Marketing in Difficult Times: Focus on Content that Reaches and Assures | Saga Tech
Companies all around the world needed to pivot their whole construction when the pandemic hit. Being pressured to close down workplaces and premises and transfer to a distant working mannequin is troublesome sufficient, however the downturn within the economic system additionally meant that income fell sharply for a lot of. Now in a reopened America, gasoline costs are excessive and paying wage stays the identical in most states. How does one efficiently market throughout powerful instances?
Some companies responded to this risk by lowering expenditure wherever doable. The advertising and marketing funds is usually one of many first to be frozen, deemed as an “pointless” expense in unsure instances.
Nevertheless, not all manufacturers froze in concern. Whereas a certain quantity of juggling figures and adjusting budgets is inevitable, different companies have invested in strengthening their model place in anticipation of the extra affluent instances forward – even after they couldn’t know when.
The Digital Advertising and marketing Institute says:
“It doesn’t matter what form of digital advertising and marketing you interact in, you’re going to wish nice content material. Nice content material doesn’t contain plugging your merchandise endlessly. As a substitute, it provides actual worth to individuals – and most significantly, it serves a objective.”
This stays true even in disaster, your objective simply has to adapt to what sorts of content material individuals want proper now.
Even with out route when your manufacturing, gross sales, and companies could also be restricted, content material advertising and marketing can ship ROI in any market and set your corporation up for higher days.
Right here’s a fast video about how we marketed throughout the pandemic from the Harvard Enterprise College:
Fast Takeaways:
- Throughout troublesome instances, all companies ought to make time and area of their funds and schedule for content material advertising and marketing.
- Investing in content material advertising and marketing now can win the loyalty of an viewers who will turn into clients later.
- This isn’t the time for self-serving content material: All the time purpose to supply as a lot worth as doable.
Content material Advertising and marketing within the Time of Coronavirus
When there’s much less cash coming in, it’s a pure response to carry onto what you will have and never spend any extra of it. However axing your advertising and marketing funds isn’t at all times the wisest spending determination.
When disaster ends, your clients will nonetheless be there. However will they bear in mind you? And extra importantly, will they bear in mind how your organization acted throughout this time?
Disaster is actually not the time for pushy promoting. No one likes being offered to, significantly not throughout a worldwide well being disaster and financial crash.
It’s not the time for conferences or commerce exhibits both. Promoting on billboards and round public transport will go unseen. Bodily newspapers had been deserted in favor of on-line information by social media platforms.
Advertising and marketing groups all around the world are discovering it essential to pivot and discover new methods of attracting clients and reaching their objectives throughout instances of disaster.
Content material advertising and marketing has at all times been an inexpensive and extremely efficient technique of promoting for companies of all sizes and in all industries, and when stuff hits the fan, it’s extra essential than ever.
Throughout COVID, hundreds of thousands of individuals had been confined to their properties, many with additional time on their arms as they had been unable to work. Naturally, this led to extra content material being consumed then ever earlier than.
Pageviews for information publishers went up about 30 %. Whereas it’s pure that individuals could be consuming extra information on the present time, different content material thrived too.
Social media networks had been buzzing, YouTube views had been up, and folks had been on the lookout for content material to consolation and uplift them, present essential details about well being and funds, to study one thing new, as a distraction and as leisure.
In brief, disaster is an wonderful time to double down in your content material advertising and marketing to achieve new clients and strengthen relationships with current ones.
Content material Concepts for Financial Uncertainty
You might be anxious about the way forward for your corporation, however now just isn’t the time for self-serving content material. Corporations aggressively shedding workers, forcing them to work in unsafe situations, or profiteering from the COVID-19 disaster have been rightly criticized for his or her actions. Those that produce poor-quality clickbait content material or thinly-veiled gross sales messages will face the identical criticisms, and so they’re not prone to be forgotten in a rush.
Now could be your alternative to essentially serve your viewers in any manner you’ll be able to. The kind of content material that may enable you to to do that will depend upon who they’re and what trade your corporation is in. However, there’s virtually actually a chance so that you can produce invaluable content material right now.
Addressing Buyer Considerations
Virtually each enterprise has been affected not directly by the present local weather, and it is sensible to elucidate to your clients precisely what modifications have been put in place and the way you might be defending their pursuits and people of your staff.
This would possibly embrace explaining your distance work coverage or protections, equivalent to supplying hand sanitizer, masks, and bodily distancing of workers at work throughout a pandemic.

If it’s important to shut down operations briefly, clarify this to your clients, with the reassurance that you just’ll be again up and working as quickly as it’s protected and doable to take action.
Showcasing Generosity
Many manufacturers responded to the disaster by doing good deeds, equivalent to providing subscriptions at no cost or producing medical gear to be donated to hospitals.
If your corporation is within the place to do one thing comparable, this not solely lets you contribute in a optimistic manner but additionally makes positive that individuals will bear in mind your model for doing good.
And these actions don’t essentially need to be 100% altruistic. If your corporation and others can each profit, it’s higher for everybody. For instance, an organization providing a free 2-month service subscription to assist different companies struggling to handle their distant staff might nicely discover that many select to pay for his or her subscription on the finish of the free interval.
No matter good deeds your organization or your workers are participating in throughout this troublesome time, make it possible for everybody is aware of about them. Reap the benefits of your weblog, social media, and your e mail listing to supply content material that may enhance your model status and encourage sharing.
Useful Data for Dealing with the Disaster
Manufacturers in sure industries might be able to produce content material instantly associated to financial uncertainty for people who find themselves looking for this data. This may increasingly embrace:
- Data on staying wholesome amid COVID-19
- Suggestions and recommendation for working from residence and managing distant groups
- Recommendation for brand spanking new homeschoolers and fogeys making an attempt to juggle all of it
- Psychological well being sources for individuals who are struggling
- Recommendation for companies dealing with monetary issues
Supply Escapism
Not all content material must be strictly helpful or instructional throughout this time. Individuals are additionally seeking to be distracted and entertained from actual world issues. Keep in mind manner again to the start of the pandemic? Simply take a look at the large success of the Netflix documentary Tiger King for a terrific instance of this!
Me: I can’t cease excited about, speaking about, or studying concerning the coronavirus
Netflix: let me introduce you to Joe Unique and Carole Baskin. #TigerKing pic.twitter.com/1Oamnc2vMF
— Mary (@maryyyyrosee) March 23, 2020
Many individuals are rising weary of the doom and gloom of studying the information and are on the lookout for extra uplifting content material and “good” information. Even the BBC created a brand new part on their web site to satisfy the rising demand for uplifting tales.
Wrap up
Advertising and marketing your bussiness throughout a time of unrest isn’t any straightforward job. Apart from understanding what’s applicable and what’s well timed, this stuff are impacting you instantly as a human too! It’s essential to look inward and take into consideration what you wish to open your telephone to see. So long as you’ll be able to create one thing that individuals wish to watch or learn, retains them entertained, or makes them smile, you’re onto a winner!
Do you wish to use among the advertising and marketing methods seen right here on MIG’s web site however want some assist or recommendation? Advertising and marketing Insider Group has a group of 35+ skilled writers prepared to supply content material for YOUR enterprise. Try our weekly weblog content material service or schedule a free session.
– Marketing in Difficult Times: Focus on Content that Reaches and Assures