How to Responsibly and Smartly market during COVID-19

Amidst the global COVID-19  pandemic, besides the commitment and measures to be taken to protect the employees, it is time for the brands to undertake responsible yet mindful marketing efforts. With economies across the world getting a major blow due to the pandemic, the challenges for the businesses in the current scenario and the time to come have grown manifold. So, brands do need an action plan to address this issue with tact and empathy. It is high time that businesses across the globe plan a shift and change in their approach in order to communicate with clients. The marketing campaigns also call for a shift in strategy i.e. mindful marketing. So, here are a few good tips for the marketers to responsibly and smartly market during COVID-19. Let’s dive in:

1. Adjust the timelines of scheduled content and marketing campaigns-  There are many brands who can craft and resort to fast-turn campaigns for specific moments or situations like these. For instance, Ford has been pulling all of its national ads for promoting its vehicles and replacing the same with an altogether new campaign that describes how the company has been responding to fight the novel coronavirus, including the payment relief that has been given to the Ford Credit customers. 

These are certainly impressive campaigns but these are risky too and even unrealistic for many businesses. So, as a brand, the first step that you should take for your business is to consider what is currently in operation or in the pipeline, including any pre-scheduled content that is supposed to get launched anytime sooner. So, in order to undertake this audit exercise, consider the following points:

• Determine what could be paused as of right now
• Consider what you can prioritize

        So, the best strategy that your SEO company should adopt right now is to adjust the timeline of the scheduled content and take a break for a while. Right now, the changes are quick and people are busy with searching content online. So, the best way to prepare for the post-COVID-19 scenario is by preparing for the same. SEO companies and brands should monitor the content that is currently being searched, keep a close watch and figure out carefully the content that will drive traffic and will be relevant after the situation will normalise.  

2. Carefully assess the imagery and the language that is being used - Words are indeed quite powerful, so it is important to carefully evaluate the words and visual communication that is being used. Right now, as a brand owner, you need to carefully assess the message that your brand is conveying. So, take care of certain things like: 

• Avoid the display of social gathering or where the crowd is in close contact: This can be people working at the workplace or people partying in the house so avoid visuals that might defeat the purpose right now i.e. social distancing.
• Go about reframing your marketing language that describes close interaction or collaboration: The messages like “let’s join hands”, “get close to your customers” etc, should be closely scrutinized and the language used should be reframed.
• Swap out the visuals: If there is a need to swap out some visuals in the current or planned campaigns, do that or simply push the timeline of the campaign to a later period in the year.

Right now, when the entire world is caught up in the crisis, the message that you are delivering to the world is going to make a huge difference. Go through the content that you are actively posting or about to post on social media, the language and subject lines of your email and newsletters, blog posts and any other platform. See what changes or alterations can you make for your content and how it will be beneficial for the brand for now and the time to come. 

3. Never try to capitalize on the crisis situation - No matter the type of crisis or tragedy that has taken place across the world, in the state of confusion, fear and uncertainties, spreading fear and panic is certainly a bad idea! It is good to keep people informed and spread awareness, but do keep in mind that you don’t take it too far that you become an alarmist. This is the time to show it to your audiences that you are a responsible brand and you share the responsibility to fight against this. 

It is important to check the tone of your brand and any messages that you send, for instance, something such as “COVID-19 Sale” is a strict No! 

So, while you are dealing with this situation right now, it is important to stay informed, be positive and not ignorant. You can make it through the crisis and as a marketer of a brand, you should see to it that even the customers or audiences associated with your brand can take notice of your efforts in the crisis.

More info: https://www.vervelogic.com/search-engine-optimization.html