Our current situation with the COVID-19 pandemic has created some significant changes to our daily lives including business operations. Businesses are required to think differently and brainstorm appropriate methods to re-strategize their processes and perhaps, long-term goals. When this pandemic will exactly end is uncertain, which is why it is necessary for businesses to start making changes sooner than later. We recommend following three essential tips for businesses to survive the pandemic.
Take It Online
Now more than ever, digital marketing is the key to engagement. Pause your traditional marketing strategies and unnecessary costs, and shift your focus to increasing your business’ digital presence. A great digital marketing strategy worth emphasizing during this time is SEO. Optimizing your SEO will not only be beneficial during the pandemic, but it will also have a positive impact in the long run. Making adjustments to your website is a start, but if you do not have time to make the technical changes to the entire structure, work on making small changes that can be done quickly. Going through your website’s URLs, optimizing your tags, integrating structured data into your pages and updating your Google My Business listings will all help create a stronger online presence for your business.
Social media is another great digital marketing tool to spend more time on during this COVID-19 pandemic. Keeping your audience engaged is critical especially when physical engagement is not an option. Prioritize utilizing your digital channels to boost content and maintain your brand awareness. Social media channels such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube are highly effective in communicating your brand across diverse groups of people everywhere. These channels also allow for businesses to directly communicate with the audience through creative experiences that will entertain and educate them simultaneously.
Be Flexible
Although we are experiencing very different and challenging times, remember to stay flexible with your options. Some situations will require you to react in ways that you would normally not. However, these are not normal times and various choices will have to be made. Try to be creative and think outside the box. Who knows? Working in different circumstances may bring out innovative and unique ideas. What is important to note is to be flexible but not impulsive. We are experiencing a time like never before, which means bad news one day can lead to good news the next. Be patient, thoughtful and attentive to your surroundings, while strategizing new ways to sustain your business.
Look At Your Competition
If you are unsure about what your next move should be, look at your competition for some inspiration. What are others doing well? What mistakes should you avoid? Some businesses are performing just as well or even better than pre-COVID-19, while others are suffering tremendously. It is important to study both types to review which strategies you should follow and which strategies you may need to dodge. Some strategies may be working for other businesses, but may not apply in the same way for your business. Still, it is beneficial to see how these methods can be shifted and applied to suit your business needs and be just as effective. If you understand how your competitors – both direct and indirect – are positioning themselves during and after this crisis, then this gives you the advantage to prepare your business to return to normal operations.
The COVID-19 pandemic has unfortunately affected many small businesses and continues to create challenging times with the unknown. The pandemic could end in a month or stay for longer, but what is necessary right now is for businesses to take action and re-strategize their plan. Digital marketing is an extremely valuable and effective tool that can support businesses during this crisis, yet also continue to create growth even after this pandemic ends. If you are interested in incorporating digital marketing into your business, take a look at our services and contact us to learn more!
