Given the current state of affairs where all but the essential activities have been shut down and people are practicing social distancing to prevent the further spread of COVID-19, it has become very difficult for the businesses to connect with their customer base. It is difficult enough for them to retain their existing audience, let alone building a new one. All the traditional systems of doing business have been scrapped for good and we seem to be going through a transitional phase – from traditional to modern.
Thanks to technology though, there is a shimmering sliver of hope amidst the dark clouds of this pandemic. Creativity, in tandem with tactfulness and technological aids, can help the businesses derive newer, more innovative ways of marketing and branding. Let us look at some of the most lucrative areas where the brands should invest in order to make the most of their marketing budget.
Social Media Websites
Business is where the people are, and given how things are unfolding, almost everyone who has a mobile device and an internet connection is on social media these days, to stay updated about the current scenario. India boasts a population of more than 375 million internet users that is only increasing with every passing day.
As such, social media becomes a great platform for branding. By utilizing creative strategies, you can get the attention of thousands, if not millions of people with just one post. Also, unlike traditional advertising, your social media content isn’t time bound. It can stay up for as long as you want it to stay. According to certain reports, ever since the lockdown has been put into place, people have started frequenting social media websites more than ever. This gives businesses a great opportunity to capitalize on this new pool of potential customers and pitch them their ideas in unique, creative and value additive ways.
Also, merely knowing which platform is useful for branding isn’t enough; it is equally important to know how to make your sales pitch. For instance, if you have a product that is essential during these times, you need to re-evaluate your sales pitch to ensure that your message does not come off as insensitive or opportunistic. Branding has to be done sensitively and by keeping in mind that every message that you put out needs to have some value for the customer.
Given how negative the atmosphere already is, people are looking for sources of motivation and positivity. By disseminating optimistic messages through social media, you can quickly gain the attention of people.
TV Advertisement
Earlier, TV advertisements were mostly the domain of big brands, and small and medium brands refrained from them. But now, as almost the entire population of the country is sitting at home, they are watching TV more than ever. Therefore, advertising on TV can turn out to be a good marketing strategy. Recently, we’ve seen many small and medium brands venture into the space of TV advertising, which they weren’t interested in before the COVID-19 pandemic.
SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
Not many businesses today can think about becoming successful without ranking high on Google. Among the billions and billions of websites that are competing to get to the first page of Google results, you need to stand out with the help SEO.
SEO usually takes some time before it starts showing results and people tend to get hasty and quit midway. But now, since the other operations are shutdown, the business owners can solely focus on the SEO part. Remember that people are constantly searching for things that are of utility amid this pandemic. If you have such a product or service, then you need to ensure that you rank high on Google. Because regardless of how good your product and/or services are, you are not going to make sales if you’re not visible. Google puts you on a pedestal for the entire world to see, and SEO can help you get there.
Online coverage through PR agencies
According to a survey conducted among 300 senior company executives by Peppercomm and the Institute of PR relations, an overwhelming majority of the respondents agreed that PR is emerging as a game-changer in these difficult times of COVID-19 pandemic. PR is all about getting your message loud and clear to your target audience among a cacophony of voices – and its role is more important now than it ever was. Just because papers and magazines are not being physically published does not mean that PR is any less effective. Most of the offline publications have switched to the online mode. By getting in touch with a specialist PR Company, you can get your message across to the large reader-base that these publications hold.
It is not surprising that people these days are absolutely obsessed with COVID-19 and strategies to fight it. A good PR agency can help you leverage this into a branding opportunity. By generating creative, innovative content that helps people cope with the current situation, you can build your image among the people slowly and steadily. People always tend to remember who was there with them in times of need. So even after the pandemic subsides, you’ll be left with a loyal follower base, which can become a potential customer base – given you implement the right marketing strategy.
The focus, however, should be towards creating content that stands out, delivering messages that move the masses, and adding value to people’s lives.
About the Author
Geeta Singh is the Founder and Managing Director of TYC Communication, a Delhi-based leading Public Relations (PR) and Digital Marketing agency which has a distinct place in the Marketing and Communications Industry of India. Geeta Singh envisioned and incorporated TYC Communication as a proprietorship firm in the field of translation and content development in the year 2011. Later, in 2014, TYC Communication developed into a private limited company with a bigger communication gamut – i.e., incorporation of PR and Digital Marketing services in the company’s enlarged work portfolio.
Today, Geeta Singh, who has been conferred with The Young Leadership Award at 2nd NIER’s National Excellence Awards – 2017, is an inspirational leader and a source of motivation to her ever enthusiastic team of more than 50 committed professionals whose collective efforts brought recognition as well as laurels to one of the fastest growing communication firms in India. TYC Communication is among those few PR agencies in the country which have expertise in both traditional and digital landscapes.
