Building a strong digital marketing strategy -Consistent messaging amid a pandemic.

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Over the past 6 weeks as consumers began social distancing at home and maintaining physical distance from their friends and family, many turned to social media and streaming services – Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, as well as Netflix, Disney+ and YouTube - to stay connected. Businesses are even seeing an increase in consumer engagement with emails and SMS text messaging.

Now more than ever, people are turning to digital channels to help feel a sense of connection and community, looking to trusted voices for inspiration and support. Businesses who continue to engage with their customers in an inspirational and informative but sincere way, can expect to see those same customers remain loyal to their brand when life returns to whatever our “new normal” becomes.

Being a part of that “new normal” means that many businesses have had to reassess their strategic planning, whether that be from a technological, brand and/or a communication perspective. Because let’s be real, this shift in how we reach customers and what messages we convey will be necessary to keep them engaged and coming back as restrictions begin to lift.

So how to effectively communicate to your customers during a global health crisis? Is it business as usual, promoting your product, or do you address the crisis and show empathy for any hardships your customers may be personally facing? There is indeed a fine line between taking advantage of a captive audience during the crisis and appearing insensitive by only seeing them as the bottom line.  

Businesses that communicate effectively, strategically, and compassionately through a variety of channels during this period will come out stronger for their efforts in the end. Showing your customers that you care about them and their loved ones just as much as you care about the health and vitality of your company (and by and large your employees) will resonate with them long after this nightmare is over. Just make sure your message is genuine; nobody wants to hear rhetoric.

In uncertain times, your customers want to be reassured that everything will be OK. Remember that the tone in which you communicate now will be the tone in which your customers will remember you; if you want your brand to be a relevant part of your customer’s daily routine in the future, then work with your marketing professionals now to position yourself accordingly. And if you don’t have a marketing professional, Kackert Marketing is here to help … sincerely!