7 Marketing Tips for Surviving the Coronavirus Outbreak

The Coronavirus outbreak has turned the world upside down. Many around the world are facing job and income challenges due to the outbreak. However, there are steps you can take to blunt the effects of the Coronavirus while minimizing lost momentum that previous advertising campaigns and outreach efforts have gained.

Many businesses are slashing marketing budgets in response to the outbreak, but this strategy is myopic. To maintain a competitive advantage, you must go on the offensive while other marketers are abandoning traditional and digital marketing strategies.

Follow these seven tips to maintain a competitive edge during these uncertain times.

1. Contact Top Customers 

An important marketing tactic at this time is to contact your brand’s top customers. Reach out by video chat or phone personally. Your clients are going through a lot right now. You can be the listening ear that gives them time to vent about their situation and frustrations. In a time of isolation, this feeling of connectedness is needed now more than ever. As a bonus, it will help your customer bond with your business, creating brand loyalty.

2. Reassure All Customers 

While personally reaching out to your top customers is essential, you also need to put effort into reassuring all of your customers. This can be done through email campaigns that help to assure customers that your business is functioning correctly. In these emails, you can also make clear any policy changes your company has put in place due to the Coronavirus. Be a source of comfort to your customers during this time.

3. Update Scheduled Campaigns 

You will need to make some tough decisions about your marketing initiatives. This will require you to take inventory of upcoming campaigns and determine a new schedule for their launches. Take the time to consider the extent to which Coronavirus is likely to impact the campaign’s effectiveness. If the efficiency is likely affected, consider whether the ROI will be positive or negative.

Even if ROI is expected positive, consider the opportunity cost for not holding off on the campaign.

If you have an ongoing campaign, your current vendor should be able to assist you with any changes you need to make in strategy.

4. Prepare for Online Sales 

In this environment, you must also prepare to take your business online. One of the only ways that your customers will be able to purchase your products during this outbreak is online. If you don’t currently have an eCommerce store or website, now may be the time to consider signing up with a platform like Amazon.

5. Remain Top of Mind 

While the Coronavirus outbreak will cause existing sales of high priced and luxury items to be diminished, that doesn’t mean your brand should waiver in marketing.

Your advertising strategy should keep your brand top of mind so that it remains in the consumer’s consideration set. Keeping up marketing efforts during the outbreak will not necessarily result in increased sales, but it will keep your brand top of mind. This will ultimately place you in a better position after the outbreak is over. Because your brand remains in the consumer’s consideration set, the chances of your product or service being chosen for purchase are much higher than if your brand were not top of mind.

6. Create More Digital Touchpoints

Another essential step you can take during the Coronavirus outbreak is to create more digital touchpoints between you and the consumer. This may mean ramping up social media marketing on various platforms and websites.

Even if your business is already selling online, there are plenty of opportunities to increase exposure for your brand. It takes an average of seven touchpoints before a purchase will be made. Consumers will likely be spending more time online, so increasing touchpoints is crucial during this time.

7. Invest in Conversion Rate Optimization 

Finally, now is the time to invest in conversion rate optimization (CRO). CRO is the process of increasing the likelihood of customers taking action when they visit your website. As traffic goes down, converting the remaining traffic becomes more and more essential. That is where conversion rate optimization comes into play.

Optimizing conversion rates includes elements such as writing more compelling and clickable Calls to Action (CTAs), adding trust symbols, and streamlining landing pages. During this outbreak period, the traffic to your website will most likely be going down. To keep your sales up and profits coming in, you will have to invest in conversion rate optimization techniques to create a steady flow of traffic to your website.

While these next few months are uncertain, employing these seven marketing tips to your brand will place your company in a great spot once the outbreak has ended. These marketing strategies will help your business build brand loyalty during this difficult time. Ultimately, this will lead to increased sales in the long run.