™Marketing Magazine Issue 8 | Page 23

PANDEMIC MARKETING “WHAT CHANGES CAN I MAKE TODAY THAT WILL NOT ONLY ENSURE MY BUSINESS CONTINUES BUT ALSO PAVES THE WAY FOR A BRIGHTER FUTURE?” to ensure you are optimized for the buyer’s journey. Is your site showcasing what problem the customer is having and what solution you have for them? Is your site easy for your customer to navigate to order, contact, or book a call? Put yourself in the customer’s shoes and make sure you are speaking to them at their level. Even if you are not pivoting at a substantial level, you should have updates that are needed due to the pandemic. If you are a professional speaker looking to book events, your messaging should be around podcasting, webinars, and virtual events. If you have a marketing agency that also provides e-commerce, put that service front and center on your site. Be current and embrace the new norm your business is living in. GO ONLINE This pandemic has forced businesses to embrace the online selling space. Selling online can be daunting; however, I cannot express how impressed I have been with some of our local businesses and how they have adapted during this pandemic. We’ve all seen our local restaurants start selling online via their social pages or using apps like Skip the Dishes. Mom-and-pop shops are creating product albums on their Facebook pages for easy browsing and purchasing. Some are taking this opportunity to set up a full e-commerce system on their site, which, pandemic aside, can be a great asset. Selling online doesn’t always mean setting up a full e-commerce system. It also references moving your marketing into a system that makes your sales process easier, faster, and puts leads further down your sales funnel. A great example is Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising. At Tulip Media, we use PPC as our main lead generating tool. PPC can be difficult and costly if you are not strategic, so make sure you are looking at optimal keyword strategies using Google Keyword Planner. Also, think about what is timely. For example, we created a “Write a Book” campaign during the pandemic since many to-be authors are quarantined and now have the opportunity to write. Take this time to explore new avenues and experiment with new inbound strategies. You just might discover your new revenue stream. EMBRACE VIRTUAL Even after this pandemic passes, virtual work and interaction will be a new habit most of us have integrated into our business and personal life permanently. Now is the time to connect and reconnect with those in your network. Start that weekly podcast, webinar, daily vlog, or call that person in your network you’ve been meaning to call. If you are in an industry that is entirely restricted and tied to social distancing practices, now is the time to engage with your clientele. You may not be able to profit, but you can still engage with customers and stay current. If you’re a hair salon, sell your beauty products and do online hair tutorials daily. The bottom line is people are bored. Entertain them. TEAM UP The last tactic is to team up with your network, other businesses, and influencers. With Father’s Day coming up, sell a gift basket in conjunction with another company that compliments you. Host a webinar series with others in your network—people today are always looking for new ideas and resources. Get a local foodie to review your food and post about it. People are overly conscious about buying local. Use that to your advantage. This pandemic is your chance to connect, reconnect, and engage with others, so don’t miss out on that opportunity. ASK YOURSELF This crisis has fundamentally changed how we do business. It would be easy to give in to the fear of this change. But now is the time for us to take a step back, look at our business, and ask ourselves, “What changes can I make today that will not only ensure my business continues but also paves the way for a brighter future?” NOT SURE WHERE TO START OR WHAT CHANGES YOU SHOULD MAKE TO YOUR MARKETING? EMAIL ME AT [email protected] AND LEARN HOW OUR PROGRAMS CAN HELP YOU GROW. Jessica Embree is the Creative Director and a Marketing Consultant at Tulip Media Group. Jessica grew up with an entrepreneurial spirit and started her first business at the age of 10. She has a passion for helping businesses grow and succeed using creative marketing campaigns and strategies that produce measurable results. Jessica's first book, co-authored with Andy Buyting, on SMarketing is set to be released late 2020! TULIPMEDIAGROUP.COM | 23