Don’t throw out your long term strategy, make tactical changes and adapt to the situation.
Focus on managing strategically
Don’t stop! Adapt and think strategically
As soon as we have this degree of uncertainty, the first instinct is to cut all activity and expenses, and focus internally. If possible, do not turn off your digital activity, especially advertising, but manage it strategically. If your business is going to be impacted in the short-term, we recommend moving your focus to some longer-term activities such as SEO (see below)
It takes a long period of time to optimise your digital PPC advertising, and for Facebook’s and Google’s machine-learning to optimise the audiences. Stopping your advertising will result in a significantly higher Cost Per Click when you restart, which can be avoided with some planning.
So try and maintain your budget, and if you have to, reduce to a minimum daily spend of at least $10 per campaign per platform. These will ensure you maintain most of your improvements and learnings, while preserving cash.
Focus on SEO
Now is a good time to work through those tedious SEO updates
Of all the digital marketing levers, Search Engine Optimisation takes the longest to change.Two of the biggest drivers of SEO are the Traffic to the website, and the Content on the site. If you start to slip in these areas during these turbulent times, then it will be really difficult, and costly, to make up the ground on competitors who continue to undertake digital marketing activities.
SEO is often boring and tedious so gets postponed. Try and review your content updates and technical fixes that are required. Use the time to make improvements.
Focus on Communication
Keep the conversation going
Now is a great time to start building a real and genuine conversation with your audience.
Social media and email marketing are ideal as it allows you to convey short but sincere information about your brand, what the impacts of this uncertainty means for you and your customers, and over time starts to paint a picture of what they need to be planning for after this passes.
The worst thing you can do is go quiet. So build out a communication strategy that focuses on building trust, introducing people to your products or services, and creates a platform for when we return to a more ‘normal’ life.
Consider YouTube and Live Chats (Instagram, Facebook etc). You can make communication a bit more personal, and keep people up to date with a video. B:B businesses, professional services and community organisations can really benefit by having the key people talking directly to their customers and clients.
Focus on SEO
Content, Content, Content! Now is the time to get ahead!
Planning and writing good content takes time. It would place your brand in a strong position if you now update and create new information-based content.
Tell your brand story and explain how you are coping with the crisis. Be active on Social Media, post on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter. Consider using video, as video consumption is now at a peak with more people at home.
Blogs and FAQs are the key to both providing information, as well as improving your SEO. Ideally, this content needs to be written using the keyword research undertaken so that Google can index and recognise the content for specific topics and searches.
Focus on your Website
Take the time to refresh & renew (no, you don’t have to build a new website!)
There is never a better time to review your website as when you and your customers are under pressure. You look at the site with renewed focus. Can you get to the information easily, has the website become ‘bloated’ with trivial content and images over time, are you missing key pieces of information, and can you explain your offering more clearly?
Focus on Thinking Creatively
It’s time to do something outside of the box
We have already seen businesses coming up with innovative digital solutions to the problems of self-isolation, disrupted supply and fear. Physiotherapists are using apps to provide exercises and consultations for people at home, event organisers are offering virtual events.
What can you be doing to maintain your customers and engage with them?
