Monthly Archives: April 2020

The Dos and Don’ts of Communication During COVID-19

Effective Communication

Businesses both large and small are navigating uncharted territory right now when it comes to communicating with clients and marketing to prospects. Is it insensitive to be advertising for your company right now? Does promoting your brand during these times come off as exploiting a health crisis? COVID-19 has unearthed a number of important aspects of running and marketing a business that may have never been considered before. The reality is that companies must come up with a plan to keep business afloat and, like any good business plan, marketing is an essential component.

Your marketing strategy and communication does not have to shut down during this pandemic, but it does need to take into account our current situation. This is not a time to be tone-deaf because prospects and clients, even your most loyal clients, will take notice. With this in mind, it’s time to start considering how to best market your business without offending anyone. The answer? Provide value and, more importantly, be helpful.

COVID-19 Marketing Strategies for Timely Communication

Actively communicating with clients and prospects during the pandemic is absolutely acceptable. The manner in which you do so, however, is the potential cause for concern. This is where companies are either receiving major praise or taking major flak. For instance, sending a promotional email that fails to address the unusual circumstances we find ourselves in can rub people the wrong way. On the contrary, running that same promotion with a helpful tone that recognizes these crazy times can go a long way in keeping current clients and drawing in new ones.

Stay Relevant

DO: continue to communicate your brand’s value by offering promotions and other incentives that may help your target audience during these times.

DON’T: put your current marketing strategy on hold.

Strategically Promote Your Content

DO: take advantage of the uptick in people’s media consumption by promoting timely, useful content.

DON’T: post random content just to take advantage of a steady audience.

Providing Value

DO: take into account how the coronavirus is impacting your target audience and offer useful guidance as it relates to your brand.

DON’T: distribute content that serves no immediate value to your audience during these times.

Maintain an Online Presence

DO: make sure that your store hours and accessibility is readily available on your local listings. Be proactive in informing your audience about company status.

DON’T: assume your customers and prospects know how your brand is handling COVID-19.

Differentiating Your Brand

DO: get creative in how you sell your product and/or services right now. People are more engaged online than ever before and now is the time to separate yourself from the competition.

DON’T: get lost in the shuffle of similar brand messages that all of your competitors are pushing.

Riding the Wave of Uncertainty

The roadmap for the next few weeks and months is laced with ambiguity and giant question marks. It’s hard to navigate these uncharted territories without having a few missteps here and there. Nevertheless, the biggest mistake companies are making right now is not necessarily saying the wrong this, but not saying anything at all. Communication has never been more essential.

Simply put, your clients have no idea what is going on with your brand unless you tell them. Get your team together, brainstorm a sensible strategy, and take action. Together, think through the best way to communicate with your audience and be sure to avoid making costly mistakes. In the end, the brands who handle themselves with compassion and strategy will cross the pandemic finish line stronger than ever.

Are you looking for some guidance in communicating with your clients and prospects? At Big Customer Network, we specialize in communication and marketing with strategy. You can probably use our help now more than ever, so contact us today to learn more!

Digital Marketing During COVID-19 and Beyond

Online Marketing

 

COVID-19 has impacted nearly every aspect of the lives of individuals and businesses across the globe. From contract workers to small businesses to large corporations, a multitude of adjustments have been and will continue to be made. The reality that we now find ourselves is strange and new. Whether we like it or not, we need to rethink everything when it comes to the way in which we conduct business including digital marketing.

The changes have been drastic and far-reaching, but they all have a common thread: nearly everything must be digital. Conference rooms have been replaced with Zoom meetings, classrooms have moved online, groceries are being delivered via an app, and the list goes on and on. So, where does digital marketing come into play? How can companies adapt and stay afloat during these unprecedented times?

The answers aren’t always crystal clear and they seem to be evolving with each passing day. However, there are a few things that we know will be true today and tomorrow. Digital marketing was important yesterday and it’s even more important tomorrow. With this in mind, we are breaking down just how important it is to establish, maintain, and grow your online presence in the world of COVID-19 and beyond.

Let’s dive right in.

Start Internally

It would be unfair to jump right into digital marketing tactics without addressing the elephant in the room: a lot of businesses are suffering right now and are simply clueless when it comes to basic functions. Before we discuss how you are communicating with your customers, it’s important to figure out how you are communicating with your team. The best place to start is to establish protocols and best practices.

With everyone working remotely, it can be extremely hard to keep track of roles and responsibilities. Take advantage of platforms like Hatchbuck, Basecamp, or Zoom to begin to streamline your operations. Don’t be afraid to try a platform and then change your mind. Everyone is learning as they go and it is important to find a good fit for your particular industry and company.

Beyond nailing down a communication and workload strategy, it is important to find a way to keep employees motivated and engaged. Encourage workout breaks and happy hours, recognize great work and contributions and be as transparent as possible in conveying the status of your company’s overall health.

Take Advantage of Digital Marketing’s Power

Coronavirus may have shined a light on all things digital, but the truth is that digital marketing has enjoyed its time in the spotlight for many years. With mounting pressure to “flatten the curve”, people are stuck inside and forced to conduct their day-to-day routines inside. And that means relying on the internet for, well, everything.

