Marketing Your Business During COVID-19 and Other Critical Times

The past couple weeks have seen most of the country shut itself down. Many are working from home, while others are not working at all.

Whether either of those apply to you, now is not the time to stop your business’ marketing. If you stop now, will people remember you when the world returns to normal? No, though that may sound harsh, but there is another business waiting to take your spot.

So, how exactly do you market your business when the world is stopped and no one is doing anything?

It’s easy — go to where they are… digitally.

Now is the time for your business to take advantage of all things digital. Everyone is on social media right now, soaking in updates and talking with other people. People are reading their email and text messages because that’s really one of the only forms of communication you can have when you are supposed to be home and not going out.

However, you need to make sure you are staying sensitive to what is going on around the world. There are people who are struggling right now, both personally and professionally. In times like this, I suggest a light-hearted marketing approach. What does that mean?

• It means make sure that your content is all relevant, while being empathetic to what is going on. There is a time and place for all types of content. Just keep that in mind.
• Any news that is non-essential can wait. This won’t last forever.
• Use your content to make people smile plus think of you and your business in a positive light.
• If you have ways you can help, do it! I am all about serving others and helping where I can. That’s why during this time, if a business needs some marketing guidance I am donating time to them to help. For free. Contact me here if that is you!

3 Easy, Quick Ways to Market your Business while Everyone is Quarantined…

Post on social media more than usual.

Everything we’ve learned about peak times for your audience and best times to post is out the window right now. Look at your own social media usage— are you on Facebook more? Instagram as well? If you are, bets are your market is too. If you posted 1 or 2 times per day, ramp it up to 2 or 3. But make sure to space those posts out at least 3 hours apart.

Here are some ideas of things to post on social media:

• Updates on your business and your employees. Show some video or pictures of you and/or your employees quarantining to show we’re all in this together. This is a shared experience for the whole world— show your followers what you’re up to. For example, check out the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City’s Twitter feed.
• Sneak peaks of things you’ve been working on. Working on a new product? Planning a new service? Give them something to look forward to when this is over.
• Fun tips or ideas of things they can do from that that relates to your business. Are you a salon? Share some at-home hair tips to keep your clients from cutting their own hair. Are you an attorney or CPA? Share some applicable tips that will help them. Have fun with this— everyone is escaping to social media for fun and distraction.

Ramp up your email marketing.

If you are actively engaging in email marketing, keep it up! If you haven’t been as active, send out some emails informing your subscribers what is going on, status updates on when you’ll resume business, etc.

Just be careful and don’t be like this:

Targeted Google and social media ads.

Use this time to take advantage of digital ads. Do you have something you want your audience to see? Boost a post on Facebook! Is your business one that does really well from search ads? Set up some targeted Google ads. Digital ads can be very inexpensive and will help keep your business in front of people.

From all of us at ME Marketing Services, we hope you, your family, your business, your employees, and your friends are staying healthy during this time and if we can help in any way, please let us know. And don’t forget to take time during this to spend time with those you love— either in-person with your spouse and kids or via video chat or take a walk outside… it’s amazing what some fresh air can do!