Adjusting Marketing During COVID. 

I went on a vacation to NYC last weekend. It was a much-needed mini-vacation.

Here’s the thing, it was DIFFERENT. The streets were not busy. People were following social distancing rules and mask rules. It was VERY weird, but it was still fun.

We went to Central Park Zoo, it was such fun and a beautiful day. We had plans to go out to lunch afterward when the time came to decide what to eat we were arguing. I wanted pizza… you cant come to NYC and not have pizza, it is just not feasible. I begged for pizza. 

Instead of walking the streets, we started to look online for pizza nearby. Usually in NYC you can walk the streets and things are opened and popping, but not this time. As we started to look online, there were tons of pizza places within walking distance, but some were only open to carry out or not open at all. Then comes the question, where can we eat? We wanted to eat as a family together, in central park. It got me thinking about marketing… 

As a business during COVID, we need to adjust (duh):

1. Update hours on Google: This seems super simple but can literally be a lifesaver. What if your old hours show up and then someone walks, or drives, miles to get there, and you are closed? The customer will likely have a bad experience and share that on social media and peers. Not everyone is understanding during this time, it is a simple but yet effective fix on Google.  Make sure you adjust this on Google, website, and social media. You never know where someone is coming from.
2. Showcase dine in or take out: If you are a restaurant, this is critical. It might seem like a no-brainer to do this, but when I was searching online for a pizza place in NYC some were easy to tell if they were opened, and what their dining options were. Make sure you adjust this on Google, website, and social media. You never know where someone is coming from.
3. Have signs: What does this mean? So many things are changing daily in this pandemic. Make sure to have signs up if you have restrictions or need to enforce masks, etc.  I went to a store in NYC and there was a line outside the door, and it didn’t have one-way traffic, people were all over the place. Sometimes you can only enter and exit certain doors, communicate this to your audience the best way you can. People are frustrated and want to know beforehand.
4. Allow for easy services: If you are doing Grubhub, InstaCart, Delivery, etc make sure to advertise it. If it is something different that you didn’t offer before, make it known. People are trying to find this information easily and quickly. The easier you make it, the longer your customer will stick around. You will want to showcase this on all the things: Google, website, and social media
5. Be flexible: This might mean different things for different businesses. However, I was on the phone the other day with a client of mine and they know some service-based businesses can be hurting. They offered payment options to be broken up due to the uncertainly of the future. This can really truly help keep a customer around longer.
6. Focus on past customers: This is one of the BEST ways to gain traffic and business in a weird time. This will depend on what service you provide, but a simple reach out can mean the world to someone. Email campaigns to your audience showcasing 1 & 2 from above can make them aware and come in the door. People need to be reminded!
7. Paid ads: I am always working with my clients and tell them that all businesses need some sort of ads running. Whether it is Google, Facebook, Instagram, etc. Something has to be going so you show up and create that awareness.