The world is facing some very unprecedented times.  CoVID-19 is spreading at an exponential rate, causing us to self-isolate and keep a social distance of 2 meters.

All non-essential businesses and travel in Canada and the United States, and across the world as well, have been shut down. Likewise, both the Canadian and American governments have enforced a lockdown to prevent the spread of infections from one person to another and to protect ourselves and others.

Staying at home can be quite nice for some time, but it can also be boring and restricting.  Hopefully, the lockdown and the closure of non-essential business is lifted soon, and it has minimal impact on our lives. For the time being, try not to socialize with others too much or go into crowded places.

And when it comes to digital marketing, this is the time for you to strengthen your commitment to a particular goal or strategy. Do not be fearful when others are also emotional and stressed out. As Warren Buffett once said,” Be greedy when other people are fearful.” Meaning double down.

Our digital marketing online course instructors have been working diligently with our corporate training clients as well as students to help them respond appropriately to coronavirus concerns and make well intentional and planned adjustments in their marketing messages and strategies.

The following is a list of strategies and tips that your company should consider using during the CoVID-19 shutdown.

5 Digital Marketing Strategies to Implement during the Coronavirus | Online Digital Marketing Training

1. Continue Having an Online Presence

While the number of cars on the street and the number of people walking on sidewalks decreased, the number of people on the internet has increased.  Search traffic since the pandemic was announced has increased exponentially because consumers are constantly glued to their phones and computers.

This is not the time to bury your online presence. Consumers are still browsing remotely. People are still contacting businesses through email and social media. All the digital marketing strategies, such as SEO and PPC advertising, that you were using to climb to increase traffic before the pandemic should thus continue.  A few adjustments will be needed, which brings me to my next point.

2. Adjust Content and Strategies to Reflect Trends

Digital marketing in the CoVID-19 era is very different and should be treated as such. Businesses of all sizes are changing their marketing strategies to reflect consumer needs and activity. They are not stopping their activity because they want to keep their customers engaged and their clientele loyal.

A key example is the KFC advertising campaigns. Prior to the pandemic declaration, KFC ads depicted people eating chicken and licking their fingers when done eating. They pulled those ads off the world wide web and replaced them with ads that fit the new reality of handwashing and social distancing.

Travel companies are another prime example because they are an industry most sidelined by the virus. Travelling has been restricted to essential travel. Borders have been closed. No one is going on vacation. To keep their customers engaged and loyal, travel companies are continuing to build brand awareness through content, such as social media and photo sharing contests.

3. Grow Your Presence through Paid Advertising

With more people working at home and staying digital, it’s a great opportunity for businesses to take advantage of PPC advertising to connect with customer at a fraction of the cost during normal business hours. On average, cost-per-clicks have decreased by 6 percent in the last few weeks. And it will only continue to decrease in the coming weeks, reducing the amount of money an advertiser pays a publisher for every ad click.

4. Redefine the Purpose of Your Marketing Efforts

Quarantine and lockdown measures are keeping everyone healthy and safe. But these measures come at a cost – our mental health. Adults are concerned about finances and paying bills. Seniors are worried about contracting the virus. It is, therefore, important to redefine the purpose of your marketing efforts to include entertainment. In these times, finding innovative and creative ways to ensure your services reach customers will go a long way to build lasting relationships.

Major influencers are partnering with fitness apps to help people stay active and healthy, education apps to continue distance learning, and gaming apps to entertain people and motivate them to stay home.  A good example is Vogue  who has offered three months free access to all its digital titles.

5. Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Assistance

Managing an undertaking like this one can be daunting for any marketing professional but an experienced team can help immensely. Depending on your industry, you likely have a lot to handle right now. Take one task off of your plate by sending your digital marketing efforts to a reputable marketing company in your area.

The Bottom Line

One only needs to sign into their social media accounts or to turn on their TV to see that consumer behaviors have shifted as people prepare for and adapt to life during CoVID-19 shutdown. Many business models have also altered to adapt to changing needs.

Restaurants and coffee shops have become takeout and delivery only establishments; distilleries have begun to produce hand sanitizers instead of spirits, and manufacturers are now producing masks and other essential apparel for essential workers.

And as the business models shift, the marketing strategy should change as well to keep consumers apprised of how brands are continuing to serve them.

If you have any questions or would like some guidance, DMAC offers online digital marketing corporate training opportunities to businesses affected by CoVID shutdown. We will work collaboratively with you to understand your corporate vision, marketing goals and objectives and help recreate new strategies and goals that will help you navigate the pandemic crisis. Besides that, we also offer a range of online digital marketing courses.

DMAC Offers a Free Facebook & Instagram Social Media Marketing Course to Help Close the Skills Gap

Yes, you heard us right. DMAC is giving back to Canadians in these trying times. We are offering our Facebook and Instagram 10-hour online course, with certification for free. No strings attached and no credit card required.

The course is ideal for all individuals interested in learning Facebook and Instagram marketing and advertising, including:

o Traditional marketers who want to learn more about Facebook and Instagram marketing quickly.
o Recent marketing graduates who want to stand out with recruiters when applying for a job.
o Business owners looking to leverage Facebook and Instagram’s advertising power to engage customers online.
o People looking for certification in social media marketing.

Some of the topics covered in our course are: Importance of Social Media in today’s world of advertising.

o Creating Facebook and Instagram marketing strategies
o Defining your Social Media marketing goals
o Running successful Facebook and Instagram ad campaigns
o Monitoring Facebook and Instagram marketing performance and analytics

Click HERE to enroll today.
Read some of our student testimonials here.