Should You Stop Marketing During COVID-19?

The world is changing, but you can adapt

I'm sure you've been affected by COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) in some way. Whether that means worrying about elderly parents, changing travel plans or stocking up on essentials to work from home for the foreseeable future, it's hard to not feel the stress.

As a small business owner, you may be seeing fewer customers as people limit social interaction, change travel and leisure plans, and focus on staying healthy rather than on shopping. Unless you sell toilet paper or hand sanitizer, you may be concerned about the impact of the coronavirus on your small business: your revenue, employees, and empty marketing funnel. 

Does that mean you should hunker down and stop your marketing efforts for the time being? 

No!

I'm a firm believer in focusing on what we can do and change while finding the opportunities amidst adversity. Every challenge can be met with common sense, rational thought and kindness. 

This is not the time for irrationality. I was watching a webinar the other day and someone said, "Worrying is like a rocking chair-it gives you something to do but it won't get you anywhere!"

I know we are living in troubling times. The virus and how the global economy is responding to the preventative measures will go down in the history books. 

But as business owners, there is one thing we do still have control over, and that's the ability to be resilient and make choices that will get us through these times as best possible.

In this article, I'm sharing some ways you can address the challenge of marketing during a crisis and keep your business going. Let's start by looking at two of the wrong ways to approach marketing during a crisis:

1. Making a joke about coronavirus. A few weeks ago, it was common to see online memes and humorous marketing campaigns. As more and more people around the world were affected by coronavirus, these slowed down a lot. Making light of the situation is not only in poor taste, but you'll likely drive away a good chunk of your target audience.

2. Playing on people's fears. It's one thing to use a sense of urgency to sell your product or service, but it's another thing entirely to use scare tactics. For example, don't scare people into buying a first aid kit with a message like "Only two left! Don't risk your family's health!" Rather, focus on the benefit of being proactive and prepared by stocking up on medical supplies.

Make sure the angle and tone of your marketing reflects your customer's current concerns and pain points without capitalizing on their anxiety.

No matter what type of small business you have, your priority should be clearly communicating with your customers to put them at ease. Think about what your clients need to hear from you, and how you want to position your business during this crisis.

Susan Friesen, founder of the award-winning web development and digital marketing firm eVision Media, is a Web Specialist, Business & Marketing Consultant, and Social Media Advisor. She works with entrepreneurs who struggle with having the lack of knowledge, skill and support needed to create their online business presence. As a result of working with Susan and her team, clients feel confident and relieved knowing their online marketing is in trustworthy and caring hands so they can focus on building their business with peace of mind at having a perfect support system in place to guide them every step of the way. Visit http://www.ultimatewebsiteguide.ca and download your FREE "Ultimate Guide to Improving Your Website's Profitability - 10 Critical Questions You Must Ask to Get Maximum Results". Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Susan_Friesen/260293