Not every business house or organization is equipped to deal with temporary closures. While few have excellent risk management tactics, others fail to approximate the same. But with the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, it became complex for organizations and businesses across most verticals to carry on operations. Temporary lockdown and working from home seemed to be the only solution to exercise maximum security. Gradually, the lockdown rules are getting relaxed. Governments of many countries and states are willing to return to normalcy, albeit protection and sanitation protocols. Organizations and business houses, too, are gearing up to resume services and are planning effective brand promotion tactics.
Why is brand promotion essential after lockdown?
Source: fibre2fashion.com
The lockdown stage varied for different countries and states globally! On average, barring essential services, most offices, and business houses remained closed for over two months. The phase acted like a hiatus for many organizations. Also, people and customers are now slightly frightful. They carry nervous energy with them, which stops them from making a purchase or procrastinating endlessly before making one. This mindset isn’t profitable for brands across all verticals. It delays sales and lessens the profit. Effective brand promotion tactics are useful here. It helps a brand emphasize its marketing message and ensures the customer about product safety and security.
What are the useful brand promotion tactics that brands across most verticals can follow? If you are mulling over this question, the following pointers can help:
1. Mobile marketing works wonders
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People keep their Smartphone device handy. They check emails, browse through social networking channels, chat on messenger apps, and check SMS from time to time. Mobile marketing is a smart call for companies as they resume operation. A short and crisp text stating that your store or bakery has resumed operations is good to go. You can add relevant details like:
- The open outlets.
- The timing.
- Online payment details.
- Customer care contact details for any queries or orders.
Once your target customer knows these details, they can contact you based on their requirement.
2. Add in a gift
Source: the-scientist.com
Offering the audience a pleasant surprise is a smart call during this phase. Once a customer places an online order or visits your store to make a purchase, you can give them a freebie. You can run this for the first 15 orders or keep it on for all orders for the first month. It would be best if you chose a cool and trendy freebie option. Bandanas do complete justice. It might seem unrelated to your brand or industry vertical, but it does the work as a promotional gift. Make sure that you don’t go over the top with the bandana. Use sober colors, or you can keep the color similar to your brand logo. To know more about this, you can check out 4inbandana.com. When people get this freebie without expecting one, they are happy and ecstatic. Chances are they will write about it on social media, which will act as a word of mouth publicity.
3. Update your website with safety protocols that you follow
Source: hseni.gov.uk
Since people are scared because of the pandemic outbreak, often they shy away from making an online purchase. It is essential to address the customer’s fear and pain points. For this, update your website with the safety and sanitation protocols that you are following. Give specific details about warehouse cleaning, product packaging, staff training, and many more. Here you can add the feedback of customers who have benefited from their purchase. It provides the customers with the support and courage they need to make a purchase. It will make people look upon your company as a brand that’s sensitive to people’s needs and is working effectively to keep customers happy.
4. Train your limited customer care executives with the correct know-how
Source: fda.gov
Your customers will have several questions during this time to ask your limited staff. Here it’s essential to make the best use of the resources at hand. Make sure to train your customer care executives about the safety and sanitation protocols followed. At times, customers want to hear what they read on the website from customer care professionals to feel assured and confident. Ensure that your staff has the relevant know-how to instill customer confidence in product delivery and safety. It will boost sales and will help you earn a favorable brand reputation.
5. Get active on social media
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Most brands and organizations have a consolidated budget for advertising. It is necessary to make crucial modifications in the budgets and invest in smart social media marketing campaigns. Your customers are active on social media 24×7. They would like to read about exciting updates in your social news feed. Your social media posts can revolve around topics like:
- CEO’s message for customers during the pandemic phase.
- Video posts about how warehouse units and offices are getting sanitized.
- Video posts about how products get packed following the protection rules.
- The relevance of social distancing and how your brand is maintaining the same.
- The upcoming projects and products your team is working on.
- Audience polls and views on selected subjects and topics.
That is not all! You need to follow up on each of these activities. When you share these data, your customers will have questions. They will share the same in the comments or messages. It is essential to respond to the messages to gain maximum customer trust and goodwill. Once your customer is assured they are safe in your hands, you can expect your sales to go up gradually. You can also partner with social influencers on social media and get your brand featured. It will help you to touch base with a new set of customers and promote your brand.
The business world and the global economy is in a delicate state right now! You have to tackle your customers and business promotion tactics carefully to sell well and make profits. The guidelines mentioned above will help you to get started. Once you have exercised these five tips, you can add more depending on your brand requirement.
