If you’re a business owner in Australia, you would likely have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s now been a year since we faced mass closures and strict lockdowns, with this new normal looking like it’s here to stay.
There’s no doubt staying afloat will be a challenge for some businesses. But with practical strategy and implementation, we believe effective business marketing can help you stay ahead of the game.
Here are five marketing strategies to help you prepare for the post-COVID-19 landscape.
1. Gain a better understanding of your target market
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: Know. Your. Market.
We can’t overstate the importance of understanding who your ideal customer is and what drives them to convert. Before you rush to cut costs after March 28, get to know what we in the marketing biz refer to as your Customer Avatar.
If your customers are predominately online, why would you spend thousands of dollars on a print ad? If you have a B2B model, why are you focusing on Facebook and Instagram advertising rather than LinkedIn?
Need help defining your target market? Contact our team of marketing experts.
2. Be prepared to reinvent and restart
Whether it’s restructuring your business or redefining your messaging and marketing strategy, shaking things up will help you stay ahead of the game during and after COVID-19.
A strong brand is designed to encourage people to purchase and stick around long enough to advocate your business.
We aren’t trying to scare you into thinking you have to change your whole business. A partial rebrand can be just as effective. This would benefit businesses that want to reflect a new offering, focal point or a more updated look.
Do you remember the classic Old Spice rebrand? By defining their target audience and changing the messaging, Old Spice spoke not only to the men using their product, but to the women who purchased them. This helped them engage and convert a whole new demographic.
3. Review and update your SEO strategy
Do you know what your audience is searching for? Having a well-thought-out SEO plan can help you stay relevant to your target market and drive more people to your website.
And let’s be honest, most people are finding new businesses online thanks to COVID-19.
According to SEMrush, a whopping 75% of internet users tend not to look past the first page of search results. With that in mind, staying at the top of the list is key.
Simple but effective SEO tricks like strategic page titles and meta descriptions, planned website content and featured snippets can help boost your SEO.
Need help with your SEO? Contact our digital experts today!
4. Focus on building an engaged audience on social media
When trying to survive through something as trying as COVID-19, social media might not be your first priority. But staying relevant to your audience is crucial when hoping to drive conversions and create long-term customers.
As Sproutsocial states, more than 70% of consumers actively rely on social media when they’re making a purchase decision.
Some easy methods to increase your social media engagement include posting quality and relevant content, responding to comments, asking questions and posting high-quality videos and photos.
5. Improve and streamline your digital communications
As a business owner or marketer, you have a lot on your plate. Without even considering how COVID-19 affects you, you don’t always have time to make sure your communication efforts are working for you.
Automation technology allows you to streamline your email communication according to different “events” for each lead. Let’s say you have a contact form on your website. What response does someone receive when they fill it out? For e-Commerce businesses, customers often abandon the website AFTER putting an item in their shopping cart. What email communication is sent to encourage them to return?
Simple communication methods like these can make or break a sale. Want help with automating your digital communications? Contact our team today.
With the right strategy and action plan, you can use marketing to your advantage and continue to thrive in the post-COVID-19 landscape.
If you need guidance on your marketing strategy, contact our team to organise a FREE marketing discovery session, and let us see how we can help.
