Marketing In A Crisis

When the pandemic hit, we PANICKED and when the doors closed for nonessential businesses, companies panicked again.

Are we essential? How long will this last? How can we serve our customers if we can’t see them? This panic leads to layoffs, budget cuts, and small businesses preparing for the worst.

Unfortunately, panicking during a crisis can lead to hasty decisions and for marketing companies, this could mean people are cutting their marketing budget and running for the hills. Sadly, cutting back can almost certainly mean severing that one tie in your business that kept you in business in the first place: your customers. If you are uncertain, imagine how your customers are feeling. Your channels going dark or watching you go MIA can almost guarantee that when the doors open once again, your customers may not even be there. They could feel abandoned or question if you can serve them ever again.

Don’t disappear! Ramp UP your marketing. Almost everyone is home so you have a COMPLETELY captive audience so to speak. Which companies will come out ahead? The ones who use their marketing to their advantage! The shining beacon in the dark tunnel is the one thing marketing companies have in common; when the going gets tough, the creators get CREATIVE!

Business owners and marketing teams now have an opportunity to take their business online if it wasn’t there already. Websites can get polished, social media channels will rise, videos are being shared and emails are being opened at an unprecedented rate if done well. Why ramp it up and change it up instead of cut it back?

New store hours- If your doors are closed and hours have changed, customers need to know instead of putting themselves at risk to stop by
New Policies-With COVID19 rising, employees, as well as customers, want to know how YOU can provide them what they need without having to be there in person. Do you have an online portal? How can they e-sign documents from their own phones or laptops? Do you provide a safe curbside service? Do you deliver?
New Programs-With social distancing gaining importance companies may offer gift card programs, new online services, and remote video conferences to hold meetings for one on one. For example, patients may need information on how telemedicine works from their doctor's office
Sales and Promotions-For some store owners selling merchandise online can be a HUGE way to continue to make a profit. Offering free shipping for larger orders, bonus buys for shoppers who spend a certain amount, and giving discounts on items that will ultimately just sit there otherwise, can help your business stay afloat until those customers can grace your open doors once again with a smile.

What people need now is safety, security, and unity. If you can provide those things online right now, customers WILL support you! Your audience needs to know that you are there for them now and will be there for them tomorrow. Our magic formula is generally to provide this through your website, social channels, emails, and most importantly VIDEO messages. Having a personalized video shared with customers can almost certainly make your audience not only feel more connected to you, but it can provide a sense of standing together as a team. As you all know besides your employees, your customers are your teammates too! Treat them well and they will shout your praises all over the web.

We know many of you are struggling but just know that if you need help getting your business prepped, we at Illumination Marketing are here for you! If you aren’t with us, send that creative marketing team you already have a thank you because we are all in this together to weather the storm!