In the midst of the global pandemic we find ourselves in today, marketing purse strings remain tight as the future remains, for many businesses and industries, unclear. However, this doesn’t mean marketing should come to a screeching halt. In fact, there are several FREE tactics, businesses can do immediately to continue their marketing efforts while being mindful of a tighter budget. Let’s jump right in!
1. Recycle Your Content
Take a look at the content your business produced within the last year. What pieces of content resonated with your target audience? Can you identify new topics brought on by the pandemic that your customers are seeking answers to that your business can help solve? From simple design changes to updating a few paragraphs, you can easily and efficiently recycle content to remarket to your audience. This tactic allows you to continue being the trusted resource to your audience during a time of uncertainty.
2. SEO
In the past year, have you been meticulous about your Search Engine Optimization practices? Maybe you’ve put more effort into some pages than others or maybe you’ve done the bare minimum. There’s no better time than the present to make sure you’re following SEO best practices including Title, Meta Description ,and Alt Image Text to your website pages.
Pro tip: Keep your metadata descriptions succinct, yet descriptive. 50 – 160 characters is the recommended sweet spot in most search engines.
3. Blog
You are the experts of your industry. Share your insider knowledge with your audience to educate, inform, teach, and engage all by blogging! Using blogs, you can link to other content you’ve produced or even more pages on your site your audience may be interested in. Blogging allows you to create conversation, share ideas, and ultimately engage with your audience.
Pro tip: According to one study by Microsoft, the average human attention span is eight (8) seconds! Keep that in mind as you structure your blog and aim for at minimum 300 words to rank well in search results.
4. Social Media
Pew Research Center states that roughly 7/10 Americans are on social media today and use social media as part of their daily routine. Using the content you’ve recycled and the new blogs you’ve created, share them on social media and engage with your audience! Interact with those that like, comment, and share your posts. Word of mouth – even digitally – remains a powerful tool to increase brand loyalty and drive sales.
5. User Generated Content + Contest
Think about your product and service offerings. Is there one that you would be willing to do/giveaway pro bono? By asking your audience to create content surrounding your brand/service, you’re increasing your brand reach and your audience engagement. User generated content has been proven to turn customers into brand advocates. According to AdWeek, consumers want to share their feedback, and these humanizing reports about products and services are trusted by other consumers.
Even if it’s only feasible for your business to manage one of these tactics, keeping your marketing wheel turning will be key to your continued success.
