Leaning Into Digital: How to Prepare Your Business for Post-COVID-19 & Your Comeback
By Maria Orozova / Agency Culture, Marketing, Strategy
As social distancing quickly becomes the new normal, many businesses have had to figure out how to transition fully into the digital space in a matter of days (if not hours). Consumers are now working from home, with their free time translating into even more screen time. Having a digital presence is no longer a mere necessity—it’s vital. And while many businesses will take a hit, they will come back, and likely come back quickly. Though by no means the ideal, this time is an opportunity to invest in the future of your brand. We’re going over a few ways to do it.
1) Reevaluate spending
Take a hard look at your existing budgets with fresh eyes. For many, this means funneling events funding into content development. We recommend saving half of the allotted amount for when the market returns and invest the rest in your new focal point. This may look like a new blog series, paid social, or even a virtually hosted event. Your goal is to meet audience needs now, but you’ll have the added benefit of content at the ready for the year ahead.
2) Focus on what you’ve ignored
“Business as usual” may have slowed, but it’s no reason to slow down. Whatever marketing elements you’ve previously neglected in favor of operational needs, you can now give your full attention. You can refocus on content enrichment, assessing your MarTech stack, or refining the customer journey—anything you’ve treated as a “set and forget.” You’re going to want to be totally ready for the return, so set yourself up early.
3) Keep current customers close
Your existing customers are your most important audience right now. They already know who you are and what you have to offer; they’ve given you their loyalty, so give them the most attention. Maintain relevancy by putting the social (and removing the distance) in social distancing. No one is out and about, and many have turned to Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, and LinkedIn for connection, information, and entertainment. Meaning your existing audience is a captive audience—make the most of it.
4) Be smart with email
Email is, of course, another important avenue. Brands are filling inboxes this week more than ever, and often with irrelevant content due to previously set automations (LiveIntent’s platform has seen a 5% increase in email opens since the onset of social distancing). Don’t be that brand. Go evaluate your nurture content and remove anything that no longer makes sense in our state of social distancing. Modify content to send now and to keep on the shelf, that has a long shelf life.
Again, these are steps we can all take to give us resolve in seemingly uncertain times. To give us historical hope, economists are projecting a V-shaped recession, meaning a sharp economic decline caused by an event (e.g., the current public health crisis) followed by an equally strong recovery, with many expecting a comeback by Q4. So, let’s take this time to put in the work, eliminate weaknesses, and prepare for what’s to come. Let’s do this together!
Here are a few more ideas from the MODintelechy team on where to start: