Marketing Your Business in the Time of COVID-19
Businesses all over the country have had to figure out how to navigate changes brought about by the pandemic. COVID-19 has impacted every industry at every level, and though some companies have been able to adapt relatively easily, others have struggled. Although effective marketing has always been important, a well-designed marketing campaign right now can do wonders for ensuring your business stays on top of peoples’ minds.
The News Letter Journal has created this guide to help you figure out how to create a marketing campaign that will keep you going through the pandemic. Here’s a look at some of the best steps you can take right now to secure your company’s future and develop a strong marketing plan:
Improve Internal Communications
One of the most important aspects of any marketing campaign is making sure you have a consistent message spread across all channels. If you have many different people working on your campaign, however, this can become a challenge. It’s easy for information to change as it goes along the chain, and for you to ultimately wind up sending mixed messages that hold your marketing campaign back.
This gets even harder when everyone is working remotely. Collaboration, which can be challenging enough in person, needs an entirely new approach when you’re working from home. Invest in programs that allow you to work effectively in groups despite the distance. This will empower you to keep all of your information straight — and your messaging consistent — throughout your marketing campaign.
Knock Out Any Business To-Dos
Whenever you launch a new marketing campaign, you need to prepare for the possibility of wild success. Although overnight successes aren’t an everyday event, they do happen, and it’s easy for your company to wind up overwhelmed by the change. That’s why you should take some time to figure out if there are any business basics you should finish up before you dive into crafting your marketing plan.
For example, you should consider whether or not you need to register your business as an LLC. This designation can create some legal protections, not to mention offer tax benefits in certain situations. Getting this done before you start your marketing campaign will put you in a stronger position should your business take off rapidly afterward. Look into Wyoming LLC rules to figure out how to get started.
Invest in Multiple Marketing Channels
When it comes to marketing success, your best bet is to use multiple channels to reach as many people as possible. You should never underestimate the power of traditional marketing, especially for restaurants, shops, and other regional businesses. Perhaps the best opportunity for traditional marketing is tapping into the marketing expertise offered by local newspapers, like the News Letter Journal. Newspapers still dominate advertising, especially in local markets. In addition to printed publications, newspapers like the NLJ also have a significant digital footprint between their websites and social media profiles, giving them significant reach in their communities. (In fact, in the Newcastle market, NLJ is a more dominant advertising medium than all others combined!) By working with the advertising team at NLJ or in your local market, you can easily reach tens of thousands of readers in printed and online publications.
In addition to traditional marketing, every business needs to take digital marketing seriously, as well. Along with newspaper advertising, there are myriad channels online which offer a direct path to your ideal customer. You can use targeted advertising to cast a specific net, and then integrate that with your social media messaging to get customers engaged. Digital avenues allow you to reach out to and connect with customers wherever they are.
Address Your Plan
Use this marketing campaign to give customers a look at your COVID-19 recovery plan, as well as how you’re keeping customers and employees safe in the face of the pandemic. This is your opportunity to promote and explain any changes you’ve made and make your case for how those changes will drive your business into the future.
Remember, every marketing campaign is an opportunity to reach out to customers, share your story, and encourage them to be a part of it. People need to feel connected, now more than ever. Find a way to build that into your campaign, and you’ll stay in people's minds.
Amy Collett is the creator of Bizwell.org, a website that helps professionals and entrepreneurs build and strengthen their personal brand. She is also the author of the upcoming book, You, Exemplified: The Role of Personal Branding in Your Professional Life. When she’s not busy with helping her clients she enjoys coaching her daughter’s soccer team and is training to become a yoga instructor.
Photo Credit: Pexels