There is no doubt that 2020 is a challenging year for us all. No matter what business you are in the COVID pandemic will have changed it. Now more then ever business owners need to be nimble and respond to changing conditions in real-time.
COVID has caused massive changes in demand patterns; not just what people want but when they want it and how they want it delivered. Supply chains have been broken or overwhelmed. The need to seamlessly integrate digital solutions across businesses has become absolutely essential.
Such huge changes and challenges should make every business reassess its marketing strategies. No matter what your size you should probably be doing your marketing differently, maybe even radically so.
Basic Messaging
Don’t overlook the importance of regular basic messaging to tell people you still exist, when you are working and how they can buy from you or contact you. Large posters, email messages, social media, regularly updated website home pages, posting a flyer to home addresses, and calling customers are all valid ways to do this.
The good news is that great change offers great opportunity. As Thomas Edison said “There’s a way to do it better – find it.” You don’t need radical transformations. Small changes that deliver what people want faster, with fewer steps and in a more convenient way are what matters.
Just look at Amazon, they are a warehousing company that delivers. Hardly innovative is it? What they were able to do was provide an easier online checkout and more straightforward home delivery than their competition. That’s all it took to make Bezos his trillions. So ask yourself ‘what would Jeff Bezos do?’. Can you make similar simple changes to make your customer’s lives easier? Once you make changes you need to tell people about them regularly and loudly.
Marketing Safety Messages
You are responsible for the safety of your staff and customers. The new COVID procedures for social distancing, wearing masks, hand washing, and disinfecting need to be ‘marketed’ to staff and customers. This is a vital step in ensuring safety procedures are followed rigorously even by people who might not acknowledge their importance. Have you consulted with your marketing team to get advice on how best to deliver these messages? If not you are probably missing a trick.
There are plenty of big brands that have spent a fortune with ad agencies developing content that they have shared via their social media channels. Why not use, re-post and circulate these to keep the messages fresh and save you some time too?
You can create your own memorable or humorous content too. You can use it on your own staff and customers and share it on your social media channels and generate some traction for your business from your safety messaging.
Digital Is King
With online working, lockdowns and social distancing, person to person contact has plummeted. This has reduced many of our traditional sales opportunities. However digital sales and marketing opportunities have expanded fast. Leveraging social media, running Google or Bing adverts, producing videos and podcasts, updating your website, and writing online content are all now essential marketing skills. These digital sales skills are very different from traditional sales skills. Does your business have these skills and if not how are you going to acquire them?
Stand Out
You need to be different, creative, loud, and entertaining to stand out and capture people’s attention. There are some great examples of businesses that have successfully used this strategy.
Go Local
Footfall in retail spaces and city centers has fallen however local shops and high streets have actually had more visits. This reflects the fact people are working from home and buying close to their house rather than their office. Leverage this new footfall to capture as much business as possible. A lot of commuters might not know you exist or what you do so don’t be shy about capturing their attention. Weldtite used a giant inflatable version of their product to really stand out. These inflatables are a great idea as they catch the eye and communicate what you sell instantly and clearly. You can also change their position or even take them to completely different locations to target new customers.
Reposition Your Product/Service
Heineken are great at creating memorable ads. This one helps position their product in the new ‘stay at home’ environment but it does so with very relatable humor. As a result their ads have been viewed widely and shared.
Build Future Demand
Some businesses have had to close down entirely. However the best have used this period to build campaigns that will create demand that should explode once restrictions ease. Banff Springs Hotel is a great example.
