Even if you don’t have the usual human or financial resources, there are some things you can continue to do to keep your brand alive.
1. Use social media
Keep your presence active in social media. Demonstrate your humanity and show support for those affected.
Share and post articles that educate your customers and prospects about your industry or profession during the crisis. Nonprofits can post how their missions have been adjusted to meet the community’s changing needs.
Respond to followers and keep abreast of their experiences. Show empathy, make suggestions if you can, or offer to help.
Especially during a health crisis, more people are on their computers using social media during the workday. They all have a need to connect during tough times. Now is not the time to disappear.
2. Find new ways to provide your products or services
If you sell products or services, find new ways to provide them, if possible. For example, many retailers have been offering curbside pickup during this health crisis. Hairdressers are offering step-by-step instructions for cutting hair.
Can you offer some of your services in video conferences? Can you adapt to sell digital products?
For nonprofits, whose event fundraisers have been cancelled, can you hold a non-event? I remember several years ago, a nonprofit mailed people a teabag for a stay-at-home tea party fundraiser. Use your creativity.
3. Use direct mail
The mail is still a viable way to communicate with people, especially when digital channels are overly flooded. Yes, it does cost more to print and mail, but figure out your return on investment and compare it to digital channels.
According to the Association of National Advertisers (ANA), email only has a 1% response rate while direct mail has a response rate of up to 9%, partly because consumers’ physical mailboxes are still less cluttered than their inboxes.
Of course, you can integrate your direct mail marketing with digital channels as well, creating a multichannel marketing approach.
In fact, “80% of study participants report that direct mail improves multichannel campaign performance.” (same study as above)
Enduring a crisis is difficult enough but abandoning your marketing can spell a death knell. Do whatever you can with the free or inexpensive tools you have at your disposal. Don’t give up. All crises must come to an end.
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