Due to the recent spread of COVID-19 and the request from our government officials to practice social distancing, businesses are taking a big hit. Customers are no longer walking into businesses, shopping in stores, or even dining in restaurants, and the halt it is hurting so many of us.
In an effort to combat the slow of sales from the front counter, the best thing you can do is start marketing yourself online. As a digital marketing company, Webster Digital Marketing (WDM) is proficient in marketing businesses online, whether with websites, advertisements, social media, or emails, and we wanted to share our tips.
Here are a few ideas of what you could be doing online to promote your business. As always, if you need help or have questions, please contact us! Our first consultation is free and we’re happy to help brainstorm more ideas.
1. Send emails to your customers. Let them know how you’re handling COVID-19 and keep them updated when things change via email. If you’re looking for help, WDM can write the email, get you signed up with an Email Service Provider, create a template for future emails, upload your contact list, and send out emails.
2. Communicate your situation on social media. Many businesses are changing hours or service options, such as adding delivery or curbside pickup. To easily get the word out to your patrons, consider posting about it on social media for quick, easy updates.
3. Try advertising online. Online advertising has a huge reach, which could help you bring in more customers when you really need them. With advertising options on Google and Facebook, your social media marketing has the ability to reach out to your target audience as they are spending more time at home and online.
4. Look into geo-targeting. This is another way to advertise online, but with different types of parameters. Geo-targeting allows you to target people based on where they have been in the last 90 days, where they live, where they go in the future, and demographics like age, gender, race, and income level.
5. Sell online. If you don’t sell a product, create one! Think of ideas such as digital downloads or prepaid online consultations that can be bought and used online. If you need help adding eCommerce to your website, need a website, or want to brainstorm other ideas, WDM is here to help.
6. Do an online giveaway. Give away anything—a shirt, coffee cup, gift card, etc., and reap the rewards of good exposure. Many businesses require that you tag friends in the comments to enter a giveaway, giving you exposure to all kinds of potential customers. We can help create the content, find the right time to posts, set the guidelines, and pick a winner.
7. Partner with other businesses. Reach out to others in your community to see how you can help each other. We should be there for each other now more than ever! You can start by engaging and sharing each other’s content online and on social media to show your support.
8. Utilize extra time to prepare for the future. If your business is closed, or even just slow, you may have more time on your hands than you would like. Use this time to create a marketing strategy, come up with creative content, and keep customers engaged. Share your expertise on a blog post or have us write one for you. Do a rebranding or redesign of your website that you’ve been holding off on doing. Just invest your time wisely by making your business better than it’s ever been.
This is just the tipping point of ways you can boost your business during these difficult times. Each industry could have its own potential ways to grow their business online. The important thing now is to take advantage of the Internet and try some new things!
If you need help brainstorming or analyzing your digital marketing efforts, let us know. We offer a free internet marketing consultation that analyzes your online efforts and gives you at LEAST 10 easy, actionable ways you can improve your digital marketing efforts.
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