Marketing During a Pandemic

3 Things You Can Do Right Now To Be A Better Marketer

As I’m writing this, unemployment is probably close to 20%, and many states have just started Phase I of their reopening plans. Regardless of whether you think it’s too early, or not soon enough, every business owner I know is anxiously looking forward to some type of re-opening, and planning for what that’s going to look like. (And since I can’t say this enough, if you work in healthcare, public service, grocery stores, a newsroom, utilities, and many more I can’t think of right away – thank you, thank you for all you do). 

Now – if you’re a business owner or VP of Marketing trying to put together a plan for how to market through the rest of this ‘event’, and coming out of it, here are a few things you can do right now that won’t require a lot of resources  (read:money) but will put you ahead of the game as we rebuild the economy.

1. Talk (Email, Phone, Mail) to Your Current Customers

I don’t mean just try to sell them more, although increased sales are definitely a great outcome. Let them know how your brand is doing; how you’re managing your business during this event; what you’re doing to take care of your employees; if they can continue to buy from you; how you might have changed your fulfillment or delivery model. No matter what’s going on, just keeping an open line of communication will help them feel at ease, and make sure they don’t forget about you. And if it turns into new business or new orders? Great – that’s even better.

2. Cut the Software Fat

We all know marketing is sometimes the first to go when things get rough, but in this case, maybe it’s time for a spring cleaning, specifically when it comes to your marketing software subscriptions you’re not using. When’s the last time you took a good look at all of the services you pay every month? Hubspot, Databox, Emma, Salesforce, unused Adobe licenses, this plugin, that plugin – what are you actually using, and what is just costing you money and making your marketing cloud more….cloudy? In our own business we cancelled 3-4 monthly subscriptions that we were using only here and there. If and when we need them for a project – we’ll buy them again. But for now, they’re on pause.

3. Create the Results You Want: What Are You Going to Do Differently?

No matter what business you’re in, I will venture that the way you market has FOREVER changed based on this event. Why am I so certain? Because regardless of anything else, WE have all changed. We, the consumer. Whether you’re a B2B or B2C marketer, this event will shape our conversations, our media consumption habits, and our opinions for decades. Take this time to take a fresh look at your business as if it were just starting out, and create a marketing plan – messages, tactics, budgets, and timing – that makes sense for THIS new normal, and go from there. The businesses that are able to pivot quickly and run marketing campaigns that just make sense will reap the rewards. The companies that just turn their old marketing ‘back on’ and expect similar results will spend themselves into a hole they may never climb out of. 

Without spending almost any money at all, you can tackle the 3 things above and be ready to get your business back on track as the economy returns. Use this time wisely, and you, and your business will benefit. And of course – if you need any guidance or just want to talk through some ideas, please don’t hesitate to give us a call, or shoot us an email. We’re happy to help in any way we can.

READY TO TACKLE the NEW NORMAL? CONTACT US: (410) 317-8388 OR CONNECT@AINSLEYAGENCY.COM