By: Lianne Hedditch
As the world enters a stage of uncertainty, what has been constant for most of us, is now up in the air. Businesses are making decisions that were only written about in crisis contingency plans, and employees are feeling helpless as we all enter these uncharted waters. As an entertainment and hospitality public relations agency, many of our clients are feeling the brunt on the front lines as festivals are being cancelled, travels are being postponed, and dinner reservations are being cut for delivery. We have been in communication with our clients re-evaluating their marketing and communications strategies as the days begin to turn into weeks with no end in sight. How will consumer facing businesses survive the economic impact of COVID-19? That is still to be seen, but one recommendation we are emphasizing now more than ever is to pay the utmost attention to your digital marketing strategy.
Digital marketing should never be an afterthought for a business even in the most booming of economic times, but during this pandemic crisis, evaluating your digital plan and retargeting your advertising dollars immediately could make a wealth of difference. It is crucial to have someone monitoring your digital presence, and making sure that the following is being evaluated:
-Don’t come to a standstill: While there is quite a bit of panic, never forget that it is as important now than ever to push through. Budgets will inevitably be cut, but stopping is not an option. Having a great partner to maximize what dollars you do have is crucial.
-Google Analytics: This simple, free tool is instrumental in showing businesses where their online traffic is coming from. This is invaluable for helping to monitor what marketing dollars are working, and aids in identifying where to spend and save in a time when cutting budgets is top of mind.
-Social Media: While the majority of the public will be spending more time at home, they will inevitably be online. It is as important now than ever that you have a professional managing and monitoring your social media presence. Social media is the quickest way to make or lose money if done right/wrong. Make sure that your messaging is strong, and still encourages and entices audiences that will remember when they are ready for that next outing once things settle down.
-Promote groups long term: This too shall pass, and once it does- people will have cabin fever. This is an opportunity to focus your marketing efforts on groups. A great digital agency can help you with lead generation ads so that your sales team can turn leads into money making events for future months.
-Pick the right partner: Make sure that you are trusting your budget with an agency that cares about your success. At Heron, we are monitoring our clients’ ads on a daily basis, retargeting and ensuring you are getting the lowest cost per result. We are a results-driven agency, always, and don’t just stick to the 9 to 5.
