Marketing Your Business Online During a Crisis in 2020 (Such As the Coronavirus)

23 top marketers weigh in on how to market your business during an uncertain time, such as a pandemic. Share this article with business owners who need support and encouragement during this 2020 pandemic.

1. Crissy Conner, Crissy Conner Creates, LLC

Stay visible. It’s not our customers’ jobs to remember who we are; it’s our job to keep showing up for them, in every economical situation. Think about the value you can offer your audience right now. People will be online and on social media more, so the businesses that keep showing up and being visible will be top of mind when things turn back around. People still need what you have to offer, so don’t let them forget who you are.

2. Molly Rose, Molly Rose Media LLC

Be helpful as an expert in your unique industry. You have skills and knowledge that you can pass on to help people during this time. Focus on sharing preparedness tips – share a favorite recipe, life hack, or tip for being home with kids. I think this is an excellent time to take advantage of being home and share live videos and workshops.

3. Kelly Sturtevant, Blue Page Social Inc

If you aren’t already utilizing Facebook ads for your business, now is the time to start. While your competitors are easing up on the gas pedal with their advertising, you need to be pushing hard to drive forward. Ad costs are down, making your dollar stretch further to reach your target audience. Use this time to build your brand awareness and your email list so when balance is restored, you are front and center in your clients’ and customers’ minds.

4. Kahlin Grant, KAPOW! Social Branding LLC

Are you going to make this your business Dark Ages or your Renaissance? You could view this time period as when businesses are about to enter a dark age and many were left in financial crisis and ruin. Or you can get up and fight and think about doing business differently. It’s time to get creative in finding solutions and serving our customers in new ways they need in changing times.

5. Megan Flanagan, 609 Media 

Reassess your Social Media Strategies for all your platforms and ask yourself, “What message do you want to push out for the next 14 -30 days?” Then, strategize your mix of Connecting/Engaging/Selling/Promoting. Learn what your audience needs right now and deliver because relationship-driven marketing is EVERYTHING right now.

6. Nellie Corriveau, Sales Queen Coaching

It’s time to shift and slay your sales, virtually! Yes, you can still earn money and do it tastefully and authentically during this pandemic (and after). Now more than ever, people need your support, so let’s get creative and open up our arms!

7. Kim Cullen, Designed To Network

YouTube is the second-largest search engine in the world behind Google, so make a point of creating how-to videos! Not only is this long-term searchable content; they are a great source of visibility and, ultimately, you can boost your sales all whilst staying at home.

8. Kari Poppleton, Blue Nest Media

Consistency in your marketing is incredibly important during challenging times, as clients will gravitate towards those that are calm, steady, and giving hope. There are people out there right now that need the service or product you provide, and producing valuable and encouraging content will help to forge a relationship so you can serve them with excellence.

9. Mallory Majcher, MK Digital Co.

While there may be a decline in customer spending during these difficult times, there will be an increase in customer time and attention. Use this time to connect with your audience, get to know them better, and – most importantly – provide value.

Your customers will eventually spend money again. If you can offer them unmatched value in this time of uncertainty, you will win their loyalty. When life returns to normal and your customers do spend again, it will be with you.

10. Allison Gossard, TAG Creative Marketing

This is the best time in history to be marketing your business online. You have a captive audience of people on every social media platform. It’s time to get as visible as you possibly can. Be real, raw, and open about your struggles through this time as well as offering solutions to your audiences pain points. Provide as much value as possible to your potential clients and when they have a need you can fill, you will be the first person they think of.

11. Carly Martin, Hawthorne House Media

Now, more than ever, is the time to be a strong voice of leadership, providing value, help, and community for your audience and social media is a natural medium with which to do that as everyone turns to their home feeds for news. Messaging that was appropriate even just a few days ago may no longer be applicable, and so we must adapt to the circumstances. It requires being nimble, but that is a muscle we are all used to flexing as business owners. Remaining calm and thinking long term will allow us to get creative and recognize inspired ideas so we can better weather this storm.

12. Christa Nichols, Christa Nichols Messaging

Your clients and customers need you and your business’s consistent presence in their lives now more than ever. Everything around them is changing, and they’re going to look online for connection, communication, and information. Make sure they can find you there by posting, going live, and showing up on your social media channels. Use this time to build trust and connection with your audience.

