This global outbreak has left businesses around the world counting costs. This pandemic is affecting many businesses and buyer behavior towards brands due to the quarantine measures.
The pandemic has badly affected small businesses and has bought them back to the foundation stage of their business.
But there comes the ray of hope as more people are moving more to digital platforms. Digital Marketing plays a vital role in boosting small businesses.
Opting for digital marketing helps you vocalize your organization, extend its reach, and create a customer base. Amidst the current pandemic, it is paramount that you conduct effective marketing to maintain steady business growth.
This article focuses on the strategies you can and should put into place to market successfully during Covid 19 pandemic.
Let us get started.
Marketing strategies to scale your business during a lockdown:
A) Have a Creative Website
There are many advantages to have your business website for your business:
- You can develop an online presence – You can put reviews, photos of the location, helpful information to position your business.
- It is easy to target local customers. Suppose someone is new in the area and does not know the neighborhood. They will jump online to search. If your website appears up among the first search engine results for these types of local queries, it will benefit your business.
- You can share your address and contact information with customers.
- A lot of small business owners prefer emails over phone calls. It is easy to answer emails at any time, and it does not matter if ten people want to contact you simultaneously; you can get them all.
- You can save money on paper-bills and pamphlets advertisements.
- Online content can help build a reputation. Most businesses help communities by keeping them informed through content marketing and educating them.
- You can learn more about your customers. If used correctly, then you can use the information to drive sales and conversions.
- You can make online sales by displaying your products and services on the website.
- It is a perfect way to advertise employment opportunities. If you are looking for a new hire. There are plenty of platforms, but it also makes sense to put a word on your own website about employment opportunities.
B) Social Media Platforms
Social media is a fantastic way to grow your business and connect to your customers and prospects. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Whatsapp Business can help you to
- Target your customer group: Eg – if you are targeting youth, then Instagram is the best platform.
- Enhance search engine ranking: If you are trying to reach the customer through social media platforms, it improves your website ranking to grow more with social media. As your social media share rate increases, then the domain authority of your website also increases. This helps you improve your website rank, and hence your visibility increases.
- Focus on driving traffic to your website: Many small businesses focus on driving traffic to their websites. To gain your customer’s attention, you need to focus on relevant content creation on your social media platforms and aim to engage them with various marketing ideas.
- Monitor your competitors: It is strange, but you can monitor your competitor’s content and track their marketing strategies. Social media platforms are best to take inspiration from your competitors’ post content but don’t copy them.
- Build trust with your customer– It is not just a social media platform for advertising or having your presence, but it is a great medium to build trust with your customers. It helps you build a relationship with your customer base.
C) Paid Ads
During the lockdown, people spend more time at home and on social media. The ROI on PPC ads has skyrocketed. This is a good way of reminding people that you are alive and is part of the new normal.
Paid ads consist of Facebook ads, Instagram ads, Google ads. Facebook ads are pretty affordable for local businesses. Instagram ads can be helpful for small to big businesses. Small businesses can use google ads- they can opt for smart campaigns, new default ad experience. Online ads have always been engaging, affordable, and well-targeted, but more than that, they give you the ability to scale up your business.
The CPM (cost per thousand impressions) on ads has lowered due to pandemics since companies do not have big marketing budgets.
D) Listing Websites
You can register or create profiles on various website listings or web directories like Sulekha, Justdial, Indiamart.
For every business, it is essential to get seen and to be found easily on the internet. Business listings in local directories play an important role in expanding your business.
Top 10 free business listing sites:
- https://www.crunchbase.com/
- https://www.tradeindia.com/
- https://www.indiamart.com/
- https://www.sulekha.com/
- https://www.justdial.com/
- https://e27.co/
- https://www.hotfrog.com/
- https://www.grotal.com/
- https://www.yalwa.in/
- https://www.google.com/intl/en_in/business/
Using the right marketing strategies and techniques you can grow businesses on digital platforms. There is a big hope for smaller businesses to grow their businesses to another level.
For business owners, who do not know how to set up digital marketing campaigns on their own, can hire digital marketing agencies. These agencies help take your business online within the internet space with a limited budget and promise the best exposure.