Market Your Business in a Crisis like a Pro.

Posted by Anya Sleezer << back to blog

Last Updated on August 2, 2022

You know the old adage: “build a well before it rains?” Easier said than done, right? Even in the best of times, your business should follow a well-defined marketing plan (the “well” in this example) but must be flexible and agile enough to handle unforeseen and changing circumstances. Because rest assured, circumstances will always change.

But not all crises are created equal. There’s a difference between losing a small client or having a slow month, and suffering a major product failure, national recession, or what we’re experiencing right now, a global pandemic! You can predict rain and build a well to prepare for it – but a crisis like COVID-19? That’s a different story entirely.

You’re concerned. Honestly, we’d be worried if you weren’t. Times are uncertain, but there are still steps you can take to get your business through the months ahead, and be ready to hit the ground running when things get back to normal.

First things first, don’t focus on marketing. That’s not a typo – you should not “market,” at least not in the traditional sense. Check out our COVID-19 blog post to see what we mean.

Second, think about the future: how do you want your brand to be perceived when the world gets backs to normal? You don’t want to appear opportunistic, but you still have to keep the lights on. We suggest focusing on helping, not selling, with discounts, freebies, or even just making your products or services more digital. Who knows? You may even create a new sales channel you never had before.

Third, build a well. Sure, it’s “raining” right now (which is putting it mildly), but the marketing strategies you put in place during this crisis will help you once it is over – and will serve you during any other unforeseen crisis down the road.

Here are the marketing strategies and tactics we recommend during a crisis.

Implement inbound marketing

Inbound marketing yields better results for a significantly lower investment than traditional marketing. In fact, it’s much cheaper, as the cost of acquiring a lead is about 60% lower. It also provides benefits you can’t put a price tag on, such as establishing you and your brand as a “thought leader” in a category. Give your audience thoughtful, engaging content that drives them to your website, and they’ll remember you once the crisis is over.

Stay in touch

You don’t always have to be selling something. After all, you appreciate it when a friend or business associate gets in touch just to see how you’re doing. Your customers are no different. Send e-blasts that provide customers useful information. Or if you and your employees have the bandwidth, go old school and call them. You won’t believe how much your customers will appreciate the gesture.

Remember, content is king

Most businesses are hurting right now, but one segment is actually doing better; streaming services. It’s not hard to see why. People are stuck at home, lots of them with kiddos, and need to stave off cabin fever. So lets get creative – how can your business be more like Netflix or Disney+? We’re not suggesting you launch a multi-million dollar streaming service. But spend some of your newfound free time creating videos, articles, newsletters, e-books, whatever you can that will educate and entertain your customers.

The Bottom Line

Marketing is tough in good times, so it may seem impossible during a crisis – but it’s not. Take some time and use this experience to develop a well-defined communications strategy and crisis plan for today and for unforeseen crises to come. Think of ways you can innovate your business to go digital, and maybe create new sales channels in the process. Focus on helping, not selling.

Not all crises are created equal. Don’t let this crisis beat you – use it to make your business better.

Anya Sleezer

Anya Sleezer is the owner of Levo, a full–service marketing agency, focused on helping companies from all industries who are concerned with their marketing results, traffic, branding, advertising, or websites.

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