13. Tereza Toledo, Tereza Toledo Social

Pivot. Look for the silver lining and how your audience needs will develop in the following weeks. Find out what specific problems you can help your client solve right now and pivot as needed. When it comes to Pinterest, content takes much longer to circulate. Many are slowing down on publishing new content right now. The ones who keep publishing will have much higher visibility two months from now. It’s time to go all-in and be on the platform where people will be searching for answers!

14. Cathy Baillargeon, Virtual Cathy

Bringing in a remote worker for administrative tasks may be what makes or breaks your productivity during this time in your business. While it may be tempting to spend downtime catching up on paperwork, emails, and inquiries, it will benefit you ten-fold if you take the time delegating that work to someone else, freeing you up to focus on other marketing efforts, business building, and strengthening your connections.

15. Georgia Mountford, GEMO Creative

Get creative and get online! If you’re a brick-and-mortar business relying on in-person attendance, think about how you can serve your customers from home – then use email and social to tell them! If you’re a fitness studio, for example, maybe you can host Zoom workouts, deliver nutrition or movement tips, or start mailing out supplies of protein bars and grip chalk for those stuck indoors. Now is a great time to focus on coaching services and digital resources (think living room workout ideas, downloadable playlists, video tutorials, etc.) – and to focus on moving your offline community online too!

16. Savannah Valencia, Savannah Valencia Agency

I have already seen an increase in social media activity and engagement. Now is a great time to get in front of and interact with your audience. People might not be spending as much now, but they are listening, so take advantage of the attention and keep putting yourself and your business out there.

17. Jeanne Eury, 8 Arms Group

Most people view SEO and content creation (blog posts, articles, etc.) as things they know they need to work on ‘when they have time’. Now, whether we like it or not, many business owners have a bit more time for the next few weeks and have the opportunity to assess and improve their SEO and write content that shows potential customers/clients their expertise. Write what you know, infusing a bit of your personality, and make sure it is easy for Google to share and recommend! A few easy steps can make a huge difference.

18. 1x1impression

Get visible and get in front of your community as a leader. Now is the perfect time to focus on your online presence. Google My Business optimization is considered to be the most valuable local Marketing service out there. Use the time you have to really boost your profile, share photos, list promotions, and share your story all for FREE!

19. Allison Harpole, Harp & Oaks Communications

Use social media channels to post frequent updates that keep your audience informed and up to date on the latest from your business. Keep them informed about changes in operational hours and abnormal operation procedures. More than ever, people are connected to one another through social media. Now is the time to utilize social media to stay connected to your audience and valued customers and to encourage them that your business is still open and ready to serve.

20. Alexis Perry, Mountain Cane Media

Business owners: Ask yourself what your audience needs during times of uncertainty. This will ultimately answer the question of what your business needs to best serve your clients. Be proactive, flexible, and stay visible to remind your clients how your business benefits them. With a guaranteed increase of social networking, take advantage of the captive audience and get to know them better. They will remember you when the storm clears.

21. Gabrielle Crumley, Gabrielle Crumley Marketing

Show up. With more people at home and others pulling back, this is the perfect time to leverage online marketing to reach your audience. Through this time, you can build trust and report with your audience through delivering value, running sales to show you care, and spreading positivity in your community. This is not the time to pull back, but rather dig in.

22. Kitty Kalman, High-Converting Funnels

Now is the time to stay strong, stay on the positive side, and, most importantly, on the visible side.

If you can provide value to your clients and small gestures showing them you still appreciate them, you will win not just returning customers but customers who become a fan of your business for a lifetime and refer you to others as well.

Whatever industry you are in, let it be travel, brick and mortar, services, this is the time for giving value, offer your help, engage, and entertain the extensively growing online audiences stuck at home and on the internet.

Keep planting seeds to your audience’s subconscious to make sure you will be their first thought when they want services like yours after the quarantine is gone.

23. Lynley Hipps, L Squared Digital Media

What you do right now in your business will dictate what your business will look like when this crisis is over, so don’t focus on the present – think ahead! Now is the perfect time to develop your relationships with your prospects and customers – dedicate more time to your email marketing, get more visible on social media, or come up with an offer that will serve their needs now. When the crisis ends, your customers will remember that you put them first – and they’ll reward your service with their business.

Which of the above tips are you going to implement?

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