Marketing Strategies For Small Business That Suffered From Covid-19
Here's new hope for your business to survive during COVID-19 pandemic
I understand that the current state is not good for your business. You may have several questions running at the back of your mind like – How will my business survive? How will I generate leads? How will I earn? How to market your business?
Probably, if you are also one among these business owners and reading this post for the best business marketing examples then we surely have answers!
This pandemic time may be a tough situation for many businesses but this is also an amazing opportunity for you to transform what you do, prepare a pandemic business plan and make efforts to change the world when this crisis ends.
Hit by COVID, suffered by lockdown, followed by social distancing!
If you are also finding ways to market your business, then we are with you as a helping hand.
What does an event planner, shop owner/product seller, physician have in common? Well, all are small business owners facing Covid-19 business impact.
They may have different stories but have the same journey. Probably, the current state is common for all.
But, do you know how many of your big competitors are still able to manage this time well?
They understand the significance of digital marketing, especially in the current state.
Okay, don’t trust me!?
Just take your life example!
What you or your customers do most of your time? Probably, surf the internet, be active in social media, and make an unlimited number of Google search online!
Therefore, this is the best time when you can show your business to them on these online platforms.
What should be SMBs next step now?
Forget how you used to run your business yesterday. Today, it has become a new game.
There is a different survival plan, different strategies, and different journey.
And, everything is dependent on marketing strategies of small business, now only “online” marketing strategies.
So, whether you want to create a survival plan by yourself or want to take an expert digital marketer’s help, focus on “zero-based planning” first.
In other words, start from new!
The past is gone, forget about it as it’s not going to work.
Begin with no assumptions and start working on a blank sheet of paper.
In other words, don’t think about how you will cut down your hours, marketing costs, and overhead.
Instead, redesign totally different online marketing strategies to survive during this tough time.
10 Online marketing strategies for your business during COVID-19 lockdown
The market and industry may not be good but still, you can try to achieve a small target by following some successful online marketing strategies examples.
I have shared nine best ways you can market your business online and help your business survive the tough phase.
Let’s start!
Communicate openly with your customer
Everyone understands the current situation, even your customers. So, if you will be open to your customers and share what your business is going through, they may feel more connected to you. Customers may sympathize with companies that are facing a crisis. But, this will be only possible if you make a transparent and open communication with them and tell Covid-19 business impact to them.
You may share the perception of the product and accept the solution offered by your customers. Even apply some of their mindful ideas into your business and offer support to them.
Reach out to prospective customers
Finding new customers can be a difficult thing especially during the pandemic crisis, where no one prefers to go out and everyone prefers to stay-in for safety reasons. So, this has become more important than ever to find prospective customers/client.
The best way to find them is to reach them where they are! I am not saying to literally knock door to door, but to market, your business where there are present most of the time and probably internet and social media are the best places to reach out to them.
You should follow the marketing goals steps to reach the ultimate result of building reputation.
Choose ideal marketing platform
After you are ready with a simple business plan, you can move ahead towards marketing your business. These days the best way to choose a place for marketing and advertising is “online” platform. As everyone is under house arrest, therefore, it is the best way to reach on their mobile phones, laptops, etc. and market your business online.
You can choose the marketing platform based on the places where your customers will be present. Suppose, you run a clothing store then you can find your customers on platforms like Amazon, Flipkart, Instagram, Facebook, etc. This means, your target is clear!
You just have to list your products on these places and ready to attract new customers.
Advertise and Run ads
We all know that paid ads are becoming cheaper and this is the best time when you can advertise and market your business online.
You can choose a paid ad campaign that will start showing result quickly. These big ad networks showcase an auction system where every business has to make a bid on certain keywords. While these networks need small business to drive the cost per click (CPC) for ads from where they earn and likewise, bigger businesses have to spend more money on ads.
Companies like Netflix have lowered their streaming quality to help people who are browsing more time on the internet.
This means that the traffic on the web has increased with fewer advertisers available now, so the ads rate are going down and becoming cheaper.
Offer Help
By offering help to your clients/customers/followers/community, you will increase your popularity and fan following.
Though we agree that you are losing customers/clients eventually your business may be suffering. But, as many others are following the free service policy, you should also do!
By offering free help, you will gain more number of visitors, more number of people will connect with you and hence you will drive more visitors.
Currently, this is the best online marketing strategies used by companies. Though it is not generating enough revenue, but in the long run, it will help many business owners.
Make Long term commitment
Every customer and client look for long term relationship and support. So, offer them a product and service with a promise that you will stay with them in a long term contract and help them endlessly.
These promises are the only thing everyone needs at this time, as well as it will give you and your client assurances of constant and continuous support.
Maintain a healthy relationship with customers/clients
This time may be difficult for many businessmen to pay off rent vendors, suppliers during the lockdown. So, if you are facing a similar situation, then it would be best that you talk to your vendors and give them sufficient notice if there is a delay in payments. This would make them prepared beforehand and there will be no bitterness in your relationship.
Manage employees and team
Many large companies are considering layoff as their best way to cut down their expenses, especially for the higher salary executive. However, being a business owner, if you are also planning to lay off your employees then when the time comes to make the tough call, do it with care. You can check out the government directives, offer additional compensation, etc., that will not affect the morale of employees at any stage.
Resources for startup
Small businesses and startups can also find relief from some Covid-19 resources for startups. These resources are a fund and loans such as SBA disaster assistance, Go Fund Me, Amazon’s relief fund, Facebook small business grant program, state emergency relief, etc. are a big help for many small business.
Focus on improvement and organization growth
Also, never forget to focus on improvement. We may agree that the time may not be good for everyone but you should never lose hope and strive for regular improvement.
Focus on improving customer lifetime value (LTV), create new leads for the business, increase the earnings, etc.
There are tons of marketing channels available to optimize your own media like blogs, newsletter, social media post, webinars, podcast, paid advertising campaign, etc. Try to reach as many customers as possible.
Conclusion
It may not be easy for businesses to survive and strive for business growth but with right digital marketing strategies, it can help to a great extent.
Start strategizing things, run an online business in COVID-19, find your new prospective customers who are online, choose the best form of online marketing strategies your business online and maximize your reach.
This will help you target a larger audience, even more than the earlier times.
