The world has been tossed upside down. This pandemic pushed every businessman at the edge and now are forced to make the toughest decisions. Will they give in or thrive? 

Come to think of it, people are at home, tied to their phones 24/7, going in and out of social media sites, browsing all websites of their interests out of boredom, ad competition is relaxed and ad costs are decreasing. So why stop marketing your brand? Don’t let this crisis sink your ship by keeping your business in a box waiting for this pandemic to end without doing anything.

Given this critical time to market, you need more than just a good-to-go social media marketing strategy. It needs to come out strong, intelligent and should strike the right tone for your brand and audiences. But before that, here are a few data points you should know.

• Facebook saw a 70% increase in usage of all of its apps in the month of March, according to eMarketer.
• Facebook CPC has decreased, making the cost to advertise much lower for nearly every industry. 
• Ads are cheaper now. Similar to cost per click, there’s been a decrease in CPM across the board of all industries that Socialbakers analyzed. 
• The brands that are making contributions to their communities and employees have seen the most engagement on Facebook and Instagram.

These facts prove that this pandemic isn’t all dark times for businessmen. Now that you get the clearer picture, the goal is to help you create a concrete social media marketing plan during this severe crisis. Here’s how you can do it.

Step 1: Know Your Audience 

Marketing your brand in these mad times relies heavily on empathy. Knowing your target market is more critical and important than it was before. You will be tempted to skip this step if you have been marketing your brand for a while. Well, you obviously know who your audiences are. But in times of a crisis, it makes an exception. This step will allow you to pause and re-acquaint yourself with your ideal customers. 

First, you need to create a basic outline of your target’s profile. Identify basic information like age, gender, location, basic interests, income level, etc. Now that you get an outline, you can ask yourself, “so what?”. Now assess what your target market could be thinking or feeling at the moment. This means you need to empathize with your audiences or ask some friends or your family in order to get real sentiments.  

Along the way, you might discover new opportunities to market your brand in a different light or to different people. So, zoom out and think of possibilities. This in-depth knowledge of your target market will set a tone for everything even after this disaster.

Step 2: Focus Less on You, More on Them

Business is business, yes, but in the middle of a global pandemic might not be the most appropriate time to retain your KPI’s and sales quota. Though it does not mean that you will have to disregard it entirely – you must set your priorities considering the crisis. This is nothing to worry about because eventually you will reap what you have sowed. What’s important is to assess what success looks like today than it was before. 

Before, return of investment was at the top of everyone’s KPI list. But now, the possibility of people making a purchase is skin-and-bones. So, clicks, engagements, leads, messages are things that you may be able to focus more on. For example, if before you were so wary of starting online giveaways or contests because they don’t provide an impressive ROI, this time you may need to consider and rethink. This crisis has prompted a time for giving. Giving away some free products to your audience at this time may result in higher engagement and a win-win situation.

People may not purchase now but they will again eventually. Ensure that your brand remains as number one on their list after this crisis.

Step 3: Try-out Different Platforms 

If you haven’t utilized your Instagram stories or haven’t done ads on Instagram yet, now could be the best time to dig in and go for it. Creating a YouTube channel for your brand may also be beneficial. You may start making tutorial, educational, or entertaining videos while at home. If you haven’t tried different approaches to catch your target market’s visual interests or content preferences, now is the time to try and see how they will react to it. In simple words, you need to find ways in order to build relationships with your audiences or connect with them in different and unique ways. 

How? Start by curating entertaining or relatable videos for your Channel or creating a story template for Instagram – a sure hit for millennials today. You can also utilize Instagram or Facebook polls to engage people and get their feedback. 

One most important thing that marketers often overlook is how they interact with people online. More than feeding people with content, you can spend some time listening or responding to them. Answer comments or create a post that will make them share their Covid-19 experiences. You must let them know you care more than making money. Try to also play around your content, focus on creating user-generated posts and don’t settle for static images alone.

While these efforts may not necessarily guarantee a direct increase in sales, at least it will help you stand out and stay in touch with your audiences. Whatever direction you choose, always look for new opportunities to connect. 

Step 4: Expect the uncertain and keep your eye on the prize

No one will be able to accurately predict the aftermath of this crisis, especially to small and medium enterprises. Yes, it is true that this pandemic will end eventually but no one knows when. This is why you need to think out of the bubble to survive. Put your idea of perfection aside for a while and instead, learn to get things right, move efficiently and quickly more than ever. When you’re free, read articlesor magazines, watch relevant videos or ask around to stay on top of digital and business trends. Do not expect anything from your audiences, just try to reach out. 

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The key for your business to continually thrive is creativity and connection. Consumers today are looking for ways to connect and get away from everything that’s happening. Your business must lend an ear to people and make them feel you care.

Overwhelmed by all these social media marketing plan adjustments? Don’t worry! Having the right agency partner can help you create compelling and relevant campaigns in line with the current crisis. Learn more about how we can help you here at https://imanila.ph/lets-talk/ or drop us an email at [email protected]. #iManila 

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