This is an article “Adapting Your Business to the New Normal” by Marc Primo
The COVID-19 pandemic has created huge challenges for businesses all over the world. Many brick and mortar stores shuttered with the implementation of social distancing practices, and with weeks and months of lockdowns everywhere, what followed was a string of closures and a staggering increase in unemployment.
To survive the current situation, some companies adopt different types of business models with most going the online services and e-commerce routes. Unfortunately, for businesses who are not very familiar with technology, little can be done to stay afloat.
This is why online marketing is very important in business today, more than ever. To help some businesses come up with workable strategies while the economy is stunted due to COVID-19, here are a few useful tips.
Learn about moment marketing
Marketing shouldn’t stop no matter how challenging times can get. Right now, moment marketing or tweaking your social media posts or online ads to address the current trends and situations can be your best option to keep your brand out there. However, such reactive strategy calls for proper analysis as it’s really not that easy to shift from tactic to tactic. Plot a six-month marketing plan with the present in mind. This simply means that you have to review your projections for the remaining half of the year by anticipating that mitigating measures addressing the pandemic are still in place. While things can be quite uncertain, some good planning can definitely work for the better.
Do some email marketing
Creating email content that works is essential in any crisis and with social distancing in place, this is one of your best bets if you want to reach out to your customers. While social media and blog marketing can also immensely help your business, email marketing tends to have a more personal appeal to your loyal customers and communities. This can also be a good way to let them know how you intend to work out the disruption and offer new services that serve as workarounds.
Always keep in mind that successful businesses provide reliable services to their customers, so keep them in-the-know on how you are concerned with their needs and how your business can still be useful to them during the crisis.
Adjust to the New Normal
With nearly 2 million cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. right now, people are bracing for what adjustments the new normal could force them to do. So should your business. Recalibrate your services in a way that they can address what people need right now instead of what you usually offer. In the Philippines, large liquor companies turned their distilleries into ethyl alcohol producers to fill the need for required medical supplies in hospitals and remain compliant with the implemented liquor ban all over the country. Another good model is Argentina’s RussellCar which turned its taxi fleet into a delivery service and safe passenger service for front liners, giving importance to daily disinfection and social distancing practices. Learning to adjust to the new normal and having the audacity to shift your business to what most people really need is winning half the battle.
Try some guerilla B2B marketing
Another advantage that online marketing offers businesses is its versatility in business to business (B2B) marketing. These days, social media platforms that were once exclusive for business to consumer (B2C) marketing are transforming into effective B2B channels, since more Millennials and Generation Z’ers are taking a bigger slice of the consumer pie year after year.
Among the unconventional B2B marketing strategies you can try are carousel ads via FB and Linkedin, Instagram pages, and Reddit accounts that help you reach smaller business niches. Review which platform suits your business and audience the best and draft some great content that will pull in more visitors and generate conversions.