Negosentro.com | How to Market in Times of Crisis | The coronavirus has had massive effects on the global economy. Some of these are urgent, such as the millions of individuals who are stuck at home wondering how they’ll pay next month’s rent. Other effects, though, while of less immediate concern, have the potential to be more damaging.
For instance, the widespread shutting down of businesses as country after country has enacted some degree of shelter in place orders has the potential to leave numerous small and medium-sized business (SMB) owners destitute — especially if things don’t change before long.
If you own an SMB, you may have already come under the pressure of the coronavirus shutdown. Even if you haven’t, though, you still may have run into a marketing snag in the ever-evolving modern world. Perhaps Google changed its algorithm or your website was hacked. Regardless of the reasons, if you’re trying to market your company in the midst of a crisis, and especially a community-wide one — here are a few considerations to keep in mind as you try to cut through the chaos, panic, and fear.
Hone in on Corporate Social Responsibility
One of the best ways for a company to rise above a crisis is for the business as a whole to posture itself as an enterprise that truly values corporate social responsibility (CSR). In other words, you want your marketing message to reflect your organization’s genuine internal mission, vision, and ethical standards. This can apply to things like sustainable practices or how you treat your employees.
It’s no secret that customers and employees alike appreciate CSR values. In fact, 71% of professionals claim that they would rather get paid less in order to work for an ethically sound company, and the modern consumer also shares a similar belief set when it comes to patronizing companies that reflect their values.
If a crisis is unfolding, it’s important for your company to shift from sales pitches and marketing funnels to an emphasis on your brand’s CSR image and why you’re worthy of your customer’s business even when things go south.
Put the Customer First
Each crisis is unique and entirely unpredictable. As such, it’s important that you take the time to have a measured and informed response. Rather than shooting from the hip with your marketing messages, reach out to your customers, interact with them, and find out what it is that they are prioritizing.
For example, during the coronavirus outbreak, consumers have become intensely focused on how to be prepared for long term shortages of food or making sure that they have enough basic necessities on hand to be comfortable during a multi-week and possible even multi-month shutdown period.
As a business, use your marketing outlets to communicate with your customers, not as a company looking for sales but in the name of crisis management. Use your blog, social media profiles, and email lists to address the concerns that your customers are facing. Take the initiative and establish your brand in a leading role when it comes to calming the public’s fears.
Rather than prioritizing your own business goals, take this time to show that you understand and support your customers. Show them that they truly do come first for you.
Become a Source of Knowledge
Along with comforting and supporting your customers, it’s important to establish your business as a source of reputable knowledge. If you’re marketing well, you’ve already done this for your actual business — e.g. if you’re a plumbing business, people already see you as the “expert plumbing option.”
Now adopt this authoritative mindset to the crisis itself. For instance, many companies during the coronavirus outbreak utilized their email lists to help propagate government messages, CDC announcements, and even best practice measures like social distancing and washing your hands regularly.
In other words, they established themselves as dependable sources of information.
This had the dual effect of helping to promote the wellness of their customers while simultaneously assuring them that their own businesses were also practicing best practices. Use your digital marketing spaces to become a source of alarmist-free knowledge and information. Don’t be overly opinionated, but rather strive to share sound, peace-keeping information with your customer community.
Be Personal
Finally, make sure to shed that corporate veneer in times of crisis. Encourage your customer service and marketing personnel to engage with your customers in a human and hospitable manner. Engaging with your customers on social media is already a well-known customer retention strategy. However, as has already been referenced above, in times of crisis, you can use this opportunity to shift from a sales focus into more of a community-building emphasis.
If you’re already actively working with influencers on social media, another option is to reach out to them and collaborate to support worthy causes.
This personalization in communication and company activity can help calm ruffled feathers and build a sense of loyalty and trust between your customers and your company. The personalized nature of social media makes this exceptionally easy, and it can be a great way for your brand to weather a drop in sales or a lack of conversions during an emergency.
CSR Marketing in Times of Crisis
Really, the bulk of these suggestions all point back to the original point: you must posture your company to reflect a corporate social responsibility image. The modern informed consumer already demands this kind of marketing strategy anyway. In times of crisis, though, it becomes especially important to focus on putting your customers’ concerns first, engaging with them in a supportive manner, and building your brand and your community by establishing yourself as a source of dependable knowledge.
While your sales may suffer, if you can keep your brand vibrant and alive through these critical moments, you’ll stand a much better chance of ultimately making up the lost ground in the future.
