Why the Coronavirus outbreak should be shaping (not stopping) your online marketing

Just over a week ago the World Health Organisation classified the COVID-19 outbreak as a pandemic. Currently, there isn’t a day that goes by without more shocking statistics and headlines. From sports leagues to festivals, huge brands are cancelling events and borders are being closed across the world. With many of us now working from home the landscape of marketing is shifting – even if temporarily – and this can feel unnerving at first. However, despite the uncertainty, opportunity still exists. At Iconic we’re here to support all our clients through this trying time and we have a few tips that will help to ensure that your business continues to grow even in the midst of all this uncertainty.

How to target your marketing during the coronavirus outbreak

There is still a great deal that you can achieve with marketing right now, especially given the higher traffic volumes online as people work and communicate more digitally from home. If you’re looking to create a strategy for making the most of your marketing at the moment then these are our suggestions:

Extend your Google Ads, don’t reduce spend

There is great economic uncertainty to deal with as a result of the coronavirus pandemic and this can make it feel like a good idea to cut spending. However, the reality is that online search remains fairly consistent at this time so the market is still there. Plus, there can be advantages to investing further in Google Ads, not least because you will face less competition as other advertisers start suspending their ads. This provides an opportunity for your brand to dominate online and can also make CPC cheaper – less competition can drive more leads.

Look into marketing automation

This technology is incredibly effective when it comes to nurturing prospects and can be integrated into most marketing budgets. Once the pandemic starts to abate (as it hopefully soon will) your business will need an audience in order to grow further so it’s important to ensure that you’re still looking after prospects at this time.

Invest in paid media

Despite world events people are still searching online and not putting resources into paid media could mean that you miss out on an opportunity to capture new customers and expand your audience.

Refocus your targeting for uncertain times

Avoid the temptation to react to short-term panic and pressure and remain steady where targeting is concerned. Invest your resources in the right channels so that you’re able to continue to grow your business.

When the immediate threat of coronavirus passes its peak the challenge for all of us will be coping with the economic conditions that have been created. Although the government has announced various support measures the optimum for any organisation will be to find a way to continue to grow during this uncertain time. Targeting your marketing effectively is an essential part of this process.

If you’d like advice or support on how to use your marketing resources to help your business thrive during this uncertain time, contact our team today on 020 7100 0726 and one of our Digital Marketing Specialists will be happy to help.