The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been far-reaching, touching the lives of almost every business owner in the United States. This has led many to examine their overall business strategies and make some tough decisions.
As you go through this process, you might have considered scaling back on your marketing efforts. While this may seem like an obvious way to save money, it could end up being one of the biggest mistakes you make!
In fact, according to Rohring Results founder Brittany Rohr, businesses that stop marketing often see a serious decline in their income within the first quarter after making a change.
A much better approach is to find ways to increase your marketing impact while reducing your expenses. Making small changes to improve the efficiency of your marketing plan is easier than you might think. The following tips will help you get started. 🙂
Examine Your Customer Journey
Making the most out of your marketing budget starts with understanding where your current customers are coming from. If you’re not doing so already, start keeping track of important information like how customers find you, which products or services they purchase, and any other relevant buyer behaviors.
Once you’ve gathered enough data, review it to see if you notice any patterns. This will help you determine the best ways to spend your marketing dollars going forward.
Revisit Your Strategy
Once you’ve reviewed your current customer data, you might find that your “ideal client profile” doesn’t match the bulk of your business. At a time when you’re trying to stretch your marketing budget, it may pay to switch your strategy to focusing on the “low-hanging fruit.” These are the clients who are naturally attracted to your business and are easy to find and close. If you can replicate them, you’ll find that you’re getting more business with less effort.
Use Your Marketing to Build Trust
Now, more than ever, consumers need to know that they can trust the companies they choose to work with. If you want to sustain your business, you’ll need to work hard to show your customers that your company is on solid footing and you’re committed to being around even when things get tough.
Done right, your marketing can effectively communicate this message and show that you’re the obvious choice to provide customers with the products or services they need. It can also establish you as an expert in your industry, create brand loyalty, and build trust.
If you’re not actively spreading your marketing message, you’re taking the chance of losing business to someone who is. This is one of the many reasons why the biggest brands commit huge amounts of money to marketing campaigns year after year.
Even if you’ve put a lot of effort into building loyalty and trust over the years, you must remember that customers have short attention spans. Take a step back now, and those feelings will quickly start to fade.
Keep Your Message Positive
It’s normal to feel uncertain right now, but don’t let people see it! Make sure that every interaction you have with the public comes from a place of positivity and strength. Now is also a great time to remind your customers just how important they are to you and your business.
You can also take advantage of the current push to shop local and support family-owned businesses by sharing “behind the scenes” photos and videos of your family, your staff, and their families. This will help you create a personal connection and build customer loyalty.
Increase Your Online Presence
Most people are spending more time online now than ever, and if you’re not on there with them then you’re missing the boat! If you haven’t already done so, now is the time to start being more active online. This will show people that you’re committed to your business and that you aren’t going anywhere.
Get Smart with Your Social
While you do want to spend more time online, you don’t want to spread yourself too thin. Trying to stay active on all of the social media channels is a mistake. Not only will this wear you out, but it’s simply not necessary!
A much better plan is to do your research and find out which platforms your target audience is most likely to use. Then, choose one of two that you’re comfortable with and commit to going all-in on them.
It’s also important to note that creating one generic message and posting it across all your social media channels is rarely effective. Each platform has a different demographic, and what works on one channel (like Facebook) usually won’t have the same impact on another (like Instagram). Take the time to customize your posts for each platform and you’ll get much better results. Keep reading for a special solution 😉
Evaluate Your Message
Things have changed a lot in the past several months. Has your marketing message evolved as well? Now is a good time to take a step back and make sure that your message clearly communicates your company’s values and that it’s still relevant in the face of our “new normal.”
If you’re not completely sure, take some time to tweak your message until you feel more comfortable. Since it’s likely that things will continue to change, this is an exercise you’ll want to repeat periodically over the next few years.
Review Your Site
Your customers will find you in different ways – from organic search and paid ads to social media posts and personal referrals. No matter what your sales funnels look like, there’s a good chance that almost all of them will ultimately land on your website. When they get there, it’s critical that they have a great experience.
If they reach your site and find that it’s difficult to navigate, takes forever to load, or doesn’t work on mobile, they will quickly get frustrated and move on to the next option. Make no mistake about it, a bad website will cost you business!
You can prevent this by visiting your website and evaluating the experience from a customer’s point of view. If you find problems, consider having them fixed as soon as possible.
Ask for Feedback
If you’re not making your clients happy, your business will never thrive. Don’t assume you’re pleasing your customers — ask them! Asking your clients for feedback shows that you care about giving great service and you’re willing to fix any problems that arise.
It also opens the door for you to ask for a review. The majority of customers read reviews before making purchases, so this is one of the most effective and least expensive ways to market your business.
Find a system that is easy that works for you and stick to it 🙂
You Don’t Have to Do it Alone!
Navigating this uncertainty is a challenge that’s not going away anytime soon. However, you don’t have to weather the storm alone. Our professional marketing team can help you design the perfect marketing plan for 2020 and beyond.
We even launched a new system that helps you to have customized & strategic content for 4 platforms (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn & Twitter) in under 3 hours per month!
Learn More About Our Revolutionary Social Success Solution 🙂
Starting under $100/month, no contracts and a full money back guarantee!
Special offer for our launch is available for the first 100 signups! Developed by Brittany Rohr to help small businesses keep marketing even when the world is making things challenging~ And always listening to suggestion 😉
