistake. It’s a tough time. Making money on top of breaking even will be a goal and beyond that, projections on profitability aren’t even worth making with the volatility of the environment right now. Despite all the bad, opportunity is still there. A business that works proactively today sets them up for success in the future.
Pandemic-led digital marketing efforts are an opportunity to re-introduce your business to customers. It’s time to reinvest in yourself, re-establish your brand, and re-assert why you’re a company worth the consumer’s dollar. A few things have changed in the online marketing landscape since COVID-19 threw everything out of whack though.
We’ve designed this post-COVID digital marketing plan to do two things. The first, immediately increase business and revenues. The second, set you up for profitability. People want to start connecting with others, living their lives, and getting out of their houses – albeit safely. Here is where we think your digital marketing dollar is best spent in the current climate.
Pandemic-Friendly Messaging
There are three types of business-to-customer messaging that has dominated pandemic marketing.
- The first is status updates. It’s important to let customers know any changes to your business being open and under what conditions.
- The second is business continuity messages. These are reassurances that your business is open as well as publicize new standards of health and safety.
- The third is the empathetic messaging. “We are all in this together.” “We will get through this together.” This type of messaging comes from an emotional human-to-human perspective. You’re letting people know you’re there for them if needed. If you have services or products helpful to what’s going on in our communities, you may also offer them at discounted rates or publicize their availability here.
This is How Messaging is Changing in the Summer And Post-Summer Period
Anxieties have calmed and then risen again with new COVID-19 case numbers and deaths, particularly in the United States.
This has challenged businesses to remind customers of safe ways to engage with brands and purchase products. No matter what kind of product or service you’re selling, there’s likely a pandemic-friendly way to adapt what you’re doing.
Make a list of the ways you are and can make the shopping experience safer. Reassurances are key. If a customer doesn’t feel safe, there’s no way they’re going to risk their health to interact with your brand.
Countless examples of COVID-19 digital marketing messaging exist. Some of the categories of businesses who’ve done the best with this are fast food restaurants, grocery stores, and banks. Examine local messaging from your favorite brands in these areas. Consider how to adapt marketing like this to what you’re doing.
eCommerce Web Design
More customers are shopping online today than ever. In the last 4 months, online shopping revenues have doubled in some businesses. eCommerce intuitive web design is key to ensuring your brand can continue making money even when physical locations are shut down. An eCommerce storefront is golden. Equip it with your best products with high-quality photos, descriptions, keywords, detail, and make it easy to sell online.
Reconsider Your Customer Segments
Multi-segment digital marketing targets customers by segment, usually divided by points like income, gender, age, etc. This doesn’t necessarily apply right now. Re-define your segments. Consider customers who have been financially impacted and those who haven’t. Consider customers that are taking COVID-19 seriously and those which aren’t. As a society, we are segmented very differently at the present time. A brand’s challenge is how to craft a slate of product or service offers that appeal to every segment in its audience.
Digital Content Marketing Strategy
Along with filling out your web design with high-quality keyword-rich content, your content marketing strategy takes things a step further. Through content, you add value without the pressure of encouraging a sale. These can be how-to guides, knowledge-based content, question-and-answer articles, or lists. Content marketing done right will aid you with your social media, SEO, email marketing, site authority, customer loyalty, and brand awareness.
Social Media Marketing
Your best direct line to past customers and followers of your brand is through email and social media. Tap into both. Social media, in particular, is very important. Let customers know you’re back. Many are hesitant to spend their money and for that group, they may need an extra push. Consider a time-sensitive promotion, discount, or special sales weekend. Also, take the opportunity to communicate what you’re doing in response to COVID-19 safety standards, if anything.
Turn Your Social Media Pages into A Customer Service Line
Many people are still afraid to visit stores to purchase items in this COVID pandemic-into-post-pandemic period. These buyers research online. Assign someone to more closely monitor your social media. Respond promptly to questions, remarks, comments, and inquiries. The faster you respond, the more likely you are to capture that customer’s dollar. Encourage engagement by asking questions and working hard to show you’re ready to help any customer.
Search Engine Optimization
How to reach customers that don’t know you exist is through brand awareness strategies. Algorithms on search engines are responsible for billions of dollars in sales everywhere. An eCommerce store isn’t enough. You need to get users in through the proverbial door. Find interested buyers on search engines, using advanced keyword-rich SEO design strategies on blogs, product descriptions, meta tags, headings, URLs, and more.
Online Reputation Management
This component of your digital marketing strategy involves building positive conversations and generating positive reviews online for your business. Your online reputation matters more than ever. Customers are going online to find everything from business hours to health and safety information. If your brand’s surrounded by a ton of negative reviews, that’s not good. Monitor the conversation across social media platforms, Google Reviews, and any review sites your brand’s connected with.
Build Up Your Email Subscriber List
While social media’s great, you’re still relying on algorithms to reach fans, followers, clientele, leads, and general users. Email marketing is more profitable. Encourage customers to sign up. Offer exclusive promotions and discounts. Provide a coupon as a thank you for subscribing. Marketing statistics show us email marketing has the potential to yield greater ROI than social media marketing and many other channels. For a ‘most bang for your buck’ marketing model, don’t forget the power of email.
Three Stages of Empathy to Include in Your Digital Marketing
Communicate with empathy. Even if you’re in a panic trying to keep the lights on, panic isn’t a message you want to send out. Everyone’s dealing with heightened stress and are sensitive to negatives. Here are three empathy marketing strategies to hang on when writing tag lines, advertisements, promos, and social media posts.
Acknowledge the audience’s perspective.
- Craft a judgment-free message.
- Mirror the customer’s emotions.
You don’t have to face the rest of the year alone. At Unlimited Exposure, we are the experts in digital marketing and have continued to support clientele throughout the COVID-19 crisis. Experienced brands may not necessarily know how to maximize their marketing dollar right now. We can help. Find strategies that work. Build your company back up. Increase revenues. Your messaging will be key to your success in the next six months to a year. Contact UE for a consultation.
