Marketing In Times Of Crisis
The coronavirus is redefining how all of us think about business promotions. In this article we offer guidance on marketing in times of crisis.
The do’s and don’ts of marketing in times of crisis
- DON’T abandon your website – instead take this opportunity to improve its ranking and effectiveness while competitors are less active
- DON’T stop search engine optimisation activities. It’s understandable if you want to reduce spend, but this is false economy – read on to find out why
- DO review your pay per click advertising to see if there are savings to be made
- DO look carefully at online ad spend – suppliers may be able to defer your ads until the situation changes
- DO review the content on your website and consider updating and/or adding more information
- DO keep busy on social media. Use it to build relationships, create desire for your products and services, support and entertain customers and prospects.
Search Engine Optimisation
Sensible business owners will be talking to their web developers about search engine optimisation.
Search Engine Optimisation is the digital equivalent of human health and fitness. It can take a long time and a lot of work to achieve goals and then those levels need to be maintained otherwise you’ll soon be back to where you were.
Search Engine Optimisation is exactly the same – except you are not just looking after your own online health, you are in competition with everyone else who is seeking that all-elusive first position on Google. If you stop SEO but your competitors continue to work at it, your website will quickly start to slide down the rankings.
It is cheaper to maintain (and improve) your position than it is to slip back and then rebuild your kudos with the search engines.
SEO is a complex science with many different facets. Talk to your web developer, if your business income is on hold at the moment, there will be a way to sustain a lesser level of SEO which will be far less damaging than stopping altogether.
Adding strength to your website
If, like so many other UK businesses during the Coronavirus crisis, you are unable to work IN your business, you are in the perfect position to work ON your business. Just think how much more robust your company will be when we can go back to work.
If your website has a good Content Management System and you feel comfortable using it, some site improvements will cost you nothing but your time.
I’d just like to add a note of caution here though…..the text and pictures on your website all contribute to search engine optimisation. Be careful what you change, make sure you use the right keywords in the text and be sure to use headings and subheadings. If your site has SEO checking software on the back end – use it!
If you are not confident about making changes on the live site, talk to your web developer. He or she may be able to offer a swift tutorial. Or, even better, use a word processor to write new text and ask your developer to upload it.
Blogs and articles
Now is a fantastic time to add content to your website using the blog section. Not every article needs to be published at once. You can use this quiet time to write a series of articles that can “go live” at regular intervals.
At uThink1 we’re doing just that – watch this space for new blogs on getting the most out of your digital presence.
Social Media
I can’t stress enough how important social media can be at times like this. True, you may not find that likes and shares translate into sales, but they will convert into something far more valuable. Good PR.
Update all of your profiles – especially the “about” sections and make sure there are links to your website.
Use your Facebook page, Linkedin profile, Twitter and Instagram presence to reassure people, to entertain them, amuse them and get them thinking about things to do once they’re back on their feet.
Post regularly to social media….it’s free! Encourage people to read your blogs, help them get to know team members, solve problems for them, lift their spirits and then tell them how you can help. When things get better, your business will be all the stronger for the extra visibility this creates.
Save money on short term ads
Pay per click advertising is great. It’s a fast and fantastic way to reach people who are searching online for your products. However, it’s important to keep your cost per acquisition at a reasonable level.
Potential customers who reach your website via PPC advertising should be actively looking to buy your products. If you cannot supply goods or services in the short term, you may want to review your PPC activity.
- Switch off ads for goods and services you cannot supply right now
- Restrict keyword bidding to phrases that signal buying intent eg “buy tooth whitening services”
- Review the wording for your adverts – make it clear that you are not working but that you are able to respond to enquiries or set up virtual appointments
- Build a landing page for your campaign which encourages people to ask questions and/or make advance bookings. For some businesses it may be advantageous to set up virtual appointments.
- Alternatively pause your campaign – it will be easy to switch back on when your situation changes
Need some guidance?
Ask a trusted web developer for an SEO audit for your website. It’s a cost effective way to really make sure that all of your digital marketing efforts are focussed and useful.
If you need help with SEO, website content or blogging uThink1 are offering tailor made solutions at reduced prices while the coronavirus crisis continues. Contact Gary to discuss your needs.
