In normal times, we have a slew of marketing tips at the ready to dish out to our clients, peers, and friends. Marketing is, after all, what we do all day; but now in the time of the new coronavirus, the game has changed. The digital marketing tips we would’ve prescribed to you during an average spring season just won’t fly right now. We wanted to bring you some marketing and business advice that’s applicable right now. And since we love working with wellness companies, we’re taking a zen approach to this. With that in mind, here are the new marketing mantras to adopt for best business results during COVID-19
Help, Don’t Sell
Close your eyes, take a deep breath, cross your legs criss-cross applesauce if that’s what you’re into… and silently repeat “help, don’t sell.” Might sound ridiculous, but we’re pretty serious about this! At our core, marketers are businesspeople. We are the basketball players who pride ourselves on assisting the dunkers (salespeople) on our team. We get our audiences primed and ready to make a purchase. But, right now? Taking this approach would be game over. Instead, it’s time to help. We all can do our part, and we all should. This means completely flipping the script and adopting a mindset of delivering value. What can you do today to give your customers a break? How can you help your customers, suppliers, and employees during this tough time? Figure it out - and then share what it is. Use email to tell your customers about a discount or free service you’re giving them. Use your social channels to let them know you’re there for them in tangible ways, instead of simply saying empty words.
Collaboration is King
One or two months ago, we would’ve said content is king. But there’s a new king in town, and it’s all about working together. Everyone is tight on resources and high on stress. So think about how you can maximize partnerships and other relationships in positive ways for both parties. Can you put together a shared ad campaign with a company that offers complementary services to your own? You’ll both save some money by sharing the ad costs, and get exposure in the process. What about merging a virtual event for your customers and a partner’s customers?
If you can find a way to slash expenses and bring double the value to those in your network, it’s definitely worth a shot. When you market these initiatives, be sure to make that value clear and let your audience know how it will benefit them.
Do The Next Right Thing
Things are changing right now at a breakneck pace. Maybe your top priority of yesteryear was your referral marketing program, but now it’s screeched to a halt because people are isolated and not recommending brands to each other like they once did. Don’t try to force it, or strong-arm every tactic you used to rely on until it submits to a virtual format. Oftentimes, it just won’t translate. You need to get creative and focus simply on the next task in front of you. What’s the next right thing you can do? If you had to furlough some employees because your revenue has taken a nosedive, it’s probably not best to throw your limited resources into a splashy ad campaign. Not only are the optics really poor in such a scenario, but it’s also likely to not be the highest ROI-producing tactic right now. Use your resources wisely, and for maximum effect. This might mean giving away some free products or services, in exchange for reviews or retweets. Or it might be pausing expensive, risky campaigns and asking your marketing people to call customers and find out how you can help. COVID-19 has disrupted business as usual, so marketing as usual just won’t cut it. We hope you adopt the marketing mantras above and, as a result, see some better results. If you’d like any more digital marketing tips or business advice, we're here to help.