The COVID-19 pandemic has caused such an upheaval that even after several months since its outbreak, the effects of the pandemic can still be felt. Even when Russia claims to have developed a vaccine for the Coronavirus, its effectiveness remains to be seen, especially when you consider that human testing takes several months to years to be properly conducted.
We aren’t out of the woods yet, in so far as the pandemic is concerned. This raises many questions and requires a plethora of adjustments for everybody. One question that startups might want to consider is whether it’s practical to continue marketing your brand in the midst of a global pandemic.
The quick answer?
Yes. You should continue to promote your brand.
One of the biggest mistakes that any brand can make during these difficult times is to completely stop marketing efforts. It doesn’t matter if it’s meant to show tact or to reduce marketing expenses because it’s completely possible to achieve them without having to completely cease marketing efforts.
It’s dangerous to completely cease promoting your brand.
To completely stop all marketing efforts is almost the same as telling your target market that your brand no longer exists. At a time when the vast majority of people spend much more time online, to simply stop promoting your brand is to pass up an opportunity for rapid growth.
If you must reduce marketing expenses, it’s much better to simply tone down the frequency of your marketing efforts. It’s also important to acknowledge the difficulties that we’re all facing. A simple “we understand that looking for a new product might not be the first thing on your mind during a pandemic.” will help make your message more acceptable.
After all, there’s nothing wrong with trying to sell your product, especially during a pandemic when there is a real need to maintain the economy.
People are venturing into new hobbies.
With all this free time, there’s a greater chance that people are looking for something new to do at home. This means that people are more open to trying new things and new products. Now, this is where good content and proper use of sales funnels will become even more imperative in attracting new customers. Couple this with the fact that internet traffic these days is almost always really high, then you have yourself a recipe for rapid growth.
A few important details.
Besides reducing marketing frequency and adjusting the message communicated to your target market, it’s also important to reflect changes to your schedules on your marketing media. Important details such as brand opening/closure, operating schedules, delivery schedules, and promotions are all things you need to reflect in your media.
Failing to do so will not only cause a lot of problems for your customers, but it will also hurt your brand reputation. People always appreciate a company that is able to adjust to scenarios. Don’t be part of the number of companies that made marketing errors at a time when even the smallest errors can cause a business to collapse.