Over the last couple of weeks communities in the US and throughout the world have experienced dramatic changes in daily life. Friends, family members, and neighbors have learned to lean on each other more than they ever could have imagined. As for those of us in the business world, we were quickly prompted to understand that we must never underestimate the need to pivot our business and marketing strategies in the event of a crisis. As E/Power Marketing’s President, Larry Stopa, mentioned last month, we are quickly learning alternate ways to connect with others and conduct business during the COVID-19 crisis, and now – more than ever – we need to learn how to put these new strategies into motion.
Pivoting Left
As a marketing agency that serves clients in several industries, we have felt the heartbreak of watching local businesses forced to close their doors due to the mandated “Stay-At-Home” ordinances. So, how do we get through these tough times?
The answer is to persist with the strength of our communities! We must be willing to learn from others during this unprecedented time – including being open with sharing resources and experiences to help guide one another across (what feels like right now) an impossible stream. Sometimes we may need to “pivot left” to keep our local economies afloat.
Maintaining the Right Marketing Efforts
That is crucial to keeping your doors open and accomplishing the new “normal.”
Marketing serves as a shoulder for your business to lean on during times of crisis. Of course, as every accountant and financial advisor will tell you, tough times require tightened pockets. While to a certain extent that is true, it’s incredibly important for the longevity of your business to continue some marketing efforts. Cutting back is one thing, but canceling all marketing efforts – especially when it comes to a crisis and/or recession, can be detrimental to your business and the loyalty of your customers.
Now more than ever, it’s important to show your customers and your community that your business and services can still be relied upon when they need it the most. If your loyal customers or prospects no longer receive communication from your business on their social news feeds, in their email, etc… they will think your business disappeared – that you no longer exist.
Out of sight – out of mind. As a business owner, that is the last thing you want. So, how can you maintain your marketing efforts and reassure your customers on a limited budget?
Pivoting Your Digital Marketing Strategy
There’s a variety of digital tools out there that businesses can tap into to create helpful, engaging information for their customers. The power of digital marketing is at our fingertips and (an extra bonus) allows us to reach out to our customers while complying with social distancing guidelines!
Our question for you is… are you currently utilizing any of the following?
- The Power of Email – Email marketing has been around for years. – Yes, at one point people began to feel overwhelmed with the number of emails landing in their inbox. However, if you know your target audience, create a unique message with engaging content, and find an ideal communication frequency – you can run a successful email marketing campaign! Better yet, there are a variety of ways to utilize digital marketing on a thin budget! Are you ready to Pivot Left?
- The Power of Digital Ads – During this time of crisis, most businesses are pulling back on their advertising spend. While that may feel like the correct move right now, we recommend taking a step back to analyze the market’s current trends. Review the Buyer Personas that you created last year – or the even personas you just recently updated for 2020. Everything within our economy has pivoted – and you need to pivot, as well, before making decisions with your digital marketing efforts.
Earlier this year we mentioned that an important concept for any successful marketing strategy is that you must reach your customers where they are. Now during these uncharted waters, where has your audience shifted to? That previous marketing channel which produced a high ROI may not be the ideal channel now. It could be time to Pivot Left.
- The Power of Content Marketing – Now is the time for you to share your resources and expertise with your community, friends, and family. Did you know that content marketing fosters conversion rates six times higher than other methods and helps build trust and authority with your customers and clients? Through well-written content, your brand has the opportunity to establish itself as an industry resource (more important now than ever!), drive qualified traffic to your website, and convert visitors into customers. Is now the time to Pivot Left?
Over the next couple of weeks, we encourage you to follow along as we share some of the tricks and trades that we’ve learned over the years and, more importantly, how E/Power Marketing has learned to Pivot Left ourselves!
We are in this together – we want to hear what others in our local communities and across the nation to see what you have been utilizing to endure an unprecedented time. Rember, we are in this together! #CommunityStrong!
