Should I Keep Marketing Through a Crisis?

May 15, 2020

We hear so often that marketing is the first budget item that business owners push aside when cash flow slows down. While we understand the need to bootstrap from time to time, we also know that the efforts you put into marketing now, during challenging times, will produce long-term returns on your investment.

There are several cost-effective steps you can take now to secure your strategy and stay top of mind for your customers — potential and present — now and for a long time to come.

Work on Your Website

It’s no secret that your business website is a valuable and fundamental cornerstone of your marketing strategy, regardless of what’s happening in the world around us. That’s especially true now, with many businesses struggling to find a “new normal.” If you have to temporarily close your doors or your schedule changes day-to-day, your business website is the best and most effective way to reach out to your customers.

A website doesn’t need to be fancy to be effective. Including your accurate business information, operating hours, and info that site visitors need to answer frequently asked questions about things like services or pricing. Remember: Many of us use our smartphones and mobile devices to search for businesses, so your site should be mobile-responsive. Even the most basic business website can build trust and help optimize lead generation efforts.

Stick with Social

If you haven’t already implemented a social media marketing strategy for your business, now is exactly the right time to do so. Social media is free for people to access and for businesses to leverage and it’s something that users access from anywhere at any time — even when business doors are closed. It’s also a great way to get insight into the conversations your customers are having about your brand.

Make sure you’re regularly updating business information on your LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook profiles and always double-check that it’s accurate. Keep a close eye on your tone and post items that are educational and offer value to the readers. Have it speak to the current challenges your audience is facing and regularly engage with comments to help build an online community. Use what you learn to pivot or tweak your business offerings.

Check on Google My Business

Beyond the website and a regular social media content posting schedule, Google My Business (GMB) pages are another marketing tool that doesn’t break the bank. Customers who are searching for local businesses will most likely start on Google — in fact, nearly 3.5 billion searches are performed every day. You’ll want your GMB info to pop up in those search results, and you’ll want that info to be updated, comprehensive, and accurate so customers know how to best choose you over the competition. GMB pages are free to claim if you haven’t done so already, this tutorial is a great start. Fill in as many details about your business and take some time every week to make sure everything is correct. Take an extra step to help your marketing efforts and add a weekly post as well, even if it’s just a short blurb about the current state of your business. Once again, GMB pages are free to claim and maintain, meaning it can be an affordable tool used by businesses of all sizes.

Follow the Feedback

Would you be surprised to find out that 91% of consumers who responded to a recent survey say they trusted online reviews as much as recommendations from friends and family? While word-of-mouth may look a bit different these days, taking the form of online reviews, testimonials, customer feedback surveys, and more, it remains a time-tested marketing tool that businesses have been using for decades. Because you’re missing out on the chance of wowing customers with in-person shopping experiences, customers will be looking to reviews more to make their purchases

Reviews will also form the foundation of your recovery plan post-crisis. Take some time now to build on the connections you’ve made with past customers and ask if they can share their experiences. Be clear that their help will be a huge support as your business continues to look for ways to grow in the months and years to come.

Call in the Professionals

Business owners have no shortage of tasks on their to-do lists, and that’s even more true when they’re facing down a crisis. You may be tempted to cut back on marketing, but that could be a mistake that will impact your bottom line long-term. There’s research to show that investing in marketing now, during an economic downturn, will pay off in the future. When you don’t know where or how to start, you’ll need to reach out to a team that can help.   Adding an experienced marketing consultant to your corner means you’ll get a comprehensive look and the online presence you currently have and the challenges your business is facing. Professional collaboration also means that you’ll have a better idea of the areas of your marketing plan you should be focusing on and where to pull back. Take some important steps now and depend on the guidance of marketing professionals to offer peace of mind that your business is future-proof — regardless of the challenges you face.

