There is only one thing that has dominated the news these last few months: The Coronavirus. This global pandemic, also known as COVID-19, has infected more than three hundred thousand people in more than 180 countries. There are over 1,500 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Australia (as at 25 March 2020). It has caused cities to lockdown, markets to crash, factories, and offices to stop operations, and daily life all over the world to halt.
In the next few months, businesses, like individuals, are going to greatly suffer the effects of COVID-19. Can your business survive? Now, more than ever, your digital strategy can make or break your business. Here is your guide to digital marketing strategies and Coronavirus.
Which Business Are Affected?
• B2B Companies – Business to business organizations rely on face to face traffic such as trade shows, exhibits, etc. to build networks and relations.
• Non-Digital Native Businesses – Older enterprises who have been having a difficult time keeping up with businesses that were born and grew up in the digital era.
• Small Local Businesses – Small local businesses get the bulk of their new customers through traditional referral methods like word-of-mouth.
While larger companies will also feel the wrath of the Coronavirus in Australia; their insurance and other safety nets will ensure their survival. Therefore, make no mistake, the enormous challenge of this global pandemic will be felt by small- and medium-sized businesses.
The Key to Your Business’ Survival in Australia: Digital Marketing
The world has come to a standstill. However, businesses in Australia, and around the world, need to keep pushing if they are going to survive this.
As these are uncertain times, more and more businesses have turned to digital channels; and for good reason. Smart business owners understand that in order to remain competitive during a crisis like this, they need to launch or update websites, establish new e-commerce channels, start social media campaigns, strengthen their SEO strategies, and develop their digital marketing strategies.
Customers might be stuck in their homes; but they have not gone anywhere. If you want to win, despite of this global pandemic, you must reach out to your customers. The good news is you know exactly where to find them: online.
Here are some digital marketing strategies you might want to look at.
Digital Marketing Strategies During the Coronavirus Outbreak
1. Connect with your customers.
Literally everyone, whether infected or not, is impacted by COVID-19. Our lives, way of life, and livelihood hang in the balance. This presents the perfect opportunity to check in with people, show a little empathy, and offer help when you can. The key here is to be genuine and not opportunistic. Even when you are not making a sale, genuine connections will help your brand stand out; and people will never forget the sensitivity you showed them. Connect with them through social media and be seen in the community through food bank donations, etc.
2. Ensure your online visibility.
People are stuck in their homes, ergo, they are online. Search traffic has gone up in the last couple of weeks and it’s only going to go up. Consult with your trusted SEO Sydney experts to ensure your business is visible and at the top of search engines’ results page.
3. Try Pay-Per-Click advertising.
People’s screen times have increased exponentially in the last few weeks. Now is a great time to try PPC advertising to reach target customers. Additionally, PPC costs are down and are set to decrease even further so it’s the perfect opportunity to advertise on the cheap.
4. Stay on top of your SEO strategy.
That coveted spot on the first page of Google’s search results page is more important than ever before. Thus, your site and its content must be optimized every day, or you will lose ground and revenue. SEO Sydney experts agree that now is not the time to slow down your SEO campaign; rather it’s time to ramp it up. Do not sit on your laurels.
5. Create a special offer.
Life might have been canceled but people are still people. Many of them are online, browsing for discounts and deals. Offering special discounts and promotions or giving added value for loyal customers will not only keep your revenue, no matter how small, flowing; it is also great to engage with your customers.
6. Invest in local SEO.
During community quarantines and lockdowns, people only leave their homes for essential purposes. And when they do, they do not travel very far. When shopping for important services and supplies, whatever is “near me” gets the customers. Make sure that your customers are able to find you easily through local SEO strategies.
7. Be flexible.
These are irregular times and every business must be flexible. For instance, non-essential activities have stopped so why not take it online? A gym could offer online workout sessions. A dentist can provide consultations online. Music teachers and other tutors can set up online classes. All you need now is a bit of creativity and kick ass social media campaign strategy.
8. Focus on the user’s experience.
UX is a big deal. If your website provides customers with a great experience, they are more likely to stay and buy. A website that is professionally made, has a clear call to action, a smooth path to buy offers a great user experience include.
9. Advertise sensitively.
Perhaps one of the most important digital marketing strategies during the Coronavirus outbreak is to be sensitive when advertising. Do not suspend advertisements but place ads at opportune places. Make sure that your ads are placed in context and not on websites that provide information about and deal with the pandemic.
10. Provide clear and honest information.
Give your customers updated, clear, and honest information about how the business is dealing with the virus and its effects. Update the FAQs on your site and provide links to trusted and credible sources where they can get more information.
Life, as we know it, has been canceled. Ensure your business’ survival during the outbreak of the Coronavirus with digital marketing strategies.