There is no denying that the Covid-19 pandemic has caused a paradigm shift in the global business and economy. Because of the unanticipated outbreak that has been impacting lives since it started, a lot of businesses were put in a challenging position and some were unfortunately forced to stop their operations due to the constant drop in sales.
Since the current market in these times is more geared towards the essential goods and services that are necessary for survival, a lot of businesses find it hard to sustain. It has now become a challenge for marketers to come through the crisis and at the same time plan on how they can recover after the pandemic.
Furthermore, due to the lockdown happening everywhere to safeguard the people from community transmissions, businesses find it hard to reach their consumers since people are supposed to just stay at home as much as possible. Consumer habits are changing as a way to adapt to the new normal. Certain businesses were not ready for this sudden shift, yet they need to adapt to the new normal to stay afloat.
Speaking of behavioral shifts, people are spending more time at home and browsing the Internet for a variety of purposes. Consumers are going online most of the time making the Internet the most secure and efficient marketplace for almost everything. Companies and businesses that are already in the field of Digital Marketing have a huge advantage than those that are only about to hop on the trend. Even so, since the marketplace (no matter where the platform is) will always be competitive, it’s not just about who made it first in digital marketing but rather how businesses use this marketing strategy as an effective antidote against this difficult time.
Digital Marketing is one of the best strategies there is in modern marketing and not just today as we deal with the new normal. Even after this pandemic, digital marketing posts as an effective marketing strategy as the world continues to be more and more digital. But for now, it acts as a safeguard for brands until everything is normalized.
Preparing Marketing Activities During the Crisis
Since people are now on quarantine, it can now be expected that people will be consuming more digital content than before. As this Covid-19 continues, businesses must be able to reinvent themselves to cope with the ever-changing behavior of consumers especially now that we are under an unanticipated economic storm. Brands that can adapt to the new normal have more advantages than those who don’t.
Here are some things to remember and follow when preparing marketing activities during the crisis:
1. People now view things in a different light.
Seeing this situation that we have now in a positive light, what this period of quarantine and lockdown probably made us do is that it made us rethink a lot of things in life. Covid-19 has been out there affecting more lives in more ways than us which makes us realize what really matters most in our life.
Speaking of digital marketing, a new normal mindset has gotten us now to realize that we should shift our focus only on the most important things. With this thinking, we have to understand that people are after what are important to have now. Thus, expect for people to get fed up with brands that have obvious promotions.
In these times, people just need solutions for their problems and needs and not just another commercial convincing them to buy irrelevant things so the brand can sell. Brands need to research what consumers need, deliver it to them, and bring value as much as possible.
2. Humanize your brand voice.
Unfortunate things happened, a lot of people lost their jobs, and businesses are either struggling or forced to shut down. In these trying times, even businesses should learn to be understanding and show empathy, thus, companies should rethink the message they are sending out from their brand.
Instead of sounding too commercial to promote your brand, try to sound human and inspirational.
3. Get in touch with your audience.
Your brand marketing strategy must be flexible enough to adjust to the changes happening in your target audience. You need to listen to your audience as their response to whatever you are offering to them determines your success as a brand. The best place to get this info is no other than social media, where people nowadays usually are in the digital world.
Social Media Sites are huge sources of information including what makes your brand reputation. Continually monitor what people say about your brand to allow your brand or services to improve.
4. Be your own consumer.
This only means that you have to step into your consumer’s shoes to know and understand what they need.
5. Convert readers into potential customers.
This can be done by having your own brand or service’s blog where you can share news, valuable insights, and more that could help build your reputation and attract more attention to your brand, as well as drive website traffic and eventually increase conversions. Content marketing is one of the most effective digital marketing strategies that you can work on to aid your business during this crisis.
In these times of downturn for businesses, marketing your brand entails a lot of considerations because this time of uncertainty is nothing but challenging for all of us. However, it pushes us to move forward and evolve to manage and survive.
