As a business owner, you most likely have learned over the years to anticipate and prepare for many unforeseen situations, like, if a client decides to cancel a retainer or if an employee happens to fall ill over a long period of time. But there has never been a chance to prepare for something quite like the Covid-19 pandemic, which may leave you a bit unsure about how to continue forward in these shaky, unpredictable times. 

Social distancing, self-isolating and remote working are all becoming the new “normal” in an effort to contain the virus. These new circumstances can definitely present as challenging for many businesses who are looking to make a smooth transition from traditional to digital ways of doing business while at the same time, moving forward. But while the Covid19 pandemic may present as a stressful, scary and isolating time both professionally and personally, it can also serve as a time for innovation and growth.

New opportunities and approaches

Now is perhaps the time for your business to seek opportunities and try new approaches by reaching out to the community via social media. Look for ways to offer assistance and reassurance to people during this difficult time. This shows that you care and promotes business brand awareness at the same time. It also encourages others who see your posts to give of themselves, helping people who are otherwise struggling within their community. 

Remember when reaching out online, always make sure to respond to the Covid-19 crisis using the appropriate and correct messaging as a brand. It’s also best not to fixate on the subject too much. 

Having an online presence

An online marketing strategy for your business, if you don’t have one already, is essential. Especially now, during this time when events, conferences and meetings are off-limits. Make use of your business’ online presence and think of ways to connect with people. You can use social media’s Facebook Live videos and Youtube live videos in addition to hosting webinars and virtual conferences which are made possible by online meeting tools like Zoom and Google Hangouts, to reassure your audience and position your business as a caring and reliable one. 

You can also use the above online meeting tools in your own business. Conduct virtual meetups and catch up meetings with your clients to stay in touch. Check-in with your staff daily to see how they are progressing with work and effectively manage new and ongoing projects within your business.

Be realistic and adapt

Keep in mind that it’s not realistic to expect your online conversion rate to remain the same if your business offers a service which requires people to plan ahead or travel. To help address this problem, divert from your usual content that would have previously outperformed online and look for new and helpful ways to engage your audience. Another idea is to focus some of your energy on creating content that is evergreen. This type of content will benefit your marketing strategy in the long run, even after the Covid19 crisis is over.

When brainstorming new content, switch it up so that Covid-19 is not your only focus. This is important as audiences tend to become easily bored and tired of content that discusses the same thing over and over, so to make things interesting and focus on different relevant topics as well. Start a conversation using social media platforms to find out what your audience finds important right now. Ask them if they have any concerns or questions and use the answers to create content that meets their needs or curiosity. Give them a reason to stay.

Consider paid advertising

Don’t forget about the power of paid advertising. With paid ads, you are likely to have less online competition due to the current economic downturn. This is simply because the systems run on a bidding mechanism. Usually, more businesses would invest in paid advertising and that would make competing difficult with costs adding up, but with fewer businesses being able or willing to spend their media budget, you may find that the ability to compete at relatively low-cost levels now exists. So take advantage of this phenomenon especially now, while you can.

Use all the above suggestions in order to remain top of mind as well as boost brand awareness while giving something back to your audience and community during this trying time for all.