Has your small business or company been affected by COVID-19? Of course it has, all businesses have been affected in some way during these unprecedented times. With the onset of COVID-19 happening so quick, most businesses are making defensive moves to survive. They are cutting wages, laying off and furloughing employees, and in many cases they are closing their doors.
The budgets we created for 2020 are being reworked, especially with the uncertainty of not knowing when things will be somewhat normal again, which is what most of our clients are saying. The last thing we should be spending our money on now is marketing, right? Wrong! That is exactly where we should be investing our money. In fact, I believe now is the time to make cuts in other departments so we can spend even more on marketing.
It’s natural to make defensive moves in a crisis like this, but the companies that survive are typically those that stay on the defense for a short period of time, quickly switching to offense and adjusting their marketing plans in positive ways.
Now is the time to continue doing what you were doing. If you were in the midst of a direct mail or cross-channel campaign, you should continue sending the postcards and emails on a regular basis. If you were sending a newsletter, then you need to continue sending the newsletter. This is the time to stay visible to your audience, they want to hear from you.
Your reworked budget must include a post-COVID-19 marketing plan. Strategize for what re-opening day will look like. Think about how you will let your clients, employees, and vendors know you’re open. What kind of signage will you need? Will you need banners? Will you mail postcards or special edition newsletters? Don’t forget about operational print and marketing.
Times will be different than they were before. Most companies will need new signage around the office or warehouse. There will be more hand-washing signs, directional signs, floor graphics, window graphics, pop-up displays all with hygiene related messaging on them. These items are important to include as well.
Now is the time to spend more money on marketing, not less. If you spend less or do nothing, it may be a slow and painful way to go out of business. Some will survive, but the odds are much better for those who invest and stay visible to their audience.
Boelte-Hall has the tools and capabilities that allow us to work together to develop solutions from concept through completion. Give us a call or shoot me an email if your company needs help staying visible. I would love to help develop a post-pandemic marketing plan that works.
