The Coronavirus outbreak forced many businesses to close. Some are dependant on physical locations others are lucky to be able to shift their businesses online. Despite the category you fall into, marketing your small business right now might be more important than ever. It doesn’t necessarily mean a full-blown marketing campaign, rather making use of your online presence and connections. Here are some tips on how to achieve that. 

Spruce up your website.

If it was on your “to-do” list for months (or dare we say years), now is the perfect time to get it sorted. Make sure your website provides important information about your products and services, there’s a contact section for your customers to easily reach you. Post your Coronavirus update to keep your customers informed: share useful information, which can be anything from your new cleanliness practices to the new way you deliver or sell your products, like shifting to e-commerce.


Update your social media channels.

Make sure you aren’t posting old content on your social media, from tone to visuals, review all creative and remove/update anything that doesn’t reflect the current climate. Check our article on how to make sure your social media is up to date.


Update your email marketing campaign.

I have received an email recently from someone, offering their services. It seems like a personal message and this is not the first time I receive it, but this is the first time I realised it’s automated and not updated. How do I know this? Because we are in lockdown and the said person told me they will be in town for a couple of weeks and would love to set up a time to meet me. Make sure you’re relevant in your communication! 

Spend some dollars on ads.

Most businesses might not be in a position of spending right now, but if you can afford it – do it. And it doesn’t have to be a huge amount, spending $10-$20 on a Facebook ad can be just as valuable (test it out to see what works for you, try a different call to action or a different image if the first ad didn’t perform well. Test it with a small budget of $5 and test again to find the one that works best). One thing to note, if you’re doing it – do it with class. You don’t want to come tone-deaf when the entire world is suffering. See if you can add/offer value to your customers, i.e. supermarkets are allocating time for vulnerable and health workers. Is there anything you can do to help? Perhaps you can offer the key groups a special discount, maybe a freebie? If your product or service is still available for purchase, but you have updated how it’s delivered (whether it’s curbside pick up or shifting your brick and mortar shop to a shiny new eCommerce store), it’s a good time to advertise and let your customers know. Due to the circumstances many businesses will be cutting back on their ad spend, which means less competition for your ads! And while cutting the budget is inevitable for most, it may have long-term consequences for when we are back to (new) normal. You are probably shouting “but nobody is buying anything”, and that might be true as well, but as we spend more time between the four walls, things start to settle and we crave something that potentially might remind us of our “old normal” or simply something special to treat ourselves. 

Don’t forget your existing customers!

It’s always cheaper to retain your existing ones than acquire new. So don’t forget to keep in touch with your existing customers via your email list and via your social media channels. Keep them updated on your offerings, offer them discounts if you can and in general, just be there for them to answer any questions or concerns they might have. 

Be kind.

The world is in turmoil and it’s not the right time to be greedy. People are taking notice of brands that are taking advantage of the situation and making lists of “companies to avoid” once we’re out of the lockdown.
Be smart if you see the opportunity, but be kind.