5 tips for marketing during COVID-19

As COVID-19 is labelled a pandemic and the World Health Organisation (WHO) and governments around the globe look to social media to spread the prevention message, it seems many businesses—big and small—are getting caught in the headlights of the virus. But is taking the social distancing approach and freezing marketing and communication activities the right path?

The answer is no. COVID-19 might be considered a black swan—rare, unpredictable and with the potential to bring even further negative consequences. Still, just because something is challenging and unique, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t tackle it as best you can. So, here are some tips you can follow to guide your marketing and communications decisions in the era of COVID-19.

Don’t panic

This might be the oldest rule in the book of crisis management, but it is also the one that people seem to skip the most. Although doing nothing is not an option, neither is making rash and drastic decisions. Take a deep breath and try to be as rational as you possibly can. Not often do you find a one-size-fits-all solution. So, forget what everyone else is doing and ask yourself: Is stopping your advertising and marketing spend the right decision for your business?

If you have run out of inventory and all your products are from Wuhan, China, then, yes, by all means, reduce (don’t stop if you can help it) your spending; just make sure you are looking at the long-term picture, rather than through the short-sighted lens of desperation.

Keeping calm is the first step to making better decisions, spotting unexpected opportunities and driving you and your team to brainstorm those much needed ‘beyond the box’ marketing ideas.

This is an opportunity, so take advantage of it!

This sounds ruthless, I know. How can a pandemic be an opportunity? There is always a way to look at things from a positive angle. If you are not currently one of the lucky ones trying to keep up with the demand for your products, then you are lucky for having time to refocus on those critical but half-completed marketing projects you have put off for so long.

Remember all those marketing must-dos you were planning to roll out? Yes, I’m talking about those goals and funnels in GA that you haven’t had the time to set up correctly or the automated lead nurturing campaign sitting half-done on your to-do list. What about the CRM cleanup you have been aiming to do for months because it keeps messing up your email automation? And let’s not forget that little UX project that will finally put some order to that mess of buttons, tiles and iconography your poor customers have to endure every time they are brave enough to open your app. You get the idea, don’t you?

If this is not the time to focus your marketing efforts on above the line tactics, then make it the time to get back to the foundations of your marketing strategy. Tracking, setting up automation tools, defining persona-based journeys, connecting marketing systems are all critical parts of any marketing strategy, which are often left behind because of the rush of everyday life. So, stop whining about how bad things are and start acting. Get that old marketing to-do list out and start crossing the tasks off; your ROI and customer knowledge will soon thank you for it.

Stay top of mind

Even if you are in the unlucky position of not being able to produce or sell your product during this time, you cannot afford to lose mindshare.

Believe it or not, this could be a good time to put your brand out there, but you will need to be agile and consider new mediums.

Look at the big picture. With governments starting to enforce ‘extreme social isolation’, businesses encouraging remote working and individuals continually searching for information, people are spending progressively more time in front of screens than ever before. Conversely, business uncertainty is leading to a drop in ad spending and the cancellation of event-driven marketing.

Can you see the opportunity? You may not be able to build your brand through events, but you have the chance to use and expand your digital marketing channels and, under the circumstances, may be able to get a better deal for your ad expenditures.

Look at what else is out there. If you are already advertising by using traditional digital channels (AdWords, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn), can you expand your brand reach through other mediums? Are you doing content marketing? Have you tried to use platforms like Outbrain and Taboola? What about TikTok? Can these mediums work for your brand?

If you don’t have a large budget (or any budget), there is still a lot you can do for free. Are you active on social media? Are you blogging? Are you nurturing your leads through email?

This is not the time to do nothing; rather, this is the time to switch gears and look at what else is out there that can help your brand stay relevant.

Review your messaging

Marketing is like dating. You can’t start by talking about yourself and how wonderful you are; rather, you need to focus on your date (customer), find out all about them, what they are going through, and then see if you are compatible (or not). This is never more true than in times of crisis.

Even if your product or solution can genuinely help your customers during this time of social isolation and high anxiety, you still need to put yourself in the customer’s shoes and take into account what they’re going through before trying to hard-sell them.

They are most likely panicking and highly stressed, so this is not the time to approach them with fluffy empty marketing messages (if there was ever a good time for that). Be helpful, genuine and make it all about them. Remember, in times of crisis, there are two things customers will not forget: greed and lack of compassion. Make sure

messaging shows neither.

Prepare for after

As gloomy and dark as things currently seem, this crisis will pass, and you must be ready. It is not just about being able to sell or advertise your product as ‘normal,’ but being prepared for the high possibility of having to adjust to the fact that the notion of 'normal' may never be the same again.

AR, VR and other technologies could soon be the standard way of marketing, and you need to be prepared to act quickly and take full advantage of the emerging trends. Because if there is something that COVID-19 has already taught us, it is that a slow response could be fatal.