5 Strategies for Your Reopening

COVID19 has changed consumer behaviors and attitudes, and your marketing and advertising content needs to reflect that change.

We’ve put together five strategies to help you adapt your marketing to better suit the current climate as you reopen your business.

#1 - Revisit Your Customer Behavioral Data

Your existing ads and content were designed based on how people interacted with brands, but the pandemic has changed that behavior.

Look at updated customer data so you know how to adjust your marketing for reopening a business. Examine new trends to see what products and content are resonating with your audience post-COVID19.

Start by looking at Google Trends. This tool will show you what phrases people are currently searching for. You can also lookup specific topics or keywords to see how search patterns have changed over time.

For example, searches for outdoor dining have risen dramatically, so if you are a restaurant, you might want to emphasize your outdoor seating arrangements.

You can also check on how your audience is interacting with your website and social media.

With Google Analytics, you can track interactions with your ads and see which ad copy and images are driving the most traffic to your sites, and you can see which content on your site is driving engagement.

Instagram and Facebook analytics will show you which social media posts and content are getting the most engagement. This data will help you adjust your marketing content to match what customers want right now.

#2 - Emphasize Safety Practices

Use your ads and marketing to show customers what you are doing to keep them and your employees safe. Inform them about appointment requirements and how to make appointments, and tell them about online ordering practices. Let them know about changes you’ve made, such as redoing the store layout to maximize social distancing.

Different platforms lend themselves to different types of communication. Tailor your messages based on the platforms you’re using:

• Twitter

Best for short, timely updates and individual images or infographics. KFC tweeted a brief message and infographic updating customers about its safety practices. The tweet directed readers to the company website for details:

• Facebook

Best for longer posts with more details about the changes you’re making. You can also collect customer feedback via comments or Messenger to see what customers think about your new safety practices.

• Instagram

Good for image-based communications, such as pictures of your new store layout or your new product offerings or delivery options. Earl’s & Co beauty salon made a thank-you post for customers after its reopening. Images show customers and employees wearing masks and feature the protective screens the company installed for safety.

• Email

Better for longer communications and more specific details about your business. Email goes directly to customers, so you can personalize the messages depending on the demographics and divisions within your email list.

As you send messages regarding the pandemic and safety practices, it’s important to keep the tone positive. Instead of emphasizing fear, focus on how your company is being as safe as possible.

#3 - Promote Relevant Services

Adjust your marketing copy to highlight services and products that are directly relevant to the current climate. Showcase any free or discounted services you’re offering because of the pandemic.

For example, 360Learning is offering extended free trials and a free guide to asynchronous training. This offering is especially useful today since so many teams are working remotely. They have to figure out remote onboarding and asynchronous training, and 360Learning’s resources can help.

Health and wellness are major public focuses now, so it’s an excellent time to highlight any wellness-related products or services you provide. This is especially true for new offerings that your audience may not know about.

Walgreens ran a video ad highlighting its new digital health care services:

The key is to speak to what your viewers want.

Emphasize products and services that match current customer interests and concerns.

This will help draw customers to your brand and show them that you are adjusting your product offerings to provide them with what they need right now.

#4 - Carefully Rethink Your Ad Imagery and Copy

Even if you advertise the same products as before the pandemic, change your imagery and ad copy to better suit the new social atmosphere.

Avoid images of crowds or people touching. Many people are still staying at home as much as possible, so stay away from travel-related imagery, especially plane travel, if possible.

REI changed its ad imagery from groups of people camping together to a tent set up in a backyard. The company also changed its ad copy to focus on staying at home by promoting “deals on living room tents.”

With updated visuals and text, the promotion is better suited to the current environment.

#5 - Embrace Livestreaming

Part of your business reopening is reconnecting with customers. But with capacity limits and safety concerns, it’s harder to do this in person than it used to be.

Facebook Live, Instagram Live, and other livestreaming platforms allow you to talk directly to your followers safely.

Use livestreaming to show off your new products and new store layout. You could also make a “tour” video so that customers can virtually browse the store. Save the live videos to your social media profiles so people can watch later.

Livestreams are also an opportunity for feedback.

Host Q&A sessions with your executives so viewers can ask about new store policies. You’ll be able to offer customers clarity by explaining what you are doing to improve health and safety. Not only does your audience get answers to their questions, but they see the personal, human side of your business.

Forest Cabin, a Chinese cosmetics company, started livestreaming after having to close half its stores. The Spring Festival holiday, normally a peak sales season, occurred after the closing and saw a 90% drop in sales for the company. After implementing regular livestreaming, the brand saw a 45% increase in sales compared to the previous year.

We Did It Too

We here at AdEspresso also added livestreaming into our repertoire to help advertisers navigate the world of Facebook and Google Ads during the pandemic.

By bringing our audience advice around the topic of the moment, we were able to provide value and truly connect with our following while increasing our daily reach.

Need More Help?

As you rethink your marketing plan, consider how you can highlight your contributions to the community.

We’ll cover this in Chapter 4.

And if you need more tips&tricks on how to adjust your marketing strategies…

You’ll be back on track in a blink 😉 and can thank us later!