COVID-19, popularly known as the coronavirus, is a global pandemic. Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past few months, you probably know the current situation of the world. This global outbreak has resulted in a huge crisis for businesses and even entire economies. With lockdowns in full-swing across numerous countries, businesses with a B2C structure haven’t been able to continue their operations for quite a while now.
However, even during these trying times, it is important for companies to maintain healthy relationships with old customers and attempt to establish new relationships with potential customers. Digital marketing provides all the right platforms to do so!
Communicating with your customers during such a crisis is not an easy task. You need to observe and work with a few things before posting anything online. Here are a few communication tips to use during the COVID-19 outbreak to help you create effective and creative marketing content for your customers.
Address the Issue Head-On
Gone are the days when businesses would try to portray everything as normal and ‘happy.’ The audience these days looks for ‘real’ content. So, don’t even try to pretend everything is normal. Address the current issue head-on in a non-triggering way. Enlighten your audience about the current situation but also reassure them that it will eventually blow over.
Change Your Marketing Strategies
The reason many companies are left behind is that they fail to change their marketing strategies according to the current events. You don’t want to become one of those companies. Adopting a persuasive marketing strategy right now is pointless, especially if you sell luxury items. So, try a new strategy this time – show your audience you care. Apply some great karmic marketing messages like thanking all those working on the front lines.
Use Humor Carefully
While humor is usually a great way to cheer up your audience and grab their attention, now might not be a good time to use this strategy. People around the world have loved ones that are either sick, at-risk or have succumbed to this global pandemic. Since you’re operating in unchartered territory, tread carefully. Tone down the humor of your marketing content and avoid making any jokes or memes about the current situation. You should rather try to focus your energy on genuinely helping out your audience.
Do Not Exploit the Situation
With the entire world experiencing heartache during these trying times, the last thing you want to do is exploit the situation. Exploitation includes taking advantage of the present situation to benefit or profit your business. For instance, now isn’t a good time to increase prices for necessity items for consumers. If your customers even get a whiff of your business being exploitative, if not now, then in the future, they will turn against you.
A better way to establish an effective bond with your customers and potential audience would be to benefit them in any way possible.
Conclusion
All in all, these communication tips to use during the COVID-19 outbreak can help save your business by helping you build a healthy and caring relationship with them!
