Content Marketing and Digital Marketing during Coronavirus
As cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19) increase internationally, brands have begun scrambling to navigate the pandemic – both internally and externally. In the past week alone, for example, notable big-tech conferences like IBM’s Think, SXSW, and Adobe Summit were canceled. In response to coronavirus, many marketing teams are forced to switch gears and think of alternative outlets, away from event marketing, to accelerate pipeline while keeping the health of others in mind.
Amid the fear of attending and sponsoring large events, marketers are turning to Content Marketing delivered directly to subscribers online to stay engaged with their customers. Content marketing has evolved from being just blog posts and editorial strategies. It’s a holistic approach that relies on a broad range of digital marketing strategies tactics such as email, social media, SEO, and paid media to continue engagement with customers.
Content Marketing is a type of digital marketing in which brands develop an on-going relationship with customers through content that is non-promotional and provides value at every touch. Over the years, content marketing has evolved from being just blog posts and editorial strategies but a holistic approach that relies on a broad range of digital marketing tactics such as email, social media, SEO, and paid distribution to reach a target audience.
Unlike advertising, Content Marketing is not overtly promotional. Rather, content marketing allows brands to become storytellers and provide important information especially during times of crisis. Your customers and prospects seek out content that entertains, inspires, educates, and informs. Content marketing tactics will help keep you create an on-going relationship during, and even after, the coronavirus pandemic.
Content Marketing can become an effective way for you to remain in touch with your customers and increase pipeline generation during the coronavirus pandemic. With the ever-changing Digital landscape, communicating and engaging with your audience can remain undisrupted, no matter what the situation is – as long as you have the proper content marketing strategies in place.
As we see more event closures, brands should follow IBM’s innovative lead and adapt their previous plans to become digital events. In doing so, brands will have the opportunity to globally scale their events and increase engagement – further proving the importance of Content Marketing. Digital events will allow you to become storytellers en masse and provide consumers with the content of value increasing brand awareness and engagement. Customers and prospects seek out content that entertains, inspires, educates, and informs – a strong content strategy will give you the opportunity to leverage important elements from experiential marketing online.
In challenging times and a fast-changing global landscape, communicating brand identity and values remains important. Coronavirus provides a new challenge for marketers that shines a light on the importance of relying on strategies outside of traditional channels (while expected to remain agile). The goal of experiential marketing during the coronavirus outbreak is to invest in similar experiential and Content Marketing strategies delivered through online platforms. Ensure your customers are aware that you are still available and interested in their business throughout 2020.
Moreover, no matter how you’re approaching this situation – both from a health as well as a marketing standpoint – it is important that we maintain a healthy and safe environment. Ultimately, we’ll likely continue to see businesses of all kinds take financial hits due to the coronavirus for some period of time. At this point, I think that focusing on positioning your brand as a trusted source of information is one of the best things you can do to solidify lasting connections with your audience.
It’s also important to approach your marketing strategy with some sensitivity. Sure, you could leverage fear at key touchpoints to make a few more sales. However, that kind of behavior leads to reputational damage you’ll be cleaning up years after the coronavirus has run its course.
This is a great opportunity to fine-tune the following features of your company’s visibility and promotion strategy:
- Website content – Ensuring that it contains the right marketing messages with the right call for action.
- SEO – Checking your current website organic search rankings and optimizing them for search engines to improve the quality and quantity of your web traffic
- Content marketing – Using this opportunity to generate ideas for new blog posts and to start writing the next newsletter for your customers
- Marketing materials – Preparing presentations, brochures, and other marketing materials
- Social media engagement – Strategizing how you can improve social media engagement and writing new case studies, white papers and professional articles. Increasing the number of webinars you hold
- Video – Drafting the storyline for your next video
- Strengthening your focus on web marketing will enable you to maintain normality in these crazy days and will give you a competitive edge over competitors who are slow to react.
WebriQ insights on Content and Digital Marketing
- make sure you can communicate in real-time with your existing and potential new customers, this through different digital marketing channels
- be prepared for the re-opening, but eventually for another shut down in late autumn.
- put your business online as much as you can, and stay ahead of your competitors on this
- Be honest, trustworthy and fact-based with your audience