Why You Need To Keep Marketing During The Coronavirus Pandemic

It goes without saying that the coronavirus pandemic has been an especially difficult time for businesses.

Many have been forced by executive order to close temporarily or alter their operations. Others have done so willingly out of an abundance of caution. Even those that are still running business as usual have not had the same customer traffic they normally would. Meanwhile, some businesses, such as grocery stores and liquor stores, have been so busy they cannot keep up with the demand.

But what all these businesses have in common is a need to keep up with marketing. In a time of inconsistency and uncertainty, people want as much information as they can. More importantly, if you’re one of those businesses that has had to take a step back, it’s crucial that you stay as visible as possible.

The good news is that the business scene and society won’t be in the state forever. As CNN reported on March 15, China is lifting its travel bans and seeing other aspects of life go back to normal. The hope is that the United States will follow China’s trend and start to see a decrease in cases in the coming weeks.

Why Marketing Matters Now More Than Ever

But in the time between now and then, marketing is the key to ensuring your customers have two vital pieces of information: 1) what operation changes you’re making during this time, and 2) that you’re still here when life goes back to normal.

And while that second key piece of information — that you’re still here when the world goes back to normal — sounds dramatic, don’t underestimate the importance of it. If you have to close up shop for four to six weeks, and you just fall off everyone’s radar during that time, it is going to make matters more challenging for you when you open back up. Remember that being out of sight is pretty much the same as being out of mind. You want and need to maintain a presence.

The easiest way to maintain that presence is online, both through your website and through social media. While everyone is isolating themselves at home, many of them will be scrolling through social media frequently, likely several times an hour. You want to stay in touch with them during this time when your business is interrupted and let them know why they should continue to patronize you, when they can patronize you and how they can patronize you.

Let people know who you really are.

Your business model and brand are unique — when people ask you what sets you apart from the competition, you have an answer ready for them. You know what it is that attracts your customers to you. Well, those hold true whether your business has had to close temporarily or not. And you still want to get that message to your followers.

Look at the world’s isolation as an opportunity: With people spending more time on social media, this means you have more chances to tell them why they should patronize you, whether that’s now or when you open back up. Is it the product selection you have available? The excellent service you offer? The ways you are connected with the community? The great experience you provide?

All this information should be out there consistently. Just as you continue to market yourself after hours, knowing that someone who sees your ad at midnight might decide to do business with you the next day, you should continue to market yourself during the weeks that you are closed.

This is the time to give them the information they need.

But it’s also important that you market when your business is available to people. If you’re temporarily closed, you should let people know that you’ll be announcing your reopen date on social media as soon as you have one available. If you’ve altered your hours, let people know so they don’t show up at a time when you’re not there.

For some businesses, their model might change entirely during this time. If that’s the case for you, let people know how they can support you. In some parts of the country, elected officials have enforced a shelter-in-place order, and only necessary businesses can remain open. This could soon be a reality for any other part of the country, and businesses will be forced to close whether they want to or not.

Maybe you move your business to be exclusively online right now, and you can start to offer shipping or curbside pickup for your customers. If you’re a restaurant, you might have adapted by offering takeout or deliver. Some gyms or education services have moved their sessions to be available via video online.

All of these are great ways of adapting, but they won’t do you much good unless you clearly promote them to your customers. Take advantage of all your platforms to consistently push the message that, yes, you are still open for business. Remember that people still have needs and wants. They are probably feeling it now more than ever. Your marketing strategy should be about connecting with them to let them know that you aren’t going away.

Once life goes back to normal, you will be grateful you stayed visible to everyone. In some cases, you might have gained followers. You will also be able to communicate when you are opening back up, what you will have to offer, and what parts of your adjusted business model (such as curbside pickup) you might continue to offer even when coronavirus goes away.

For more guidance on how to stay consistent in your marketing during an inconsistent time, reach out to Ann’s Social Media & Digital Marketing today by visiting www.asmmdigital.com or calling 443-679-4916.