As our country faces COVID-19 and the mandated precautions to stay healthy and safe, many businesses are facing their worst fears like closing or laying people off. The question is, what can you do to help your business connect with your audience at this time as well as moving forward?
No matter what situation your business may be in, it is important to identify a digital marketing and social media marketing communications plan to engage with your audience. Build a plan that tells the story of your business or brand, how it is affected by this virus, and what you can continue to do to help your community and your customers. A social media marketing plan will help you spread your message quickly online to your target audience, as well as an even larger audience who may not know about your products or services.
Technology is playing a very large role in communication today and is critical in telling the story of your business and how your audience can purchase your product or service. Thanks to technology, there are several digital marketing tools available to keep your message interesting and reach different audiences. All businesses should ask themselves, “what tools are we using to assist with our digital marketing strategy?”
Many companies are capitalizing this time to revise their digital marketing strategy or create one if missing. Popular digital marketing strategies include social media marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), content marketing, email marketing, and eCommerce optimization to sell products and services online. If you have a website, it is important to make sure that your website and digital brand is optimized for searches. If you do not have a website but operate a local business, there are SEO strategies that should be put in place on the web.
Companies are getting creative and using social media posts, videos, stories, and live broadcasting options to sell their products. Those without websites are using phone payment processing to keep their businesses operating with delivery or local curbside pickup. With the use of social stories, approved eCommerce businesses can link their products to allow the viewer to purchase with a swipe or a click. Video options allow businesses with or without websites to showcase their products or services, ask questions of the audience, and engage with their viewers. All videos can be shared with others and can also be saved to view/share at a later time.
Once social media becomes a part of your marketing strategy, you must identify a content strategy to keep your communications interesting while meeting your sales goals and objectives. It is important to have a goal for all marketing campaigns or communications delivered by your business.
Some ask, how do you sell a service with digital marketing? It might not be easy for all businesses, but some ideas include making video tutorials or how-to videos and selling subscriptions to content. If this is not an option, it is best to share relevant industry information that showcases your business as an industry expert.
Digital and social media marketing allow you to spread your message quicker to a large audience, especially at a time where many are quarantined. It is recommended to use different methods of digital marketing to communicate with your customers in different ways. Keeping in contact with customers, co-workers, and community members will allow your business to have a pulse, no matter the situation. Digital marketing is an essential tool that can be used in many different ways to communicate, educate, support, and entertain your community members.
Plan ahead, think outside the box and build a strategy. This will make it easier to accomplish the goals you set for digital marketing. During and after the COVID-19 quarantine, it is crucial that we connect and support local businesses in our community. Using a digital marketing strategy as a communication tool will make a quicker and longer-lasting message for your organization.
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