ARTICLE DATE: 15 APRIL 2020
Things May Seem Uncertain Now, But You Can Overcome Them
COVID-19 is affecting the world in a way we haven’t seen before. Public spaces are empty, people are out of school and work, and we’re all trying to remain calm amidst all of the chaos. We understand that the impact of COVID-19 is very real for a lot of business owners.
We know many people are losing their jobs and when you’re talking about small businesses, “people” means friends, family and coworkers that feel like family- loved ones. With the restrictions on social interactions and limitations of space, a lot of businesses have had to send their employees home, change their work procedures, and re-evaluate how they’re going to stay afloat. It’s a scary time to be a small business owner, but we’re here to tell you that there are ways to turn this situation around.
One Of Our Clients Is Currently Generating 7x Their ROAS During COVID-19
As a business owner, we understand you may have several questions in regards to marketing your business during COVID-19. Are customers even looking to buy things right now? Is it even worth the effort to promote your business at a time like this? The answer to both is yes.
Navigating economic prospects is a little bit different right now, but the desire to buy goods is always there. Many consumers are still looking for everything from necessities to luxury items. Some people are actually spending more time shopping because they have more time and access to online distributors from staying home during the Coronavirus.
Fortunately, there are ways to keep your business moving forward at this time. By adjusting your marketing efforts and adapting to the recent challenges, you can develop a strategy that engages and reassures your audience amidst the Coronavirus scare. Still unsure about it? Kenz Laurenz, a fashion brand that designs active wear and accessories, worked with us to adjust their digital marketing strategy around the developments with Coronavirus.
With our adaptation strategies, they put out a new Facebook ad campaign on April 2nd, and were able to achieve these results in the first two weeks:
→ Increased their total link clicks 20-fold
→ Doubled their conversion revenue
→ Generated 7x return on ad spend (ROAS)
→ Accumulated 29 new website purchases (and counting!)
Now the question everyone wants to know: how did they do it?! The short answer is this: they took the hair-bow and headband products that they sell online and repurposed them into a DIY face mask kit.
Now you may be thinking, “My product can’t transform into a health or safety product, so what now?” Don’t worry! We’re going to break down the marketing techniques behind their campaign that you can use no matter what your product or service is!
Marketing Tips For Small Businesses Under COVID-19 Restrictions
Now how did we help Kenz Laurenz optimize their marketing strategy and generate these results? There are a few areas in which we noticed room for growth for them. The great news is that these same areas would make great points of focus for your own business too, no matter your industry.
1. Adjusting Your Marketing Approach
Probably the most obvious adjustment was made to their online marketing approach. In light of Coronavirus concerns and suggestions made by public health organizations, they decided to temporarily repurpose the use of their products. Since they make headbands, hair ties, and other related accessories, together we had the idea that customers could buy their headbands and hair ties in order to create makeshift face masks for themselves.
Consumers right now are primarily concerned with keeping themselves and their families safe, and face masks are specifically becoming harder to come by, so Kenz Laurenz offered a practical solution that would benefit their audience. Think about what your business offers. Do you provide essential goods? Are your products or services useful for customers at this time?
No matter what you offer, it’s important to find ways to highlight what you do in a way that’s relevant to your customers right now. Reaffirm to customers that your business is helpful and reliable even under current circumstances. You establish more credibility for your business when you can prove that you’re able to recognize the bigger picture and adapt to changing conditions.
The process is simple: Identify customer needs → Adapt your strategy → Assert your value
2. Building Relationships With Your Audience
During stressful times like these, consumers want all of the support they can get. They want to know that the businesses they interact with are taking care of them and have their best interests at heart. Kenz Laurenz recognized an area in which a lot of people needed help, and they did what they could to ease their customers’ stress. By repurposing their products around new health regulations, they were able to provide their customers with widely-needed facemasks.
They even provided sales codes, so that their customers wouldn’t have to stress about breaking the bank. It’s the little things that make a big impact, and their combined efforts proved that they care about their customers’ wellbeing. So what can your business take away from that? Create and develop more relationships with your target audience.
By showing compassion in these trying times, you prove that your focus truly is on the people you serve. Customers want to trust the products and services they rely on, so give them a reason to believe in your business. Not only will you prove that your business is credible, reliable, and trustworthy, you also gain access to more loyal customers who are likely to stick with your business throughout this time period and for the foreseeable future.
One of the best investments you can make as a small business is to invest in the relationship you have with your existing and potential customers. Your customers are the driving force behind your business, and when you prove your value to them, they’ll stick with you for a long time.
3. Investing In Your Long-Term Sustainability
While yes we want to help our clients implement short-term solutions to carry them through COVID-19, we’re also encouraging businesses to look beyond COVID-19. There are many things you can do to prepare your business for long-term success, and yes, you can still carry out some of these methods despite COVID-19 limitations.
The great thing about digital marketing is that you can work on and implement your campaigns anywhere you have a device and internet connection. Our client combined the two previous steps by giving them a helpful solution now and by solidifying a spot in consumers’ minds for once COVID-19 restrictions are no longer necessary.
By establishing a stronger digital presence now, they’ll be able to stand out to customers once things go back to normal. Even if you’re unable to adjust your strategy to reflect changing consumer needs, there are other methods for getting ahead.
For example, now would be a great time to invest in your SEO campaign. This process takes time, and now that you have it, don’t waste it. We provide SEO services that can help you determine high-traffic keywords, implement techniques for optimization, and maximize your growth on search engine results pages. While other businesses are putting their marketing efforts on the backburner, you can make great strides and put yourself at a bigger advantage. This will put you ahead of the competition now and in the future!
Put Your Brand In Front Of Your Audience While They’re At Home & Their Screen Time Is At An All Time High
Remember that you have more available to you at this time than you think. Even if your employees are working from home, or you’re lessening production to a more feasible level, there are things you can do to ensure that you’re well prepared for when COVID-19 is no longer a pressing issue.
Now that many people are out of work and school, internet usage is going through the roof. Stay in front of where your audience is already scrolling while screen-time is at an all time high! You want to make sure your digital marketing efforts are solid and engaging so that you can attract those who might not have had the time to find you otherwise. This situation is unlike anything most of us have seen before, so most businesses are rapidly trying to figure out how to sustain themselves, and for many, smart marketing may be the answer.
By putting effort into your marketing methods where you can, you put yourself back on the path to success. A lot of businesses are pausing their marketing efforts out of panic, not strategy, so use this as a chance to pull ahead of your competition. You can grow in rank and become the prominent provider in the mind of your audience.
Times are tough, but your business can still grow and make it through this. This is an opportunity to prove the value and resilience of your business, so that you can secure long-term success. Many businesses don’t feel prepared to sustain themselves over the course of the next few months, but you have a lot of resources available to help you determine a new path. What’s important now is for you to take control of what you can in the situation.