How to market your business during and after the pandemic

The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted life around the globe. Every aspect of life, including businesses, have been affected by this terrible virus. Several small businesses are thinking of strategizing their business models as the pandemic is continuing to affect the lives of people daily.  

Restaurants, travel, and leisure industries have been massively affected by the coronavirus, and it is becoming difficult for people to imagine their lives as they were before the pandemic. People are now offering online shopping as compared to in-person shopping from brick and mortar store.  

Consumer behavior has also been affected by the virus, which is why businesses are focusing on ways to market their business in a more relatable way. The shift from conventional marketing to digital marketing has been popular during the pandemic; marketers are more focused on upping their social media and digital marketing efforts.  

Let’s have a look at marketing strategies and ways to market your business during and post-pandemic: 

Digital marketing trends during the pandemic  

There are a few trends and changing patterns that have been observed during the pandemic. People were quarantined and staying at home more than usual, which is why the use of the internet and social media platforms increased more than usual.  

Let’s have a look at the trends on digital media during the pandemic:  

Change in content 

After the pandemic broke, the online content seen on digital media evolved as brands started to acknowledge the situation. Several brands also came forward to help in any way that they could. We saw major fashion brands contributing to making face masks and PPE, whereas alcohol beverage manufacturers started producing sanitizers.  

Training and Education sites started offering free courses, whereas almost every brand offered discounts on online shopping to encourage social distancing. On the other hand, Brands are also creating more content than before, as people spend more time online. Social media is now used to get updates on the ever-changing world and how brands are adapting to this change.  

Takeaway: Invest in content marketing, determine which tone is most suitable during this crisis, and adapt your business communication to appease consumers.  

Change in search engine queries 

With the change of circumstances, more people are spending time at home. As consumer needs change, so do the overall search engine queries? For example, because people are not allowed to travel, there are fewer queries for airfare and airline searching. On the other hand, people are searching more for SOPs during DOVID-19, health facilities, and precautions against the virus.  

Therefore, businesses must also review their SEO strategy and include keywords that are relevant to the situation and their business. Websites now have a COVID-19 update page where customers can check the updates of that business regarding the situation. Similarly, some brands have created FAQ pages to address COVID related questions to increase relevancy and search engine ranking.  

Social media engagement 

Due to increased hours staying indoors during the pandemic, the use of social media has increased, which is why the need for content is increasing. People are now more actively using social media; as per a survey conducted by GlobalWebIndex in July 2020, there was a rise of 10.5% in social media usage, as compared with July 2019. Hence brands have a good opportunity to engage users using social media as the audience is already using it for increased hours, making it one of the most common online activities. 

Updates 

It is important for businesses to update their customers about the changes they have made in the wake of coronavirus. Several stores are offering a pick-up, which means you can order online and go to the store to pick your order, which can save you time. Moreover, other businesses have also made changes based on the situation and customer needs.  

It is essential for you to update your customers at this time so they know what to expect from you and how they can get what they are looking for. The content must focus on guiding people with the “new normal.”  

Websites 

Businesses are now including more and more ways to stay connected with the audience by making relatable content. Websites are including live sessions, live chats, and other informative ways to keep the audience updated and engaged. Telemedicine and virtual consultation have also become normal during the pandemic as people are unable to go out and prefer getting their work done online.  

SEO 

SEO is the key to increasing your reach. Marketers were focused on SEO even before the pandemic. However, you must alter your SEO to suit the situation; for instance, if your business is a business consultancy firm, then you must focus on topics like “How to recover from the economic loss after the pandemic,” so the content becomes relevant to the situation. Your website’s SEO can help you gain leads even in the current situation where people are actively searching about COVID-19 and how to return back to normal with life.  

Email marketing 

Despite the situation, email marketing still plays an important role in marketing your business. You can use automated tools for email marketing and track the results. The content for email marketing, however, should relate to the ongoing situation. If there is a sale, exclusive offer, discount code, informative webinar on your digital media, you must use email marketing to update your users. 

Not only are the email marketing strategies effective but also cost-effective, which is an ideal way to market your business without spending a huge chunk of money in these times of uncertainty. Digital Marketing Services around the world emphasize the importance of email marketing as they are the primary source for lead generation and acquiring new consumers.  

Getting back to business 

Customer behavior and patterns have changed during the coronavirus, which is why the marketers need to be aware of the ever-changing situation. Focus on providing your customer with what they are looking for and make sure that your top priority is customer safety.  

Businesses around the globe are adapting to this change and introducing new SOPs to ensure protection from the virus. Contact-free interactions are preferred, which is why the shift in online purchasing is increasing as people feel safe to shop while staying home and make as little contact as possible.  

Market your products according to the changing need of the customer and make accessibility to your product even easier for the clients. The coronavirus has changed the patterns of people, which requires a change in the strategies of marketing businesses.

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(Featured image by Free-Photos via Pixabay)

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