The fact that social distancing norms do not encourage offline business interactions poses a grave challenge for marketing professionals. They no longer have the luxury of face-to-face meetings and conferences to convince a potential client about a product or service. The worst thing is that no one can predict how long the pandemic is here to stay. If at all things will return to complete normalcy in a post-COVID world is a debatable topic in itself.
Businesses today have realized that it is the toughest situations that produce the strongest metals, and they are going above and beyond to survive the pandemic. At such a challenging hour, it is as much about surviving each day as it is about preparing for a better future. On that note, it is important to scale up the digital strategy of your firm, and here are some tips to help you achieve that.
Stay True to Your Brand Values
It is difficult times like this that test the character and core values of a business. If you are a brand selling essential commodities, do not consider hoarding as a business option. It is acceptable if you need to increase the price of an item due to an increase in transportation, production, or other costs. But increasing the price of an item only to increase your profit margin during the pandemic is utterly unacceptable.
Such an act might earn you some extra money immediately. However, this will tarnish your business reputation and, in the long run, do you more harm than good. History is a testimony to the fact that any business that has capitalized on the fear of people during challenging times has never fared well for itself.
Offer Clarity to Your Customers
With so many changes happening over such a short time, it is understandable that your customers are unsure of where you stand as a business. The first step is to offer them a sense of clarity on the availability of your product or service. If there are any major changes to the service delivery protocol, it is important to inform the regular customers of the same.
A systematic approach to letting your customers informed on how to avail your service (or buy your product) during the pandemic would be by creating a video. You may use a promo video maker to come up with a short video wherein you offer a clear explanation of the current operation of your business. Once you are satisfied with the quality of your video, circulate the same in different digital media platforms to ensure maximum reach.
Use Technology to Connect with Potential Customers
Just because the times are challenging does not mean that you need to give up on your pursuit of attracting new customers and expanding your business. Leverage the power of technology to build new connections with your target audience. With VideoCreek, you can now create promotional videos that throw light on what you do.
You can also prepare videos that demonstrate your product or give testimonials from satisfied customers. For those wanting to take their digital marketing game a notch higher, Instagram and Facebook allow live videos that go a long way in encouraging real-time conversations. You can rope in industry experts, Youtubers, and celebrities to ensure better views of your promotional videos.
Internal strategic discussions that are needed to keep the company moving in the right path can happen over Zoom, Webex, or Google Meets. As you explore the various technological tools, for internal communication, try to go for ones that allow screen sharing in addition to conventional audio and video calls. This will make collaborations much simpler when your team is connecting remotely.
Invest in E-Commerce Initiatives
In the initial days of the pandemic, e-commerce sales had (in general) taken a hit, and chances are that your organization may also have borne the brunt. However, it is important to understand that the coronavirus pandemic will not hurt e-commerce in the long run. If anything, forced adoption to technology among the older generation will give the e-commerce sector the boost that it deserves.
The initial hiccups here can be attributed to the fact that the lockdown had imposed logistic hurdles making people skeptical about an online purchase. The general sense of instability in the world took a toll on an average person’s willingness to part with their disposable income, thereby resulting in a lesser number of economic transactions.
Months into the pandemic, things are finally stabilizing, and the public is keener than ever before to give a shot to e-commerce. This makes it the perfect time for you to invest in e-commerce strategies such as SEO, community building, content warehousing, and website design improvement.
Engage in digital Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Events
The laws of many countries bind organizations to a fraction of their annual profits for social causes. The COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown brought by it has taken away the livelihood of millions of people across the world. From migrant laborers struggling to travel back home to daily wage earners not having money to feed their stomach, the struggle is real.
This makes it the perfect time for your brand to indulge in digital CSR initiatives. You can use social media platforms or microsites to identify needy people and direct your charitable efforts towards them.
This has dual advantages. Firstly, during the pandemic, such people need your help more than ever before. Secondly, with your potential clients spending a longer time online due to the lockdown, there are higher chances of your efforts being recognized.
Under the coronavirus pandemic, every day is a new learning experience for businesses. With new challenges comes in new opportunities and a chance to soar newer heights of achievement. As you sail your business through such tough times, here’s hoping that the tips discussed in this article were of help in your digital strategy planning.
Post published in: Featured