The recent coronavirus pandemic, lock-downs, and quarantines have all contributed to the recent chaotic and uneasy feelings that everybody is experiencing. For business owners, it might be tricky for you to manage marketing efforts when the steps ahead feel rocky and uncertain. But that doesn’t mean you have to cut ties with online marketing efforts. In fact, right now is definitely NOT the time to retreat.

While people are holed up in their homes and working remotely, more and more people are turning to the internet for information and for their basic needs. As consumers spend less time venturing out, and more time making decisions based on online search, now is the time for you to figure out how to keep up with the recent changes and how to connect with your target audience.

Here are five ways to push through changes due to the coronavirus and help your business stay on top of the online marketing game.

Maintain Your Online Presence

Again, now is NOT the time to retreat. Your users are online. They are searching and they are watching. Your online presence matters now more than ever. According to a recent study from eMarketer, more than 74.6 percent of U.S. internet users are likely to avoid stores altogether and begin shopping online. If your users weren’t looking for your products/services online before, they likely will now.

Deliver With Transparency

People feel scared and vulnerable right now. They are turning to others for guidance and support. They want to see empathy, union, and compassion. Consider banks that have deferred mortgage and student loan payments. These brands are using their voices to say, “we are with you, we are going through the same thing, we care about you.” This type of humility creates connections between brands and consumers.

Show Your Involvement

Consumers ARE watching brands to see what they are doing to help. Companies that have repurposed their resources to provide jobs, make more respirators, donate to food banks and provide resources to schools are going to be remembered because their kind efforts were genuine. If you are involved in helping the community, tie that message to your brand. Just be aware of promoting authenticity – users catch on quickly to the sentiment that isn’t genuine or efforts that are intended specifically for commercial gain.

Get Technical

Spend some time reviewing old content on your blog, on your website, on social media. Fix broken links and make sure your content follows current SEO guidelines with headers, alt text, meta descriptions, etc. If you don’t know what current SEO guidelines are or what you should be doing, contact SEO and digital marketing specialists at Get Found First for help. Do you have old blogs that used to drive a fair amount of traffic to your website? Spruce that old content up, make it current, give it a twist to connect with your audience today, and repost it. Or update your website with new messaging. Pay attention to how companies are rebranding themselves for the pandemic era. (Example: Nike quickly changed messaging to “Play inside, play for the world.”)

Be Flexible

Because your consumers have different needs today, your company may have to realign how you deliver your products/services. Don’t be afraid to fall in line with other companies and change how your business operates. That means if you aren’t active on social media, get active. If you haven’t updated your website, update it. If you aren’t growing your online presence….you’re already a step behind. Get in touch with a digital marketing company like Get Found First that can help you strategize and create goals for the COVID-19 world.

Recent changes may feel sudden, but those who adapt are more likely to weather these storms and push through successfully than those who don’t.