There are a few critical digital marketing elements to focus your efforts on right now:

Email Marketing

Unless you are living under a rock, you have probably received countless emails informing you of how any company you have ever interacted with is handling COVID-19. In some cases, this was necessary and important. However, the real value in email marketing lies in the months ahead. First, focus on customers. Reward their loyalty with a great deal and remind them that you are open for business. Next, promote your best-selling product/service to your entire list. Highlight the selling points succinctly and send a follow-up to anyone who clicked on a link in the email.

Review and Optimize Your Website

Now is a great time to make sure that your website is up-to-date. Make sure your products/services pages are current and that all links are working correctly. Test contacts forms, add links to your social platforms, and regularly add blog/article content. Finally, put some real time into your search engine optimization (SEO). While there have been dips in sales and traffic across websites in every industry, these numbers are expected to rise and you want to be prepared.

Get Social

People have a lot more time on their hands these days, and that means that they are spending way more time on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Take advantage of this by posting relevant, valuable content and then engaging with prospects and customers. In addition, invest in ads. Facebook ads are currently seeing a very low cost-per-click (CPC), so build a well-thought target audience and launch some ads.

Go for the Google Ads

There has been a recent surge in cost per conversion across nearly every industry running Google ads. Organic traffic has been down, so now is the perfect time to capitalize on paid ads. It’s easy to view now as a time to curb ad spending, but it is just the opposite. With less competition, now is the perfect time to run a set of highly-targeted Google ads.

The Timelessness of Digital Marketing

COVID-19 has unearthed a new necessity when it comes to digital marketing, but its value is truly ageless. In fact, the coronavirus outbreak is likely to highlight the fact that people don’t really need to go into stores, whether we like it or not. Now is the time to dedicate your time and your budget to digital marketing.

Looking to stay afloat in this uncharted territory? Big Customer Network is here to help. Contact us today to learn more.

The Marathon of a Digital Marketing Strategy

Surviving in today’s ultra-competitive market means targeting prospects and consumers strategically, no matter what industry your company may fall into. As a business owner, the pressure to perform is high. Employees, and you, are depending on the survival of your company. In 2020, that means focusing on digital marketing strategy. While there are a lot of pieces that lead to a thriving business, digital marketing has become a piece impossible to ignore.

With that in mind, companies today are no longer asking if they should implement a digital marketing strategy, but rather how best to do so. With so many options at your fingertips and the internet offering a sense of transparency to your competitors’ actions, it’s easy to want to do it all. Launch the Google ads, establish a content marketing plan, optimize everything for search, hire social media experts, redesign your website, start an email marketing campaign, and the list goes on and on. Sure, these are all important aspects to consider, but there is a critical thing to remember here: digital marketing is a marathon, not a sprint.

When inundated with information online, it is tempting to fall into the trap of “we have to be first”. It feels like the movers and shakers are the ones who got there before anyone else. The reality, however, is that those who got there with a plan typically outlast those who got there first. At its core, successful digital marketing is for those who play the “long game”. The businesses who not only understand that but act accordingly will win in the end.

Today, we spend some time taking a look at the ins and outs of the marathon that is digital marketing.

Digital Marketing That Works Long-Term

Search engine optimization (SEO) is a great place to start to fully understand digital marketing as a marathon. “SEO experts” who promise 1st-page rankings in a week are not getting you there in an above-board manner. Black hat methods refer to efforts like keyword stuffing and buying links. Sure, these efforts will boost your Google rankings temporarily, but then it will all come crashing down. Unethical marketing practices will not serve your business in the long-run and will likely lead to a penalty from Google.

Successful SEO is all about consistency and commitment. No one just wakes up and decides to run a marathon. You train steadily, commit to a plan, and eventually work your way up to 26.22 miles. Much like a runner, a digital marketing plan must lay the groundwork for success and then progressively grind towards the ultimate goal.

Now that we understand the “long game” of digital marketing strategy. It’s important to remember the following tips to avoid falling into the “do it all now” trap that inevitably leads to failure:

  • Be patient – most new digital marketing efforts take time to become successful. Stopping an initiative too early often means making a decision based on too little data.
  • Accuracy is more important than speed – take your time and do it right, it will pay dividends in the long-run.
  • Set long-term objectives 1-5 years out and then backtrack from there to smaller, more attainable goals.
  • Don’t be a copycat – just because something worked for someone else doesn’t mean it will work for you. Digital trends come and go extremely fast, so don’t invest if it isn’t a great match for your industry and company.
  • Think about timeliness – the best digital campaigns are those relevant today and Try to avoid building a campaign around a super timely topic.
  • Don’t settle on past successes – it’s easy to declare yourself the master of digital marketing when a campaign goes right. But don’t fall into the trap of ceasing your efforts after a big win.

From paid ads to content creation and from social media to email campaigns, digital marketing can be overwhelming. If it seems like your competitors are running by, let them go. The real winners in the digital marketing race are those running the marathon, not the sprint.

Is your company looking to get ahead of your competition with digital marketing efforts? Big Customer Network is here to help. Our digital marketing experts are awaiting your call. Let’s make something happen today!