The Coronavirus pandemic had brought the whole world to a temporary standstill. Although we have entered the Unlock Phase 1.0, the forecasts don’t seem too comforting at the moment. Also, with a steady rise is the number of infections since the unlock phase began, there is no specific date or time as to when things will be back to normalcy again. Despite all this, we always have to remember that every crisis brings along a basket of opportunities with it.
These are the most difficult times to be trying to market your brand except for those who have embraced digital marketing. While humans still continue to observe social distancing even during the ‘unlock’ phase, the digital world is certainly not under lockdown and this is what the brands can capitalize on. Right now, the main plan of action should be to have a plan of action and act upon it quickly and adapt to the situation faster than others.
Here at ImpulseDigital, we have been working with several brands even during a lockdown, it has helped us understand the situation better and come up with practical solutions. Our recommendations have helped our brands stay afloat even during these turbulent times. We have listed them down for your understanding but before we get to the solutions, let’s assimilate what’s open in Unlock Phase 1.0 –
- People to remain in lockdown between 9 pm and 5 am
- Online entertainment and learning continue to prosper and experience a boom
- International flights continue to be in lockdown while Intra-state and inter-state travel allowed
- Hotels, restaurants, and hospitality businesses will begin services along with malls
With Unlock Phase 1.0 upon us, the following digital marketing strategies are recommended for all the brands:
1. Make SEO an important part of your current marketing strategy
Optimizing your website for local content is affordable and gives a good ROI. During the lockdown, people are paranoid to move out of their homes even to go to a business that is just around the corner. This has made way for more traffic to searches such as ‘near me’ and without a doubt, a business has to take advantage of this. SEO services will help people find you and receive an order but, in the end, it will be the business itself that will be providing the service to the customers and that needs to be on the point. After all, good reviews are directly proportional to good business.
Also, at present, your competitors may have taken their foot off the gas and slowed down a bit, this is the right opportunity up for grabs. This is the time you want to improve your SERP rankings as it will be easier to rank higher due to less competition. Remember, SEO is a long-term investment, the current high ranking you achieve will not vanish once things come to normalcy, thus making the current gains a long-term prospect.
2. Social Media has become more important than ever
Social distancing is the new norm. Humans have begun experiencing and practicing something they have never done before. Whereas, social media is being currently used for purposes for which it was originally invented. The lockdown has forced people to stay home, avoid social interaction, and cancel foreign and local tours. This has led to an increase in the amount of time people are spending on social media. The dormant accounts have become active, friend requests, and social media uploads and engagements are on a rise.
Social media marketing is where the real discussions are happening at the moment, make your brand a part of these conversations. Start a campaign, provide special offers to compensate for the delayed deliveries, make your brand more visible, and a topic of discussion. At the same time, also remember to be empathetic towards the crisis people are facing right now and make them realize that you are with them and will be out of this together.
3. Pay-per-click advertising
Your customers are all online and have more time than ever to offer as attention to notice your brand. So why not create Google ads and grab the eyeballs? Whether they click the ad and make the purchase are all secondary; grabbing their attention and making a place in their minds for future reference should be the primary purpose of running these ads.
COVID-19 has changed a lot around us, but we have stayed strong and remained optimistic about the future and fought like a soldier up until this unlock phase. The same way, brands need to face the repercussions of the current crisis with a steady mind and ensure that the business is running smoothly and at the same time continue to take full advantage of digital marketing services and not fade away from the memories of their customers.
For more guidance on digital marketing during a pandemic? Get in touch with us now. You can write to us at [email protected] or say hi on Facebook / Twitter / or Instagram.
