How to keep promoting your business during the pandemic

2020 has hit most of us like a ton of bricks. The word of the year is officially “unprecedented” and as overused as it has been, the term sums up the last five months perfectly. No one saw the COVID-19 pandemic coming, nor could anyone imagine it having the impact on society, the economy and on individuals that it has. Some industries will take a long time to recover, and even if some businesses have managed to stay afloat, their usual marketing activity – perhaps tradeshows, networking events or conferences – has been completely put on pause without any clear sign when it can recover.

But it’s not all doom and gloom for you if you’re an organisation used to capturing leads and building relationships at events and in person. Thankfully, the marketing mix is vast and as long as you’re willing to be creative, adapt your activity and learn new approaches, you can continue to reach your target audience and win business. Here’s a few suggestions for how you can do this:

1. Reach out to your network personally

Pick up the phone or drop an email to those you’d usually meet at that annual tradeshow or monthly networking event. It may not be the relationship you’ve had with these individuals before, but this year is full of new experiences and it’s an opportunity to stepping out and strengthen those relationships. By developing a relationship that’s not solely connected to a particular event, you’re more likely to stay in touch in the long term. At this time, people are appreciating connecting with individuals, whether that’s professional or personal, so don’t lead with a direct sales pitch. By showing care and attention to the individual and organisation, you’ll bond over matters bigger than business.

2. Explore paid social media promotion

You’d be surprised what you can achieve with a small budget on when advertising on social media. By using the platform’s algorithms to target specific regions, profiles with certain key words or even job titles with a social post that you develop, you can choose the right platform to reach your target audience in a direct and meaningful way. You’ll receive real time analytics on reach, engagement and clicks through to your website or landing page, and you also have the flexibility to adjust your budget, messaging or those you’re targeting. This means you can trial it and adjust it if you’re not getting the results you want. Efficient, direct and measurable!

3. Consider digital networking

OK, so you might be a bit “zoomed out” with the amount of video calls you’ve been making recently. But many regular regional networking events are continuing on Zoom, and while it might not feel like it has the same impact as face-to-face marketing, it’s a surprisingly good substitute. Those that are committing to meeting virtually are reaping benefits with maintained relationships and a closer-knit connected group, and it means you can pick up with these individuals where you left off when you are able to meet together again.

The need to secure new business hasn’t stopped despite the pandemic, so marketing cannot be something that is simply put on pause for at least a quarter of the year. Who knows, there may be new marketing tactics you learn and apply during this time add huge value to your business in the long term.

For training on new marketing tactics, please get in touch to see how I can help.