Why Digital Marketing is More Important than Ever during the Coronavirus Pandemic?

Amidst all the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, there’s one thing all businesses can be sure of:

Unlike these challenging times, digital marketing is here to stay.

Indeed, spending the lockdown period focussing on your SEO, SMO, and PPC campaigns may be the most critical step your business can take to weather this unprecedented storm relatively unscathed.

Digital Marketing During COVID-19 – Why it Matters?

There’s no denying the fact that the current global crisis has dramatically altered the landscape for both businesses and consumers.

As a business, you’ve likely already sent the majority of your workforce home, where they’ve joined millions of others around the country in adapting to a new normal.

No longer are they spending their money in bars, restaurants, and local restaurants. With nowhere to go and nothing to do beyond endless Netflix binges, those same people are spending significantly more time online.

While we all long for things to get back to normal, this mass increase of people using the web presents the best opportunity your brand has to get through the pandemic.

In fact, as the likes of Forbes’ Bernard Marr are quick to point out -with live events cancelled for the foreseeable and face-to-face business strictly limited, digital may be the only platform many SMEs have left.

With that in mind, here are a few of our top tips to help your business navigate this most confusing of times and use proven digital marketing strategies to help you stay afloat.

1: Be Honest About the Impact of COVID-19

There’s no such thing as business as usual right now, so there’s going to be very few businesses out there who aren’t affected by the coronavirus in some way.

Placing information on your website about precisely how you’ve been affected can go a long way in managing customer expectations.

To do this, Google recommends using a banner or popup div. Still, any way that you can get information on your site is going to be better than ignoring the situation and upsetting customers when they’re unable to get the same service you’d typically provide.

2: Get Creative With Your Email Campaigns

Even in the age of social media, email remains a powerful marketing tool with a potential R.O.I of as much as 4400%.

With more and more people looking for ways to beat the boredom of lockdown, getting into their inbox with a creative and compelling email may be the best way to connect with them and demonstrate why your brand is well-placed to help them through this challenging time.

3: Update Your Google My Business Page

Google has introduced a new “COVID-19 update” tab on My Business which allows you to include information such as short opening times, changes to the way you operate (such as delivery only), any information about what safety measures you’re taking (such as social distancing) and more.

4: Stay Social

We all know that the only way we’re going to beat this is by keeping our distance, yet at the same time, what we all need more than ever is to come together. Social media is the best way to do that.

As more people spend time glued to sites like Facebook and Instagram, getting your content in their social feeds can be a powerful way to build the kind of emotional connection that leads to long-term brand loyalty.

5: Up Your Investment in Search Engine Optimisation

SEO is all about playing the long-game. With the world pretty much on pause right now, suspending at least a portion of traditional advertising campaigns and reinvesting in SEO and organic marketing can pay dividends once normality resumes.

Well, SEO & SEM both are entirely different processes? Let’s find out

6: Lay off the Review Requests

Google has made a big deal about everything they’re doing to help businesses right now, including restricting some functions on Google My Business.

That includes removing the ability to reply to reviews, so rather than focus your efforts on that side of your digital marketing strategy, focus instead on other marketing tools.

7: Keep Your Website Online, Even If You’re Closed

If you’ve shut shop altogether during the pandemic, it may be tempted to take your website offline to avoid taking orders or dealing with enquiries.

However, Google advises against this as it could have a detrimental impact on your SEO that lasts much longer than the global shut-down.

Instead, follow Google’s advice to restrict functionality until after all of this is over.

Next Steps

No industry has been left unaffected by the coronavirus, with many businesses being forced to close their doors altogether, at least temporarily.

Yet doing this without paying close attention to how you’re handling your online platforms and digital marketing strategy could have long-term consequences which effectively undo all the hard work you’ve done on building your brand so far.

Follow our steps above, however, and you’ll not only weather this most unprecedented of storms but come out on the other side of it with your business positively thriving.

Ready to up your digital marketing game? Talk to the experts at Bitvero today to find out how we can help by calling (+44) 020 374 52786