We’re all feeling the weight of the global COVID-19 pandemic — mostly because the health and safety of so many people is now at risk, but also because none of us really knows what will happen next. Schools are closed, businesses are closed, and the streets feel eerily empty.
But even as physical doors are closing, virtual and remote doors are opening. Business owners are getting creative and finding new ways to offer their goods and services. Curbside pickup, home delivery, and shifting everything online are just a few examples of what this looks like, but every business owner is doing things a little differently. There’s a push to support local businesses like there’s never been before, but in order for the public to support those businesses, they need to know how to support them.
That’s where the need for an updated content strategy comes in.
Adapting Your Message to the COVID-19 Crisis
Thanks to the Coronavirus plot twist, most of the things you had planned to post about on social media and your company’s blog probably aren’t relevant any more. Your priorities have shifted to communicating your new hours, new services, and maybe even new products. You want your customers to know you’re still there for them, but you need to make sure they know how and where to find you.
Here are a few specific areas of your content marketing strategy to consider changing:
#1: Blogging. Instead of focusing on the latest trend or development in your industry, consider writing a series of blogs about how your company plans to be a part of the solution to the pandemic. This might be how you’re responding as a business, or it might be a description of what you can offer your audience to make their lives a little easier.
#2: Social Media. You don’t need to post all COVID-19, all the time, but you do want to have respect for the situation and the people who are affected by it. Consider posting helpful tips like virus testing locations, free educational resources, and mental health recommendations. You can also post a message telling your followers about any changes to your current business model, like variations on your services or hours.
#3: Advertising Campaigns. If you’re currently running a digital advertising campaign, you’ll want to take a close look at your messaging. Does it still work considering the current environment, or could it be considered insensitive? If in doubt, it’s probably best to pull it and run a different message; at the very least, you’ll want to consider creating a new ad campaign that communicates how you’ll serve your customers in the coming months.
#4: Email Blasts. It seems like every company in the world is sending out an email about their response to COVID-19 — and if your business hasn’t joined the club yet, it’s time to do so. Keep your message professional, brief, and clear. Let your audience know what you’re doing to protect your employees and customers, and how you plan to continue doing business as the situation progresses.
#5: Graphics. Many businesses are placing banners on their website homepages (check out the one on Uptick’s website). Others are creating custom graphics for social media or blogs that communicate their new strategy. If something like this would be helpful for you, then you may want to consider hiring a professional graphic designer to create something for you.
#6: Landing Pages. Because COVID-19 is such an extensive problem, many companies have created entire pages on their website to address the issue. If your business is particularly affected by the pandemic, you may want to consider crafting a landing page with all the details about your situation so that your audience has no questions left unanswered. You can also push this page out on social media so that it gets in front of the right people.
Aside from content marketing, another thing to consider is Google My Business, which we’ll talk more about in a later blog. Until then, here’s a quick summary: If COVID-19 will affect your business (changes to your hours of operation, etc.), you’ll need to update your Google My Business listing to reflect the most up-to-date information. This will keep your audience in the know when they look you up online; they won’t have to dig for information to figure out how and when to connect with you. That means they’ll be more likely to keep doing business with you — even if they can’t physically visit your location. (Take a look at this guide from Google on updating your GMB information.)
Not Sure Where to Start? Uptick Can Help.
We know how overwhelming things are for business owners right now, and we’re prepared to help in any way we can. If you’d like to talk to us about changing your company’s content strategy during the COVID-19 pandemic, simply fill out this form and tell us about your needs. We’ll work with you to make sure your content strategy communicates the right message to the right audience — and we’ll get through this together.