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Digital marketing is the ideal way to reach out to your customers and strengthen your brand purpose during the Coronavirus pandemic. However, the tone of voice that’s suitable for digital marketing has shifted. Be human and don’t go for the hard sell. Ask what your customers need. And avoid clichés!
How brands are using digital marketing
Keeping open channels of communication with customers is critical for brands.
For example, Pret shared the message below offering hard-pressed NHS workers hot drinks for free and implementing a 50% discount on all other products. CEO Pano Christou announced the move in his blog, where he thanked NHS workers for all their hard work. The message rapidly gained public support.
The importance of nurturing an emotional connection
As well as staying connected, it’s important to create and nurture an emotional connection to your customers if you want your brand to be successful. And digital marketing is the most cost-effective way to do this. However, be mindful about what you are saying:
Whatever you’re saying will be judged on the climate we’re currently in
Frances Griffin, Senior Strategist at marketing agency MullenLoweOpen
Brands flourishing during the Coronavirus Pandemic
Just 8% of consumers think brands should stop advertising due to the coronavirus outbreak but common sense should be used.
Furthermore, an onslaught of brands have found they have a genuine role to play in a time of crisis, launching digital campaigns and products to help society negate the inevitable impact. This is especially true in the healthcare sector, who have seen an increase in interest and demand for medical and self-care products.
Advertising during a crisis like Covid-19
While advertising products that people want during a crisis period isn’t wrong, it’s important to give it the right context and not be ‘opportunistic’ during a sensitive time. If you do decide to ramp up your digital marketing efforts, ensure that you are protecting your brand image and not using mass promotional techniques.
Indeed, Twitter has a word of caution for brands in the time of coronavirus: “This is not a ‘marketing opportunity.’” It is about understanding the unique role your brand plays in people’s lives, how that has changed, and how your brand can help or be useful during this crisis. It’s also about looking for opportunities to lead by example, and do the right thing, where it makes sense for your business.
Many brands are realigning their communication during the Coronavirus crisis and small businesses need to do likewise to reflect the changing reality.
What exactly is digital marketing?
Digital
marketing refers to any form of communication your business has with its
customers via digital means. It can be used to promote your product/service or
maintain strong customer relationships. It’s using technology to create a
bond between your business and your customers.
And, considering how well connected we all are, creating and nurturing that bond
between your business and your customers has never been easier.
However, digital marketing has many strings to its bow! We will now look at these briefly below:
The most popular types of digital marketing
There are various types of digital marketing but the most popular are as follows:
- Social Media Marketing – organic (free!) and paid
- Content Marketing (including blogging)
- Email Marketing
- Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
- Pay Per Click (PPC)
In this post we will focus on blogging, email marketing and social media marketing.
How can small businesses supercharge their digital marketing on a budget?
It’s important brands communicate with their customers during the Coronavirus pandemic. Digital marketing is relatively cheap compared to traditional marketing especially blogging, email marketing and organic social media marketing.
During the current Coronavirus outbreak, small businesses can reach out to their customers by creating informative blogs, email campaigns and branded social media posts which communicate how they can help their customers.
Top Tips on Blog Post Ideas, Email Campaigns and Social Media Posts
Consumers are being bombarded with information on a level unseen since GDPR as businesses race to reassure customers over the Coronavirus outbreak and try and pre-empt any concerns they might have.
Offer advice, reassurance and empathy
The World Health Organisation is advising people to limit their news intake during these unsettling times but many brands are positively reacting to the Coronavirus pandemic. They are offering advice, reassurance and empathy for their consumers around the world and in turn strengthening their brand positioning.
Be calm, collected and sensitive
The bottom line is that you too can also help your customers, but you need to get the message bang on! Most importantly, your tone of voice and message needs to be calm, collected and sensitive to prevent damaging your brand at time when very few businesses can afford to. And where possible stick to one key message.
Make sure you tread lightly
And always make sure you tread lightly. It’s fine to strike a positive or reassuring tone but do so with care. No crass jokes or edgy humour as it could instantly damage your brand and all the previous goodwill you have built up.
Use your blog to tell a positive story
Use your blog to tell a positive story. There is so much negativity and scaremongering by the press at the moment. What we need to hear are positive stories that will help calm the mind! And storytelling remains the main tool for brands to engage and influence their audiences.
Share valuable updates by email not generic waffle
An email campaign is the ideal way to provide specific updates on how normal service will be impacted not contain generic waffle! You can also provide information about online options now that you can’t hold your fitness or teaching classes etc at outside venues. (for example, how you have moved your yoga class online or started an online course). Make sure you also direct people to your website!
Help your community and share your good deeds via social media
Use your business to contribute to local food banks or assist the elderly with their grocery shopping. You can promote your good deeds via social media to help build your brand. For example, Bijou Concierge has launched an #actofkindness campaign offering female business owners 1.5 hours of business support in return for donations to local food banks. Maybe you can start a similar initiative?
When sharing social media posts make sure you choose your hashtags wisely. And certainly don’t use hashtags like #KeepCalmTravelOn which was used in a campaign promoted by travel agents amid the coronavirus outbreak and has understandably been met with a furious backlash!
Comms Creatives has some great tips on how to use social media during the Coronavirus crisis. Plus Twitter has some great tips for brand communication in a time of crisis.
Provide value and show compassion
To conclude, the best way you can supercharge your brand with digital marketing during the Coronavirus outbreak is by providing real value to your customers and showing compassion. After all we are all in this together but how our brands are perceived is directly linked to how we communicate with our audience.
GRAB A COPY OF MY LITTLE PINK DIGITAL MARKETING TOOLKIT FOR FREELANCERS AND SELF-EMPLOYED HERE: https://bit.ly/3nrMntC
DO YOU NEED A HAND WITH YOUR DIGITAL MARKETING?
If you need help with your digital marketing, I am offering 1.5 hrs of my time in exchange for a donation to your local food bank. Please email annie@bijouconcierge.co.uk with details of what help you need. In the meantime, take care and stay safe!
