how to change your digital marketing strategy to survive this economic crisis
Covid-19 has changed the way we live. Unable to connect in person, we’re turning to the internet to connect with friends, family, and yes, brands. Now more than ever, your business should be utilizing your social media channels. But without a solid strategy, you run the risk of customers tuning out. Here’s are my top tips for doing it right.
4 minute read
Lead with empathy and be authentic
We’re living through an unprecedented pandemic and both companies and consumers see an uncertain future ahead. However, as the old adage goes, “this too shall pass,” and when it does, audiences will flock to the companies that led with empathy and authenticity during this time of crisis. Humanizing your brand is now more imperative than ever. Here are my top three tips for doing this:
Engage with your users! While this seems obvious, I haven’t seen enough brands doing this yet. Why not hop on Twitter and ask your audience for photos of their pets helping them “work” from home, or do a poll to find out what Netflix shows they are binge-watching. This will create points of connections with consumers that they will remember.
All businesses are trying to adapt to the massively-changed economic realities and ways of living. Your messaging and potentially even your entire business model may be up in the air right now. The best way to determine what you should be doing may be to ASK what your customers and audience need and respond accordingly. Customer feedback may help determine that you need to update your website to make it more user friendly, or that customers want to see more helpful tip videos about how to use a product or service.
Investing in social care tools gives you the ability to leverage your social media channels to provide the high-quality customer service experiences that consumers have come to expect. We all know the high costs of acquiring new customers. In times of economic uncertainty, maintaining your current customer base is vital to your continued success. And on that note, how ARE you maintaining current customers? Are you creating content that is designed to delight them and keep them coming back for more?
If you are struggling with any of the above, make sure to schedule a 30 minute brand consultation with me!
Want a great example of a brand leading with empathy and authenticity? Check out HBO’s new campaign, “It’s OK to not feel OK.”
Your Digital Content Will Make or Break your Brand
Youtube
While I can’t predict the future, I think it would be a safe bet to guess that many businesses will evolve to become permanently distributed. With cash flows at historic lows, the question of whether it makes sense to maintain expensive office space will be asked a lot. This means, among other things, that video is more and more important to your company as a whole, but also to your brand strategy. Simple video such as employees showcasing their lives working remotely makes your organization approachable and trustworthy to consumers. Or how about using a presentation from a recorded Zoom meeting as a thought-leadership piece? You don’t need to recreate the wheel, but rather, can repurpose content already created.
TikTok
Hear me out. While TikTok might not be right for all brands, like YouTube, viewership and users have skyrocketed in recent weeks. It seems like every quarantined family in America is filming choreographed dance videos on the platform. If it makes sense for your brand, give it a go. Remember what I said about humanizing your brand? Having a goofy video of your CEO dancing with her dog may be just what your consumers need to see right now.
Thought Leadership
Covid-19 has led to economic uncertainty not seen since the Great Depression. A strong thought leadership marketing strategy will ensure that your organization weathers the storm. Why do I say this?
“Thought leadership can help you shorten your sales cycle and lend credibility to your brand. And research shows that B2B leaders are paying attention. Nearly half of the C-suite says they vet an organization by its thought leadership and 81% say their trust increases after engaging with thought leadership content.”
While blogs may be the most common platform for thought leadership pieces, don’t forget about webinars. Social distancing means that people are meeting virtually in larger numbers. Webinars are a more engaging way to distribute your high-level content. If they’re popular enough, you can even monetize them, creating an additional revenue stream.
Nurture Your Communities
Humans are social creatures, and quarantine has led to users engaging in digital communities at higher and higher rates. Grow your Facebook community by regularly fostering engagement from users. On Quora and Reddit, providing valuable information that users are seeking answers is great for growing your brand awareness, and once again, builds trust with your audience. Digital events are great for building community as well some of my favorite offerings I’ve seen recently include a virtual book club and a digital happy hour with your top brand fans.
If you found this useful, share it with someone else who could benefit from these tips. If your brand is struggling with adapting your digital marketing strategy right now, make sure to schedule your 30-minute brand consultation!
