The current pandemic is forcing businesses in different industries to change the way they approach marketing. When the country was thrust into lockdown in March, many companies suffered. Some adapted quicker than others, while there are those that were left completely unable to operate.
Months later, many states are working towards reopening. But the pandemic requires entrepreneurs to stay vigilant because the situation can shift at any given moment. You need to be prepared for the worst case scenario.
Right now there is a patchwork of policies across the country as outbreaks force some areas to re-close. This begs the question: is your business ready for a second wave of shutdowns?
The market is unpredictable at the moment, as the pandemic is showing no signs of slowing down. Businesses all over the world have to implement drastic changes: closing stores, laying off employees, or shutting down completely. During these challenging times, if you want your business to survive, you need to adjust your marketing strategies accordingly.
Here we will talk about how you can expertly navigate your business through these new challenges.
How Will You Still Get Leads and Sales if Networking Events Stop?
One thing is for sure: you should not put your marketing efforts on pause, unless there is no physical way to keep delivering your products or services. Some companies have to stop operating because they cannot produce their goods and services during this time.
If that is not the case, you should definitely keep going. If your products are still in stock and you are still somewhat profitable, you need to stay on course. The goal is to keep the company afloat so that you still have a client base when the pandemic is over.
Changing your business approach takes more than implementing safety protocols like observing social distancing and wearing masks. You need to take a look at how you can reach your target market safely, even when your state goes on lockdown.
If the first wave of shutdowns caught you off guard, then you have the advantage this time around. Even if they put you on lockdown again, you know what to expect. And right now, you still have plenty of time to prepare.
Marketers may be wondering how they should get leads if networking events stop. The coronavirus pandemic prevents all kinds of industries from hosting industry events. Most of these events have been canceled or postponed, leaving a significant impact on all those who are involved. But networking events shouldn’t be your only source of leads. If you have more than one source, then these restrictions should not bother you as much.
Although we are in a time of crisis, we still have plenty of resources to get leads from. So stay calm, read our strategies below, and remember that you are still in control.
Put More Focus on Prospecting
Now more than ever, you need to take prospecting seriously. Devote extra time and resources to prospecting and lead generation. Invest in automation tools that will give you more leads right now. During this pandemic, we don’t have the opportunity to meet prospects in person, but luckily, a lot of prospecting is done online these days. So put in more effort into “stocking up” on sales prospects.
This also applies to industries that have not been directly impacted by the pandemic and the quarantine so far. The outbreak can have severe economic effects, and whatever happens, you will benefit from a pool of prospective clients.
Put more focus on prospecting now so that you have a lot of clients to work with over the long term. This way, even if your state is put on lockdown again, you won’t break a sweat. After all, it’s never a bad idea to invest in your sales pipeline.
Start Posting High Quality Content Online
If you’re still not using content marketing, now is the time to do it. People have been spending a lot of their time online even before the lockdowns were implemented. You want to attract as many of those people with your content as possible.
Sharing insights online can help demonstrate your industry expertise and establish you as a thought leader. Doing this will allow you to earn the trust of your readers, who are your target audience. To get your target audience to pay attention to your posts, you need to come up with eye-catching content that are relevant to their interests. Your content should be informative, and it should give your audience value.
We recommend posting on LinkedIn regularly. This social networking site is still growing, and is still producing tons of engagement organically, without a lot of competition. If you are a marketer, LinkedIn is where you want to be. Here you can post long form articles, blog posts, status updates, pictures, and videos that talk about business, personal matters, stories, tips, tricks, and hacks that your audience can learn from.
With the help of online content, you can start conversations with fresh leads and prospects. It will further push you as a trustworthy name that they can do business with. The conversions will start pouring in later.
Don’t forget to implement SEO when posting content. Search engine optimization involves using relevant keywords so that your post can rank higher in search results and attract more clicks. SEO is an effective long term tactic that can pay off in a big way.
Use LinkedIn and Personalize Your Connection Requests
Social media marketing is your new best friend. It has evolved into a critical marketing channel, and if you’re not using it, you might be getting left behind by your competition. Social networking sites can give you the platform you need to build an audience, develop your own community, establish your brand, and even go viral with your posts.
To find valuable leads, we recommend LinkedIn. The LinkedIn algorithm heavily favors marketers because posts that get a lot of engagements will show up to more people for a longer period of time. So if you’re not on LinkedIn yet, you need to start setting up your company page.
That’s not the only reason you should use LinkedIn. It is perfect for finding leads and prospects because everyone in the professional world is on LinkedIn.
If you use a LinkedIn automation tool like Kennected, you can reach out to more people at scale. Kennected optimizes your LinkedIn outreach by finding your target audience and helping you send personalized messages and follow-ups. Kennected uses LinkedIn’s data-rich filters to put you in front of your ideal targets.
This automation tool brings you a steady stream of connections and sales. Book a demo with Kennected today to learn more!
Keep on Selling
No matter what new strategy you implement, what matters is that you keep on going. Do not panic and fall into a pit of despair, because even this public health crisis will end. Life goes on: keep prospecting so you could keep selling and you could continue finding loyal customers.
The worst part may even be behind us, and there may not be a second wave of shutdowns at all. But it pays to be prepared for any scenario. The best businessmen know how to adapt to even the most drastic changes.
Keep your sales pipeline full and make sure to keep them warm. Check in with your leads regularly.
The pandemic is changing the way people live, work, and spend their time. Take a step back and look at your business to see what needs to be changed and what can be maintained for the time being. Just like how everyone is learning how to deal with the virus in everyday life, entrepreneurs should learn how to implement new strategies to help their company thrive.
source https://kennected.org/business-ready-for-shutdown/
No comments:
Post a Comment