Getting Your Business Ready for the Post-COVID-19 Future
The last 12 months or so have been tough for almost all individuals and businesses. While some sectors, such as ecommerce, cloud computing and telecommunications, have thrived, other industries ranging from travel to private schools have struggled to stay afloat, never mind generate sales or even think about growth.
But with vaccine programmes being rolled out globally, changes in government regulations and the impending opening up of economies, the future is looking brighter for just about all industries.
So, is your business prepared to jump on the potential opportunities that might be just around the corner? What can you do right now to get and stay ahead of the competition?
Depending on the type of business you operate, you may still struggle to generate sales for the coming months. However, you can still increase brand awareness, build a following and generate leads for when your business can start selling again.
Better still, you don’t need to spend a significant sum to prepare your business for a prosperous future. In fact, it might be much cheaper to get the word out about your company online right now than it ever has been before. When the world reopens, the cost of online advertising will likely increase, making now the perfect time to get started – even if you can’t currently sell your services or products.
In this article, we explore the ways in which you can use digital marketing to prepare your company for the post-covid world. We’ll also tell you why these simple strategies can be effective for just about any business in despite the ongoing pandemic.
Email Marketing
Email marketing is a highly effective way of reaching customers and nurturing leads. However, poorly developed strategies can do more harm than good. That’s why you need to create email campaigns that target specific customer personas with information that’s actually useful to them. Sending a generic email to every lead in your database will unlikely yield any results. Often, generic emails simply get ‘lost in the mail’.
To prepare your business for the post-covid world and optimise your current email campaigns, we recommend:
Updating your automated emails
You might want to review any content that could be considered sensitive while many individuals and businesses remain in challenging situations. Instead of pushing the hard sell, consider reaching out to prospects with useful information, whether it’s how-to guides, updates regarding your company’s health and safety policies, and details of how to purchase your products if possible.
Segmenting your subscribers
In order to send genuinely useful information to your subscribers, you need to know who they are and what content they’re looking for. This task often requires a lot of research, but you can start by segmenting your current customers into target buyer personas. That way, you can reach out to different customers with carefully targeted content to boost your conversion rates, build loyalty and grow your brand awareness.
Building and growing your lead database
If you don’t already have a database of prospects, now’s the time to build one, which you can do using Facebook Ads and lead magnets. Businesses that can’t currently sell products can still benefit from generating leads now – it means they’ll be prepared to start driving sales as soon as the opportunity arises. Plus, keep in touch with prospects throughout the crisis, and you’ll earn their trust and get ahead of the competition.
Google Ads
Google Advertising is one of the most effective ways to get your website in front of a large audience. Google also lets you create highly targeted ads based on factors ranging from location to demographics.
But why is right now the best time to get started with Google Ads? On top of being effective, it’s also cheaper now for many businesses than it has been for years. Many companies have delayed their Google Ads campaigns, which has brought down the cost per click (CPC) on keywords related to a range of industries. Plus, the fewer competitors you’re against, the more people will see your ad.
Make sure to bid on any brand keywords that’ll get you to the top of the page on Google and guarantee a high conversion rate. Like with email marketing, remember to be sensitive with your messaging. You should also consider remarketing campaigns to make your budget stretch as far as possible.
Google Ads can take some getting used to, but it’s a highly effective way to grow your business and become a local household name. If you need any help or advice, we’re only a phone call away.
Social Media Advertising
Back in 2015, just under 60% of Australians were active on social media. That figure is now about 80%. Leveraging social media is one of the best ways to build a brand following, increase engagement, and maintain sales through location-based campaigns, remarketing and look-alike audiences.
You can increase engagement by posting videos that keep customers’ eyes glued to your page and by taking advantage of features such as Facebook LIVE. To prepare for the future, you should now upload your email database to Facebook to create look-alike audiences and make sure your contact details are correct. If you can’t currently sell to particular localities, make sure your ads and content reflect this. Most social media platforms enable you to target prospects in specific areas.
Learn More about Digital Marketing for the Post-Covid World
Digital marketing has been on the rise for years, and that trend is unlikely to reverse, particularly now that many people have gotten accustomed to shopping online and spending a lot of their time in front of the screen.
Above, we detailed some of the most effective and affordable ways to prepare your business for the future, but there’s more you can do. At Smart Traffic, we’re a team of digital marketing gurus that understands your industry and can help set and achieve goals without you having to do any of the hard work. To find out how we can help your business get prepared, give our experts a call.
About the author
Stuart Pollington
Stuart has been involved in the digital marketing industry for over 20 years, working with Australian & UK businesses to accelerate their online growth. He likes to take a hands-on approach to his clients marketing strategies, launching campaigns that focus on positive ROI.
