There is no doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic has presented a range of challenges to businesses, and digital marketing is no exception. Many companies have struggled to know how to communicate with their customers during the crisis, and whether they should be marketing their products at all at the moment. Some businesses have managed to navigate this difficult time with relative ease, but there are a number of marketing mistakes that are negatively impacting on already-struggling businesses.
Effective digital marketing tactics both in the initial stages of the pandemic, and in the “new normal” that we will see in the months and years to come could make all the difference to businesses surviving this global crisis. Here are the biggest digital marketing mistakes companies are making during the COVID-19 pandemic.
1. Misusing Online Opportunities
It seems like almost every business is going online right now, from yoga studios launching online classes to previously bricks-and-mortar stores becoming ecommerce operations. For many businesses, this is essentially the only way they can continue to make money at the moment and may be the only way they will survive the global crisis.
However, one of the biggest mistakes businesses are making is moving their service offering online without adapting to the online world. It is not workable to do the same things and the same way but simply do it online: you need to adjust your offering to the online context. This may mean skilling up in areas such as website creation or video conferencing, or it could even mean hiring an expert to help you in these areas.
2. Putting Out Too Much Information (or the Wrong Information)
Another common trend we’re seeing at the moment is businesses putting out statements and updates about how the pandemic will impact on their services. This is a great thing to do if your business or your customers are being directly impacted by COVID-19. However, avoid sending a statement purely because everyone else is. Just about every business is being impacted by the current crisis in some way, but if your statement will not add value to your customer you should not send it.
Additionally, it is important to avoid spreading incorrect, inaccurate or incomplete information. Many businesses are choosing to share tips, advice and best practices at the moment. In theory, this is a great way of delivering valuable and very pertinent information to their customers. However, there is also a great deal of misinformation around at the moment, and spreading this will definitely do more harm than good. Distributing inaccurate information during a global pandemic could literally cost lives. Make sure to only communicate tips and other information related to COVID-19 if you are qualified to do so (for example if you are a health expert), or if you are sharing it from a reliable source such as the WHO or the CDC.
3. Failing To Be Empathetic
Although it is important to continue to communicate with your customers even throughout this crisis, it is critic that you do so with compassion. You should understand that a large number of people are struggling right now: some are dealing with illness or the loss of a loved one, others with unemployment or significant financial problems. Experts are also reporting that there has been an increase in anxiety and depression during the pandemic.
It is important that your messaging stays sensitive at this time. Avoid guilting your audience or telling them what they should be doing or how they should be doing. It is equally critical to balance this sensitivity to the negative situations and feelings of your customers with optimism, and avoid going to negative. Best of all, avoid talking at your customers at all, and focus on listening to them.
4. Ignoring Content Marketing
It should also be remembered that the flipside of every challenge is an opportunity. Because your customers are restricted to spending more time at home, this means that they are spending more time online. Facebook has reported record usage of their platform, for example. They are reading more articles, spending more time on social media, and consuming more content.
You can take advantage of this opportunity by creating great content for your customers, and using this to promote your business. Now is the perfect time to focus on social media, your blog, videos, podcasts, or all of the above. This also creates more opportunities to market your business such as through link building, a form of Ghost Marketing that drives traffic to your site from other popular sites.
5. Being Too Vague
This is a complex time and it can be difficult to know what is going to happen in the future, and difficult for businesses to know what to say to their customers. However, vague and uncertain messaging is detrimental, as this is the last thing your audience wants to hear at the moment. In the context of so much uncertainty, people are look for clear, straightforward information.
Put out clear messages to your audience that tell them what they need to know in as simple terms as possible. If you are a customer-facing business that is continuing to operate, tell them what you are doing to protect your customers’ safety at this time. If you have had to suspend or change your services, tell them what your plans are and when things may return. If you don’t know, tell them directly that you don’t know.
6. Trying to Profit From the Pandemic
There is a big difference between taking advantage of the changing global context in order to promote your business for business survival, and profiteering from the crisis. The scale of this crisis is immense, and will affect millions of people through hospitalizations, grief, job losses, and more. There are some unscrupulous companies (not many thankfully) that are seeing this as an opportunity to make money from peoples’ suffering.
Attempting to make money from the COVID-19 is not only immoral, but it will not sit well with your customer base and most likely lose more customers than it will attract. It could very well irrevocably damage your brand. Doing the right thing and supporting your customers at this time is the best thing you can do: this will build reputation, trust and loyalty, and will pay off in the long term.