COVID-19 Business & Marketing Survival Checklist

Business has been far from normal… The effects of social distancing have impacted every industry and is testing our ability to adapt and thrive. As a result of this new landscape, we’ve seen businesses embrace technologies and evolve their usual methods of operation.

Keep reading for a few ways companies have shifted gears in regards to every day business operations and marketing tactics. Follow along and reference our handy checklists at the end of each section to identify the key marketing and business takeaways for your company to consider:

Video Conferencing & Streaming

From live-streaming workout routines to virtual business conferences, we’ve seen a drastic increase in the usage of video conferencing and streaming tools. These tools help us continue face-to-face contact, making our situation feel as “normal” as possible.

As gym doors closed, we’ve seen fitness instructors bring their workout routines to the public by live-streaming their classes. They’ve used a combination of social media (to promote their upcoming classes) and video streaming services (to host their workout routines) to make their efforts a success.

Entertainment streaming services have more than doubled. Nielsen predicts that the stay-at-home orders will increase video content consumption by almost 60%. Netflix alone, added 15.8 million new subscribers, more than double its forecasted amount (7.2 million expected).

It’s no surprise that Zoom users have increased by 100 million since April 1st. And this rise in teleconferencing usage may permanently change business as we know it, even after this pandemic is over and people have become more comfortable utilizing these alternatives.

Marketing Checklist

• Consider which aspects of your business you can take advantage of remote conferencing, virtual workshops or webinars
• Implement a technology stack that allows you to manage your virtual system successfully (or hire an agency that can help you do so, like L7 Creative 😏 www.l7creative.com/virtual-proposal-system/). Keep in mind, these technologies will need to be integrated with one another for optimal automation.
• Assess which technologies you might need: 1) Webinar Conference Softwares (GoToWebinar, WebinarJam, EverWebinar, etc.), 2) Video Conferencing Softwares (Zoom, Google Hangouts, GoToMeeting, etc), 3) Scheduling Tools (Calendly, Doodle, etc.)
• Ensure you make it as easy as possible for your customers to “get in touch” with your company, no contact required (to learn more about how to do this, get in touch with L7 Creative). This might include website contact forms, landing pages, or paid advertising in-platform forms or call ads.

Social Media For the Win

Social media usage across nearly every platform has increased, so now is not the time to scale back your company’s social media activity. Facebook has reported that 89% of advertisers have taken action with their budgets due to COVID-19. So what’s the takeaway? It’s prime time to capture that advertising space.

We’ve also seen an increase in organic social media activity - with more companies launching social media promotions, challenges, and contests. One good example is the Getty Museum. They launched a social media challenge asking people to recreate famous pieces of art using three household items. The challenge has since gone viral, prompting over 24K (and counting) contributions. This challenge is great for a number of reasons. Aside from costing Getty Museum virtually nothing, it boosts morale, keeps the community feeling connected with one another, builds brand awareness, increases their website traffic (by prompting participants to browse their online collection), and provides them with user-generated content they can repost for weeks.

Marketing Checklist

• Ensure your social media profiles are up to date - be sure to check the following: business hours, phone numbers, email addresses, website links, logos, images, messaging
• Post organic social media content regularly to keep your brand top of mind
• Promote your discounts on social platforms or consider introducing a creative contest to boost engagement with your brand
• Engage a paid advertising agency to launch social media campaigns to produce a steady stream of leads

Embracing The Digital World

If there’s one thing that’s been made very obvious… it’s that when doors are shut, your online presence is essentially the ONLY way you can reach and connect with your customers. It’s a BAD time to not have a website. Not only that, but you need to have a website where customers can purchase your products or learn about your services online. In addition, you need to have an SEO strategy that enables consumers to actually find your website.

After you’ve optimized your website, the next thing you’ll want to consider is creating a blog. People right now are eager for content, so regular blogging will go a long way. Consider posting on topics that are relevant to what people are experiencing right now. For example, if you’re a home remodeling company, perhaps you post a blog on "5 DIY projects you should stop putting off." Or if you sell cooking supplies, a blog on "Quarantine recipes that use ingredients you already have in your pantry."

• Marketing Checklist
• Optimize your website’s design, SEO, and user experience (check out our blog for some helpful articles on how to improve your website)
• Launch an eCommerce website if you sell products (engage a professional website development agency to help out)
• Post new blogs regularly - start by identifying some topics

In summary, this pandemic has revealed a lot about society and our ability to adapt and quickly adopt new technologies. As a digital marketing agency, our team at L7 Creative is well equipped to handle this process pretty smoothly, but for many companies navigating these technologies can be a challenge. Let us help ease you through this process. Whether you need a new website, help implementing a technology stack, or launching a new paid advertising campaign, we’re here for you. Let’s tackle these challenges together - and make it out stronger and more efficient than ever. Get in touch today.