Your social media platform is important in moments like these, people often go to social media for questions, answers and concerns. Whether it is to take their mind off something bothering them or to know what is happening in the world, especially if someone is a patron of your business, they will look to you for some answers. The way your brand answers these questions is important during a crisis like this. You may want to stay optimistic or you may want to let them know you hear their concerns and fear. Whatever the tone of the post it has to correlate with what is going on in the world. Some followers may want to take all the negative out of their timeline and only see positive things, while other may want to just know straight up what is happening and what the solution is without anything distracting them. You need to know how to appeal to both of these followers.
New Crisis, New Plan
The marketing plan you have used with confidence every day, may come off as detached today. In your new marketing plan, you have to be 
considerate of the people viewing your content. During crisis’s, no matter what they are, it is more about trying to be helpful rather than trying to make a sale. With restaurants currently closed down, carryout and delivery is a huge thing to keep their revenue up. While many stores already had these options, now more than ever it appeals to the clients, so instead of being shut down completely restaurants have made many special accommodations for their customers. That may be; special prices, delivering out of their normal range, and providing curbside pickup, if delivery is not an option for them. These examples can make people more inclined to choose their store over the other. In these times you have to use the old saying “Think smarter, not harder.” A perfect example is Jimmy Johns, known for their “freaky fast delivery”, this new wave of delivery for many places is their norm. This week they announced that if you are a reward member you get a free bag of chips, and then another free bag of chips when you order any 8” sub, an incentive that anyone who is a reward member would love to hear. In all community’s local restaurants are challenged like never before, in our Rockford community local Franchesco’s Restaurant is an example of how to change your marketing plan for the consumer. They are providing special prices on not only carry out menu items, but on wine and beer as well. Including the specials, they have offered free delivery and are giving a roll of toilet paper to each carryout order. They have rethought how their carryout menu should serve the needs and wants of customers during this time. This is an excellent example on how to respond during a crisis.
How to Respond
This epidemic that the world is going through is making an impact on how people communicate and consume media and marketers need a well thought out way to communicate with people through social media marketing. What you personally may believe right now is maybe not what your costumer believes, and it is crucial to remember that. Everyone lives a different life and has different struggles, how you connect to them means everything and will stick with them when this is over. Benish Shah, from Blog.usejournal.com states: “In fact, if your behavior + brand message does not match, people will remember.” She talks about Reaction Marketing, basically copying what others are doing. Don’t do that. It is like panic buying just because, other people are, is it the right call? No, but since others are doing it makes you want to do it. Respond in a way you know your customers and followers will appreciate and don’t overdo it.
Next Steps
As you contemplate your next steps in rethinking your marketing content, which can become a powerful strategic planning tool for your business. This plan should be simple. Accurately, answer who you are now, what do need to do right now, who needs what you do as you move into the future, and how you plan to attract their attention with relevant content. It’s a combination of a planning process and a completed action plan.
1: Narrow your market focus. Think about the customers you have served in the past. Now describe your ideal customer in the narrowest and most detailed terms possible, as though you’re describing him or her to your best friend. What are their concerns? What are their fears? How can you be responsive to their needs?
2: Position your business. Figure out now what you can do best and what your target market wants and needs. Maybe it’s how you serve a new niche or how to repackage your products. If you don’t know what it is, think about reaching out call up three or four of your customers and ask them why they have done business with you and what do they need now. Craft and wordsmith core content marketing messages that allow you to differentiate your company in this time of crisis quickly.
3: Create knowledge and educational empowered-based marketing materials. Recreate all your marketing materials if need be, including your website, to focus on this concept of educational empowerment. Make sure every word in your marketing materials speaks of your new core messages, and to your target market’s needs.
4: Provide value. To provide value to a target market needs, you will need to learn how you now can provide a new need value in a way that makes them want to reach for your services or products based on their needs. Ascertain all the ways you can get your educational empowered-based messages in front of your narrowly defined target market.
5: Earn media attention. Think about ways your company can become a reliable resource of up to date information during this time.
6: New marketing mindset. It will be up to you to instill a new marketing mindset into your business’s culture and with your team. Today is a new, day and with it is a new way of doing business.
7: Live by your content marketing calendar. Figure out what you need to do daily and to put them into action. Look at this content as an absolute necessity to move your content marketing plan forward.
This new social media plan will assist you in developing and delivering your organization’s social media content. During these times, businesses reach out to media professionals to find answers. We at Multimedia Marketing Group are here to help your business. If you need help finding your new business voice and how to respond to a new way of doing business we are here for you, contact Mr. Arco here for any questions: LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/joseph-arco-2353b414/
This article is in collaboration with Mr. Arco and Ms. Serena Ahlquist. We have put this information together for your insight and hope you find it valuable and content rich.
President
President, Multimedia Marketing Group Distinguished 20+ year career introducing Marketing strategies to drive growth within intensively competitive markets, an expert in creating the vision, identifying opportunities, creating high-quality products and services, delivering strong revenues and profits, and positioning start-up and existing businesses for sustainable growth. LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/joseph-arco-2353b414/
Multimedia Marketing Administrator
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