Forecasting the Next Ten Years of Marketing

10 Apr, 2024
Marketing is gearing up for significant changes as we enter the new decade. With new technologies, shifts in buyer behavior, and changes in consumption culture, the way businesses reach out to customers will look very different in the coming years. While we can't say what marketing will look like in 10 years, we can examine emerging trends and strategies to forecast its future. Here are some predictions experts are suggesting could take shape moving forward. Increasing Personalized Advertising Personalized marketing should undergo even more profound transformations in the coming decade, leveraging advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence and data analytics to forge deeper customer connections. With the ability to glean insights from vast amounts of data, companies will craft highly tailored ads and messages that resonate with individual preferences and behaviors, fostering stronger brand-consumer relationships. From dynamic content customization to predictive marketing algorithms, the era of hyper-personalization will redefine how businesses engage with their target audiences on a one-to-one level. Advanced Device Communication The proliferation of voice-enabled devices and virtual assistants heralds a new era in consumer engagement, requiring marketers to adapt their strategies to communicate effectively through these mediums. As voice technology continues to gain traction, companies must anticipate the rise of voice commerce and tailor their approaches to accommodate this emerging trend. By leveraging conversational AI and natural language processing, brands can deliver seamless, personalized experiences that resonate with consumers, whether shopping, seeking information, or interacting with digital assistants. Wider Use of Virtual Reality Virtual reality (VR) is poised to become a ubiquitous tool in the marketer's arsenal, offering immersive experiences that transcend traditional advertising methods. With VR, brands can transport consumers into captivating virtual environments where they can interact with products and services unprecedentedly, fostering deeper engagement and brand loyalty. As VR technology becomes more accessible and sophisticated, expect to see a proliferation of immersive marketing campaigns that leverage the power of virtual experiences to captivate audiences and drive conversions.

The Power of Storytelling

12 Mar, 2024
Marketing tends to focus on analytics and systems, but we sometimes forget about one powerful tool that has existed since the beginning: storytelling. From our ancestors telling ancient myths to be passed down for the generations to come to modern-day brand narratives, stories have held the power to inspire and connect in all different ways. Today, consumers face a constant bombardment of advertisements and catered content; using the power of storytelling in marketing campaigns has become critical for businesses, especially smaller firms aiming to create meaningful connections with their target clients. Why Storytelling is an Effective Strategy When a brand uses storytelling to convey its message, it connects with the audience emotionally. By telling a compelling story, marketers can create a memorable experience for consumers, making them more likely to remember and engage with the brand. Additionally, storytelling allows marketers to communicate the brand's values and personality more authentically. Instead of bombarding consumers with sales pitches, storytelling enables brands to share their stories and build trust with their audience, increasing brand loyalty and customer engagement. The Emotional Resonance of Stories At the heart of storytelling lies its ability to bring out emotions and create profound connections on a human level. Unlike traditional marketing messages focusing solely on product features or sales pitches, stories can engage the audience's imagination, stir empathy, and spark genuine interest. By weaving narratives that resonate with their target audience's hopes, dreams, and challenges, small marketing firms can create a powerful emotional bond that transcends transactional relationships. Building Brand Identity and Authenticity Storytelling is a potent tool for small businesses to authentically define and express their brand identity. Through compelling narratives that reflect their values, mission, and vision, small firms can differentiate themselves from competitors and carve out a distinct identity in the minds of consumers. Whether recounting the founder's journey, highlighting customer success stories, or showcasing the company's commitment to social responsibility, storytelling allows small businesses to humanize their brand and foster customer trust and loyalty.

A Guide to Employee-Generated Content

13 Feb, 2024
In a world of "influencer marketing" and brand deals, companies can easily overspend their marketing budgets and get caught up in the frenzy. An influencer may feature your product or brand only for their videos to perform poorly. At best, you lose out on the money spent sending the product to the influencer and whatever you spent on hiring them. At worst, your business gets a bad reputation online, and customers don't take your brand seriously. Consider that influencer marketing is just the "shiny new toy" in marketing. In that case, companies should continue to produce consistent, cost-effective outcome. One source for this? Your Employees. Employee-generated content refers to any videos, pictures, or copy that employees publicly post about their position and the company. Find out the benefits of employee-generated content (EGC), what this content can look like, and how to implement EGC into your overall strategy. What Does Employee-Generated Content Look Like? The beauty of employee-generated content is that it can take many forms. Any content your employees make that involves details about their role, the company itself, or the relationships they've developed with coworkers or customers/clients can be EGC. A simple, straightforward EGC piece can be an employee spotlight for new hires or veteran employees. You can choose to craft employee spotlights as infographics with a picture of the employee along with some fun facts about them, write a long-form piece from an interview with the employee speaking about their time at the company, or even long or short-form videos with the employee speaking on their experiences. While these methods may require the help of a graphic designer, copywriter, or videographer, the idea is that the employees generate the content by speaking about their experiences and introducing themselves. Other ideas for EGC pieces might be "day in the life" videos following a specific employee throughout their day, reflections employees have from conferences or professional development opportunities, employment milestones or recognitions, or even just pictures employees take with each other or showing what happened that day. There are limitless options and iterations for employee-generated content, and the key is to find out what works well for your business and why.
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