With the announcement of Australia’s three-phase action plan to get the country moving again, it’s time for businesses to start thinking about how to operate in this new world. As we get back to work over the next few months, your business will need to start reviewing and altering its marketing and business strategies. It’s very important to use this recovery period to lay the groundwork for the future and set your business up for success post COVID-19.
Whether you work within a B2B or B2C space, one of the first and most effective steps you can take is to implement a digital marketing strategy. With internet use up 70% worldwide since the COVID-19 crisis, your customers are most likely working from and staying close to home while searching online for products and services. By combining a digital strategy with your existing marketing efforts, you will be able to engage new and existing customers as you reopen your brick and mortar stores.
So, how can your business start to plan for a return to the “new” normal?
Redefine Your Business Objectives
COVID-19 has led many businesses to take pause and look inward at what they can do to improve their product and service offerings. Throughout this process, these companies have redefined their business objectives, enabling them to quickly adapt during a time of crisis. Empowered by a renewed sense of purpose and direction, these businesses have been able to take advantage of new opportunities and have even experienced growth.
Our client GESHA Coffee Co. is a great example of this. They shifted their business model away from supplying coffee to Perth hospitality venues and instead chose to focus on home delivery services for everyday coffee drinkers. By changing up their service offering and redefining their objectives, they were able to tap into a new market and keep the business running smoothly during the height of COVID-19.
Use this time to think about where your business was headed before the pandemic hit. What were you looking to achieve? What areas were you focussing on? Now compare this to the current landscape. Where does it make sense to put your energy now? Are there any new opportunities? What’s going to provide your business with the momentum it needs to get back on track? Revisit and readjust your objectives to create clarity and direction for moving forward.
Plan Your Digital Strategy
Take advantage of this slower period and invest your time into planning your digital marketing strategy. You can even use the three-phase action plan as a guide to get you started.
First, take a look at where your business fits into the plan. If you’re cleared to reopen in the next week or so, it’s time to ramp up your efforts on organic social media. It’s also a good idea to leverage your database by sending more regular eDMs.
For those who cannot operate until late June, you may want to announce waitlists for appointments and offer specials to those who book in advance. You could use paid social media and PPC to spread the word and gain traction.
This downtime is also perfect for making updates to your website and enhancing SEO. By offering a better User Experience (UX) and increasing searchability and visibility for related search terms, you’ll be able to strengthen your website and improve its performance in time for the return to normality.
Review Your Competition
Another way to use this quiet time is to review your competition and see what other businesses are doing. Take a look at competitor websites, social media and eDMs to see what’s happening in your industry. Rather than doing the same activities, you can review their efforts and identify what you could do better or differently.
Keep Up To Date With Your Industry
If there’s one constant right now, it’s that we’re in a state of constant change. You need to stay on top of all your industry related restrictions and updates, both for the good of your business and the safety of your community.
Make sure that you have a plan in place that can be adapted or adjusted as needed. While we are seeing a turnaround in the number of COVID-19 cases, there’s also a chance that we could experience a second wave, and it could happen before the three-phase plan is fully implemented. No one has a crystal ball, so it’s important to not let optimism or pessimism cloud your judgement. Instead, be a realist, and go into the future with your eyes wide open.
Always Be Prepared
Now is not the time to be idle and wait in hope that your customers will one day come back to you. By engaging in a digital strategy that includes regular updates via social media, eDMs, blog content and website updates, you’ll be able to let your new and existing customers know what’s happening with your business at any given time.
Tools For Planning Your Digital Strategy
If you’re ready to start planning your digital marketing strategy, here are a few of our favourite free tools that you can use to help you make informed decisions.
Google Trends
Use Google Trends to explore top search queries surrounding your business. You can filter results by region, language and more. It will enable you to see what people are showing interest in right now and allow you to plan accordingly.
Google Analytics
Your Google Analytics page is a goldmine of information. Access your analytics to gain valuable insights about how website visitors are engaging with your site and its content. By identifying trends you’ll be able to make meaningful changes to your website and explore new content areas.
Google My Business
Take the time to read reviews from your customers on your Google My Business (GMB) page. Their feedback can provide you with great insights into ways to improve your business and your overall digital strategy. You can also look at the reviews and posts on the GMB pages of your competitors to learn even more.
Social Media Analytics
Much like your Google Analytics, you can also discover more about user behaviours and engagement by reviewing social media data. Use social media analytics to find out what content is resonating most with your followers, what times they are online, which channels are most effective in reaching them and more.
Need Some Help?
You may feel comfortable and confident putting together your own digital strategy, but sometimes it’s best to get some support if you feel you need it. At Distl, our team are experts in the development and execution of digital strategies. We would be more than happy to discuss how we can assist your business during COVID-19 recovery and beyond. Get in touch with us today to start the conversation.
