Covid-19 “Optimism is Key!” - look towards online marketing

“It keeps me positive” is what one of our clients remarked when asked about the added effort they are laying in to their business whilst being in lockdown. Be it self-imposed isolation or government induced lockdowns; everyone would agree these are unprecedented times. It has had an immense impact on how we lead our daily lives. “Coronavirus has plunged the world into uncertainty and the constant news about the pandemic can feel relentless” says the BBC whilst talking about mental health. Ahmed Shah from Collage has taken it upon himself to use this time in isolation to explore further avenues to grow his business. At this time, we all need to look towards online marketing.

Elevator Pitch

Stay Positive! The world is moving away from a brick and mortar approach to the digital space. This means more opportunity for your business and the potential clientele you can reach through various online daises. Social media platforms are a good resource to use due to the traffic they see on a daily basis. If a bank can go truly digital, you can too. Always keep your goals in mind when devising a marketing strategy. If you have thought holistically you set yourself up for success! - written by themarketace

A Dynamic shift waiting to happen

With conventional business coming to a halt, the future seems to be within going digital. Companies and businesses alike need to be prepared to resume their activities remotely. Distant working has never been as important as it is at the moment. We all need to take a slice out of the proverbial digital pie. Platforms like Amazon, Facebook, Instagram, Etsy etc. are coming out to be front-runners in holding up commercial activity. This is certainly being reflected in how the market is perceiving them through their stock prices.

Going digital always seems difficult. We have heard many responses synonymous to the phrase “but our business is different and cannot be transactional over the internet”. To this we simply respond with facts like – the world put a man on the moon before wheels were put on a suitcase. There is always room for improvement and growth. The most important aspect of putting any product or service out there is its positioning. Marketing a product is what dictates success. 

Can I go digital? Whether you are a large conglomerate or a small business having an online presence will only help. If this were not true you would not see advertisements for buying your dream car OR your next toothbrush on your online feed. The “digital” aspect can vary depending on the type of business you run. This can vary from selling your product online or even taking bookings for your clients to come in and see you at a time that suits the both of you. Before embarking on the journey to develop an online strategy, you need to decide what is it that you want to get out of going digital. Furthermore, we suggest taking a holistic view of how an online strategy could help your business grow. What is the target you are looking to achieve in terms of leads/sales? In a recent project we have helped move a Dental and General surgeries in the UK over to online businesses. Their client interaction which includes appointment booking and symptom checking services have been made digital to relieve the pressure on the surgery staff itself. Point being, if a doctor can be online, you can too!

How do I market my business?  Now comes the greatest question of all, ‘how do I market my business?’. Everyone has access to online platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Google (to name a few) which empowers business to reach audiences they have never interacted with. Analytical tools like Facebook Pixel and Google Analytics help analyse your reach and target who is more likely to engage with your product/service. Taking Facebook as an example, 80% of all internet users at the moment have a Facebook account. This further includes adults – over 65% of pensioners have access to the social media platform. With billions of users checking their accounts more than once a day; regardless of who your consumer is, with an effective strategy – it is highly likely that they will come across your brand over Facebook.

Your online pages are an extension of your business, you want them to have the same personality as your business itself. This seems to be the key pillar that most smaller businesses miss out on when setting up.

How much should I spend?

There is never a cookie cutter approach to marketing. Everyone’s marketing spend will differ based on the industry and location. So as much as we wish there was a straight forward answer to this question, there is none.

Setting a budget for your campaign can be a daunting task. Any digital aspirations are almost shot down in the first few hours of trying. From creating an online page to thinking about where to generate leads/sales from and how much to spend through the whole process almost pushes entrepreneurs back in to their conventional shell.

For those who wince at the thought of spending money online, we completely get it. Businesses have loads of expenses to cover and if all is going well, why spend more. What we often miss out on is the fact that either a disruption is coming in the industry that will leave us behind if we do not act now, OR the sales growth could mean exceptional sales figures. Always think bigger picture!

What you can however do is follow a simple four step process in setting a budget for your campaign.

1) Think bigger picture – Prioritise spending on the Must Have’s rather than the Could Have’s

2) Prioritise the sales process – Draw out a typical transaction for your clients and then think of where you can improve or spend for further generation

3) Appropriate costs – List down all the costs to your business. This will allow you to see what amount of money is going out and coming in to decide on how much to spare.

4) Goals Goals Goals – having a 3HAG (3 month Highly Achievable Goal) or 6HAG is always important. Your goals will always define why you are in business and better yet why you are advertising online. They are a good benchmark to test your strategy.