Marketing During A Pandemic

Today we are providing you with some of the best tips we’ve come across when doing marketing research during the Coronavirus pandemic. There are several ways to go about your normal marketing strategies while adding new elements to make your marketing Coronavirus-friendly. Here are our top marketing tips for your brand during the Coronavirus: Show how you’re providing resources, education, and support to your employees and customers.

From Business Journal Daily:

“Embrace your leadership role and provide consistent updates on your progress and also share your business continuity plan. It could be helpful to others.

Leverage your media partners by providing tips and insights into what you’re seeing in the market.

Using the right tone and posture, maintain, if not increase, your presence using trusted local media platforms.

According to @Jim Houck, check your pre-scheduled social media posts. Make sure they match the tone of the current environment.” https://businessjournaldaily.com/marketing-your-business-during-the-coronavirus-crisis/

Should marketers already be thinking about their post-coronavirus planning?

“For those destinations and industries directly impacted with cases and possible outbreaks, post-CONVID-19 marketing planning and activity will be imperative to attract customers back. I recall in the aftermath of 9/11 that several hotel brands responded with marketing campaigns inviting travelers back to New York to show their support for the city and its tourism community. Once again, the tone and timing for these campaigns is paramount. As the virus will have resulted in substantial illness and loss of life around the world, marketers should avoid celebrating victory prematurely and communicate in a respectful, reflective fashion.” https://global.hsmai.org/insight/marketing-in-the-age-of-coronavirus/

How are Google and Facebook responding to COVID-19?

“In addition to making it easier for people to learn more about symptoms, vaccine information, and travel advisories, Google is removing any content on YouTube that claims to prevent the coronavirus in place of seeking medical treatment, and is also blocking all ads capitalizing on the coronavirus. Similarly, Facebook is blocking anyone running ads to exploit the situation.

Will this affect you? The short answer is no—as long as you are not using messaging in your ad copy that makes any claims to cure, prevent, or treat COVID-19, this change will have minimal effect on your paid accounts.

Although these platform policies will not likely impact your account, the pandemic and the resulting market changes will. Here are a few recommended strategies to prepare and adjust your accounts accordingly.” https://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2020/03/13/covid-19-response

Develop Marketing Contingency Plans

“It’s not enough to simply have a well-defined communication policy. In times of a crisis, the market is volatile, consumer behavior is unexpected, and the business, in general, will face sudden fluctuations. Therefore, evaluate the current market scenario and predict short and long-term market behavior and plan your marketing activities accordingly. For example, Puma has taken a serious hit in China due to COVID-19 and had to close more than 50% of its stores, but they are working under the assumption that the situation will normalize in the short term, and the company will be able to reach its annual revenue goals.

Simultaneously, you may also need to identify and work with other vendors and suppliers to balance your supply chain. This would also mean the reallocation of certain budgets to other essential marketing activities in the short run.” https://www.martechadvisor.com/articles/customer-experience-2/crisis-marketing-communication-strategy-coronavirus/#

“Stock Up” on New Business Leads Now

“Just like stocking up on supplies that you think your house may need in case of a quarantine, you also need to “stock up” on sales prospects. You should be doing that now rather than later. Devote extra time, effort and resources to prospecting and lead generation, right now, even if you’re currently busy. Even if you’re not in an industry that has been directly impacted by coronavirus so far, there is the possibility that this outbreak could lead to wider and more severe economic impacts. Your business will be well-served by having a deeper pool of prospective clients to work with over the long term. Even if the coronavirus turns out to be a short-term panic, or if it’s worse than expected and the U.S. economy goes into a recession, it’s never a bad idea to invest in a well-stocked pipeline of sales prospects.” https://smallbiztrends.com/2020/03/sales-during-coronavirus-outbreak.html