Small business marketing tips to cope with COVID lockdown

The outbreak of Coronavirus has put many small businesses into a major crisis. Some businesses are losing out on their existing customers, while some have temporarily shut down their services. Also, the travel restrictions and social distancing measures followed during the lockdown period have lead to a fall in business and consumer spending behavior. Apart from personal concerns, many small business owners are trying to figure out ways to cope with the financial crisis in the time of corona.

The uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic has caused most businesses to completely stop their marketing efforts. However, the best thing to do right now is to adapt and revamp your marketing strategy. Now is the time to invest in social media platforms and promote your brand when your competitors have slowed down. Do not let this epidemic stop you from making long term plans, instead be more strategic in implementing your marketing tactics.  

Marketing tips for small business owners

Are you trying to figure out whether to pause your services or continue to deliver? Most small businesses are temporarily shutting down and losing out on their potential customers. However, you can gain a lot and be one step ahead of the competition if you take the right marketing steps during the lockdown period. In other words, you need to change your delivery methods and let your audience know that you are still functioning. Here are some of the marketing tips for small business owners to adapt and continue growing.

1.Focus on retaining your existing customers

Focusing on your existing customers is one of the foremost small business marketing tips to be followed during the lockdown period. Marketing your services to your existing customers is much simpler and cost-effective than reaching out to new customers. Brainstorm with your team and come up with creative ideas on enhancing your services. Think about - how can you provide additional services? Can you provide additional services with discounts? How can you speed up your delivery process with extra charges? The best way to retain your existing customers is by providing discounts and promoting your gift cards. Also, small businesses like training institutes can use online tools like Zoom and Skype to offer services remotely.

2. Invest in social media marketing

Social media marketing is one of the best marketing techniques for small businesses to combat the impact of COVID-19. With employees working from home, students taking online classes from home, and most people staying indoors during the lockdown period, people are bound to spend more time on social media right now. The trick is to market your brand where your target audience is already scrolling through. Also, many of your competitors have stopped their marketing efforts, so grab this opportunity to get ahead of them in the months to come. For instance, you can invest in E-mail marketing to stay connected with your target audience. Also, social media marketing helps you learn more about your target audience and retain your existing customers in the years to come.

3. Reallocate your marketing budget

If you were planning to invest in live in-person events and trade shows, it is now time to reassess and reallocate your marketing budget accordingly. For instance, you can invest in search engine optimization when your competitors have paused their SEO efforts. This will help your small business enhance its organic search engine ranking at a faster pace. If you have stopped investing in Google ads, use that budget to enhance your search engine ranking. For instance, you can implement various on-page and off-page SEO techniques. Reallocating your marketing budget is one of the best marketing ideas for small businesses to adapt to the current situation.

4. Make changes to your delivery approach

Most small business owners are panicking and shutting down their services due to various issues. Instead, you can go digital and make changes to your delivery methods. Here are some of the best marketing ideas for small businesses to continue their services despite the global pandemic.

• Training institutes, counselors, personal trainers, etc can use Zoom, Skype, Google Hangouts and other live streaming channels to provide their services digitally.
• You can also start a Vimeo channel and get paid for your online services.
• Financial advisors, dentists, and various other professionals can change their services to virtual consultations.
• Small parlors, salons, and massage spas can promote their beauty products on social media platforms.
• Local retailers can figure out if they can deliver products to customers during the lockdown period, while E-retailers can consider offering free shipping for online orders.
• Restaurants closing down their dining halls can provide free or discounted doorstep delivery. These steps enhance your brand loyalty and build a brand-consumer relationship.

Wrapping up

At some point, this global pandemic will pass and things will get back to normal. If you keep putting in consistent efforts now, you will surely reap the benefits post COVID-19. Instead of starting your marketing strategy from scratch post lockdown, you can simply build on your existing strategy and get way ahead of your competition. Use these best marketing ideas for small businesses for gaining fruitful returns in the near future.

Penned By: Aanchal Patil