Marketing Differently During the Pandemic

While we are eager for normal, we need to do marketing differently during the pandemic. How are you going to find new customers?  Will trade shows come back in 2021 or ever?  It seems like it is going to be a while.

Waiting around for trade shows to return may not be the best strategy to keeping business going.  While some virtual conferences have started to show up, for the time being, digital platforms, direct mailings or dialing for dollars are what we have.  The importance of communication, networking, and doing business face-to-face is still a thing.  So how are you going to make this work? Here are 7 things you can do right now to start getting business on track.

Seven Marketing Tactics

1. First things first – if you haven’t already done so, reach out to your existing customers.  With the various market segments experiencing initial pandemic fallout differently, finding out where they are at and what they need from you is critically important.  Some may have reopened fully or partially, and some may have been considered essential from the start.
   
   
2. Communication – stay in contact with your customers and keep them up to date on what you are doing that can provide them with assistance when they are ready.
   
   
3. Target audience – who is your target audience, where are they now and how can you reach them. Many people have been spending more time on social platforms.  LinkedIn is a terrific way to make new connections and reconnect with people you haven’t been in contact with for a while – IF your customer profile hangs out there.  For many B2B companies, it makes sense, but not for all.  Facebook and Instagram are excellent for most D/B2C and some B2B.  You can use Facebook groups, ads and marketplace individually or in combination depending on the audience you are trying to reach.  Other social platforms are better suited to more niche demographics.
   
   
4. Videos – videos of your business, of you and your people.  People want to know who they are going to be doing business with.  Videos can be used on your web site, on social media and in a variety of ways to help people get to know your brand.  Use your imagination! If you are a manufacturer or fabricate – videos are perfect! People love to see how stuff is made.  B2B service companies such as HVACR or electrical can capture video of a diagnosis, a process or technicians safely having fun (we know fun happens now and then).
   
   
5. Digital networking – Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet – yes, fortunately, or unfortunately, we are going to have to keep meeting this way. The cost and risk of long-distance traveling for in-person meetings are much too great now and will be for some time to come.
   
   
6. Direct mailing can be effective if you know where people are physically located.  With the increase of digital communication and less actual USPS mailbox content during the pandemic, a well-targeted and produced direct mail has become more welcomed.  You can achieve incredible results with a direct mail campaign with appropriate messaging, design, empathy, and execution. 
   
   
7. Cold calling – as a marketer, dialing for dollars is by far my least favorite approach to new business but in some ways, it is a little easier to have real conversations with strangers on the other end of the phone.  We need to be sensitive and empathetic. Asking the prospect how they have been handling the crisis can help break the ice.  Finding the best approach, documenting a process and tweaking for improvement will help with success. 

As some states have begun to reopen, others are seeing the number of COVID-19 cases rise.  The future remains unclear and business leaders need to plan and continue to review and adjust tactics to make sure that business goes on despite the uncertainties.

Adjusting to this new reality means that businesses have to revamp their marketing strategy entirely and come up with innovative ways to allure customers.

If you lead an organization without internal marketing staff, or a team that needs some additional support, you can turn to GoldTree Marketing to get the consulting and hands-on resources you need to ensure your success. Call 508-558-1972, email [email protected], or contact us.