A month ago, nobody saw this sudden and unexpected loss in revenue their business may be experiencing. Now small business owners are having some tough talks about how they need to reduce budgets, maximize efficiency, and increase revenue.
So what does this mean for a company’s digital marketing approach?
As we all deal with the current COVID-19 pandemic, demand for certain products is down, and online purchases are down. What your selling is critical in determining how much you should invest in digital marketing. If you provide a service people need, or want then investing in some paid ads has value. If you sell non-essential widgets, then less is more. Invest your own time and energy into your social posts and engagements is a great low to a no-cost way of reaching your customers.
Also, you can consider leveraging Email. Email is cheap and effective and an excellent opportunity to educate your customers about what you have going on. Maybe your physical location is closed, but customers can still buy your products or services online. If you are doing something to assist the community, let your customers know. Keep in mind that this is a difficult situation, but happiness can also be food for the soul. Use humor where appropriate and be respectful of what people are facing. Now is not the time to hard-sell customers.
Take time to evaluate your efforts up to this point. Many owners have some time to step back and see if what you have been doing has worked. Evaluate your efforts and develop a strategy for when things start to move forward again because they will. Be prepared to attack things and get your business back on track.
Businesses need to prioritize many different things, including the safety of their employees and their customers. Be respectful and conscious of the current situation. As COVID-19 passes, companies that are prepared to hit the ground running will be in good shape and can start to move forward.