While it might seem insensitive to be thinking about how to market your business during the COVID-19 pandemic, at the same time you also need to keep your business afloat, it is not just for your sake but for your employees too. However, you need to make sure you get the balance right and find common ground with those who you are trying to appeal to. Practice empathy and think about what your clients or customers or potential clients or customers may be going through without trying to take advantage of a bad situation as the COVID-19 crisis is no time to get too promotional. In unprecedented times like this, when people are in crisis, it is more important than ever to let your customers and clients know that you are genuinely there for them.
As more and more people turn to online social platforms to keep connected and entertained while self-isolating, each day, there is more innovative and creative content. However, with more content comes more competition, and it’s not just you and your business that is trying to reach certain communities whilst prioritising meaning and entertainment. As social distancing continues to keep people physically apart, it might seem like it is increasingly challenging to make meaningful connections with your customers and clients, but it doesn’t have to be and here’s why:
You can offer help
Don’t try to turn the pandemic into an opportunity to sell; use it as a time to connect. Pause your promotional campaigns that were set to launch before the world came to a stop and as mentioned previously, find some common ground.
Tell Stories
Generally, people react well to stories on social media and particularly real-life stories. It’s these sorts of things that go viral; it’s these things that make people feel and connect and make them want to engage with you. As we’re going through a shared experience right now, it’s essential to communicate by sharing what’s going on with you. Tell a story, let people know how are you managing to have the kids home all day? What kinds of meals are you having right now? What are you getting up to in the evenings? What is your new normal? Are you having work drinks over Zoom? Or quizzing every week with your employees? How is your company helping those in need?
Be present and visible.
Your customers must know that you are there. If they don’t, then they won’t be there either. Let them know that you are approachable and show them that you are there to talk and to listen. Your business may be closed, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t be sharing useful, informative and fun content to connect with people. You could hold virtual consults and make sure that information is easily accessible to your customers so that they know you’re there for them as this will keep your connections secure through the pandemic. Making new connections or nurturing those you already have will make those connections even stronger once we all come out on the other side. So it’s important that your customers can reach out to you with concerns and needs and that they know when and how they can do it. Are you easily accessible? Do you have virtual office hours? Is it obvious that you’re available?
Attract with positive emotions
As this is such an emotional time already, it’s essential to be intentional when it comes to messaging. Don’t leverage fear and uncertainty to promote and sell. If you want to connect genuinely, people need to feel safe and cared for.
Offer options and answers.
Think about who your customers and audience are. What are they going through in particular right now? Are they students who have had to leave University to go back home? Are they parents who are homeschooling their kids while working from home? Are they vulnerable at this time? Think about who they are and offer them solutions to their problems.
Advertise carefully
It’s not just social posts and content you need to think about if you want to advertise you need to take a slightly different slant on it than you did before. According to a blog on Digital Lion, Whether you’re launching ads to re-connect with your existing customers or reach untapped audience pools, the first step is building your audience. While you might already have an audience, it might be a good time to refresh this and create a new audience, one who needs your help? Or one that might be new to social media as they have only joined due to the pandemic.
Go live
If you use Instagram regularly, you may have noticed a spike in notifications for Instagram Live streams. As people are self-isolating and staying at home, influencers, companies and stars are using the live platform more than ever before in order to reach and communicate with their followers on a more personal level. What is great about live streaming is that people have live discussions in the comments, and there are options to stream with other users and the top-of-feed delivery. Because of this, more and more people are choosing this method of communication as the best way to engage with their followers. The best thing about live streaming is that anyone can do it. You don’t need a minimum follower count or a verification, as long as you have an Instagram account, you can go live. Another good thing about live streaming is that the options for multiple users to join forces to live stream. This means that you can instantly have an exchange of audiences, and get numerous communities coming together to support the users they are following.
Use TikTok
You may not have heard of TikTok until recently, but it’s low-level production values, and simple in-app editing makes it accessible for most people with a smartphone. As so many people have been at home together for the past few weeks, there has been a surge in multi-generational TikTok content with parents, grandparents and siblings getting involved. Think about how you and your business can do the same, whether it’s with a video challenge or a viral dance, use TikTok as a tool to bring people together during quarantine and connect with your customers.
Make The Most Of Communication apps
Thanks to video communication methods, people have been able to stay in touch with people they are unable to meet in person. But not only that, thanks to the increase in these communication methods such as Nextdoor and Houseparty apps, there is more fun and innovative ways of keeping in touch with people. Houseparty includes games and rooms and has over two million downloads last week, compared with 130,000 at the beginning of the pandemic. Nextdoor has also become a powerful platform as it has helped people to support each other and organise what’s going on within their neighbourhoods. The platform has allowed people to assist each other with tasks such as collecting prescriptions from the pharmacy or grocery shopping for vulnerable neighbours.
Facebook has also had a 70% increase in people using video calls on their messenger platform. This just shows that people feel that a video call is the preferred option for most people as it is more personal than a phone call and a good way for people to see each other’s faces that they are missing so much. If you can be there for your customers and clients via video call, then this is definitely something you should consider. It adds a more personal touch, even if it’s just to check in on them, or perhaps you can use Zoom to host an event which people can join in on.
Don’t forget the hashtag
#TogetherAtHome is just one of the hashtags that have been trending during the pandemic. The #TogetherAtHome initiative comes from The Global Citizen and World Health Organisation and consists of a series of concert programming interspersed with news and facts about the COVID-19 virus. The hashtag trend is being used by those with influence to build safe spaces for communities to access both entertainment and information and has reached thousands of people and helped in providing them with important information. Using these hashtags is a free but powerful way to expand your social media visibility. However, as there are many trending COVID-19 hashtags around, using something broad such as #COVID19 aren’t going to give you much visibility. Think about the location and industry modifiers depending on what business you are in, something like #covidfashion #covidpetsafety or #covidhomeschooling. Use #athome at the beginning of something relevant to your business or #quarantine before something like parenting, or #quarantinecrafts or #quarantinerecipes. Then add in some of the other COVID-19 hashtags like #wereinthistogether, #wellgetthroughthis, #allinthistogether, #thenewnormal, #alonetogether, #stayhome, #saferathome, and #socialdistancing.
Use these tools to help others, and in turn, you will help your business. Stay true to yourself though and what it is that you do, just think about ways to link to the pandemic and to your customers and clients.
