PIVOTING, PRIORITIZING, AND PREPARING IN A PANDEMIC
Marketing strategies are only as good as the market. If, seemingly overnight, your business has approached an unknown corner of a haunted house with signs that read “Proceed with Caution,” you’re not alone. Many large companies and thousands of small businesses are all uncertain what the future brings for them.
The easiest way to cut expenses and conserve is to cut marketing. Your competitors are likely doing it, so why not you? However, what makes your business work is the fact that you are not your competitor—however, you can be your competition.
Read on for more information to help you get out of your way in these uncertain times while boosting your marketing and sales.
PIVOT YOUR MARKETING
We all know the concept of “pivot, pivot, pivot”—whether it’s from B-school or Ross Geller. As part of your normal business strategy, you should focus on being agile with the market and pivot when needed. A 5-year, 1-year, and quarterly plan are not etched in stone—they are constantly readdressed to remain relevant for the times.
While you might have marketed your agency, medical devices, or law firm through in-person networking groups, trade shows, conferences, or seminars—social distancing precludes you from your normal routes to success.
The path of least resistance is crowded. Stay away from the crowds and build your online presence. In 2018 videos posted on LinkedIn earned over 300 million impressions. Further, they also earn over 3x the engagement of text-based posts. You can do this from your home, deck, or car. Crafting the right hashtags, tagging the right people, and posting it at the right time are all important considerations.
PRIORITIZE YOUR MARKETING
Last quarter you might have found success with billboards or mailers. However, if everyone is homebound, they will not have the same exposure to your efforts. With billions of people at home and on their devices, why not prioritize your website? Your website has always been your virtual storefront, so take this time to do some housekeeping.
Use funds from in-person marketing approaches to optimize your content, or SEO. Create blog posts and clean up old blogs. Make sure your service and product pages are still relevant to your actual offerings. Remember that blogs are not about you or your company—they’re about what the reader wants to read. Hiring an agency to create your content is a great way to let you focus on your daily tasks without worrying.
PREPARING YOUR NEW STRATEGY
With so many businesses in panic mode, it can be challenging to see past it. Again, you will still have a business to run once this passes—and it will pass. Your new strategy should prepare you for the next quarter. Readdress it in two months if you need to. Remember, everyone is going through this in some way.
Your strategy should change according to your client’s needs. For example, restaurant marketing will now focus on delivery or curb-size pickup rather than happy hour specials on site. Every industry has to prepare a new strategy, so you are not alone in this.
A QUICK NOTE ON SEO CONTENT
When your audience and potential clients are homebound and on their devices 2-3x more than normal, you must show up—and at the very least put forth effort. If your competitors are pausing marketing and content creation this is the best time for you to try to catch up and surpass them. When the storm of immediate panic has passed, you still have a business to run. Remember it is a marathon and not a sprint.
SEO helps search engines find you and match you to your audience. Through a variety of keyword targeting and content creation, you can slowly find your way up the rankings on the likes of Google and Bing. Repeated and consistent strategies have the most impact.
Even if you cut your budget, you can still use your time effectively. Do what you can, but do not stop moving forward with your marketing efforts.
For more information on pivoting, prioritizing, and preparing your marketing strategy in the coming months please contact MDINC.
