The coronavirus pandemic has been a difficult experience for most of the world.. Countries like Australia, the United States, and Italy have been desperately trying to keep everyone’s head above water as we all navigate this uncharted territory together.

The same scenario is playing out across multiple nations.

It’s no wonder that many business owners and managers of businesses are unsure about how they should approach this crisis. For example, how much communication would be considered enough? Where should you draw the line for too much contact?

Some businesses believe they should face everything head-on by continuing to run all of their upcoming marketing campaigns exactly as they were originally intended. Others think that all existing marketing needs to be scrapped so that they can directly address the current situation of COVID-10.

Maybe you should send out a group email to your entire customer base explaining the relevant decisions made as a brand. Then again, it might be a better idea to set up an autoresponder so the information is only sent to customers who get in touch.

It can honestly be a little bit overwhelming, especially if COVID-19 has severely impacted your business or the government ordered it to be closed. This article will walk through a few marketing strategies that’ll help you communicate with your customers and ensure your business is stronger when this is all over.

Update and adjust your marketing

Over the next few months, there’s going to be an increase in the number of people self-isolating at home. That means it’s extremely important that your brand is consistently delivering content that’s both compelling and relatable to whatever the current state of affairs is.

If you know people are looking for informative, light-hearted, or uplifting content then your brand can provide it too. Alternatively, this could also be the most suitable time to relaunch or actually release something that uses experiments

The pandemic doesn’t have a definitive end date in sight. Making use of best case, worst case, or average-case scenarios allows you to anticipate possible changes and take alternative actions. So during this time, make sure your marketing stays fluid, and make sure the messaging stays relevant to the constant changes that can affect your customer base.

Be empathetic in your message

Visual messages of communication can, at times, be just as powerful as words. Take the time to ensure any messages you send are on-brand. Whenever you explain how you handled a certain situation during this pandemic, work to adopt a relatable tone that communicates that we are all in this together.

It’s just as important to practice humility while expressing your company’s collective support to your customer base.

It’s likely that everybody is struggling out there in some way so your messages should be delivered with empathy. Be transparent and open about your own setbacks as well as any changes in your deliverability within the new circumstances we’re in.

Most importantly, avoid over-promising anything due to unexpected changes to stock levels or your ability to deliver a service. Your customers will then be able to adjust to the expectations created by your messaging and appreciate your honesty.

Highlight how your brand can help

Brands exist to provide their customers with excellent service and great value over their whole range of products. We are okay with getting the attention of anyone who might benefit from them during these stressful times.

If our products have what it takes to support and enhance the lives of people while they are in quarantine, then you can tell the story of the brand. Clarify its unique potential, then communicate the benefits and value in this cultural moment.

Consumers will remember your brand by the actions it takes, not the promises it makes. Simple acts of kindness will resonate the most with consumers and employees alike, which we hope will ensure that they stay loyal during this stressful time. Self-marketing never has to stop, as long as you keep the focus on helping people while also searching for ways to collaborate with anyone to make lives easier.

Take the example of Fashion Nova and Cardi B. They teamed up and are giving away $1,000/hour for 42 days. That’s just over $1,000,000.

They’re helping people directly and are also top of mind because of their effort. You don’t have to give away a million dollars but think of ways you can help directly and indirectly.

Find leads and customers while marketing costs are cheap

It’s no secret the COVID-19 crisis has put a lot of businesses out of business and the ones that are still going have been more cautious about their marketing spend. As a result, with less competition and people bidding keywords on Google or paying for ads on Facebook, the cost-per-acquisition has naturally dropped.

With that being said, if your business is still generating cash flow, then don’t put your marketing to a halt. Spend your marketing budget wisely on campaigns that bring in a positive ROI and take advantage of the lower acquisition costs.

On top of that, this is the perfect time to resell to your past customers. With the cost to remarket to your customer database through email is close to zero, promoting to past customers is a massive opportunity businesses miss out on. Implementing strategies such as an advanced email marketing campaign can help you increase your sales without spending extra on marketing costs.

If you have the time and are willing to make an effort now, you could end up with a pool of prospective clients. This could be your opportunity to create a new network of prospects that you could start contacting as soon as things start getting back to normal.

Keep working on marketing strategies to stay ahead of the competition

While sales during the pandemic are may be slow, you can still generate leads and set yourself up for success whenever the COVID-19 crisis has moved on. While driving this revenue may be difficult right now, think long term. The leads you generate today will be with you for a long time to come.

If your business runs ongoing marketing strategies such as SEO, don’t put it on hold if you still have the cash flow to sustain it. Take advantage of this opportunity and use it to outlast and outrank them on Google. While all your competitors put their marketing on hold, you can use this opportunity to outperform them and get ahead once everything goes back to normal. Just don’t forget to adjust your messaging so that it acknowledges the current climate, as well as providing solutions that will help your customers immediately.

The whole world is smack bang in the middle of finding ways to adjust to this new reality. The most important part of your role is to be there, no matter what, for your customers and your team. Step up right up to this crisis’ plate and lead by example. Your customers and your team will always remember your initial crisis response, so put your best foot forward and always keep your chin up