First Things First.

We should consider that purchasing of products and services (let’s call it PRODUCT) in any industry you can think of, has never completely died because of a down economy. People & Companies (the end CONSUMERS of our PRODUCTS) are still buying and will continue to buy, even in a down economy. I am quick to agree that fewer CONSUMERS are buying when the economy is down, but they are still buying. So, we’ve just got to get a bit more creative in how we sell, based on your unique industry and your buyer’s habits.

If the CONSUMERS that are looking for your PRODUCT don’t know you exist, you are losing opportunities to your competitors, creating a double whammy. You’re not only hurting yourself, BUT you're also helping your competitors survive the downturn.

The Latest Data

Here's the most recent data we have regarding the impact that coronavirus has had (by industry) on Google Searches for products and services. We will keep this data up-to-date.

Our Suggestions

Strengthen Your Online Capabilities.

If you think that Social Distancing means that it might be a good time for you to strengthen your online presence, then I agree 100% with your thinking. Online presence is often best accomplished with a website, not a Facebook Page or any other Social Media page.

I say no to a Social Media page instead of a website because ALL Social Media platforms make their money by selling ads. So, as soon as someone comes to your page where you’re marketing Product X, the Social Media platform begins showing your potential customer ads for every competitor you have that has purchased ads on their platform.

The result is that you’ve just managed to introduce your prospective customer to a host of competitors that they likely never knew existed. That’s not smart business!   learn more

Pick Your Marketing Tactic(s) Wisely

To help simplify this process, I like to break all the potential marketing tactics into just two easy-to-understand groups. Before you decide which marketing tactic(s) you should utilize to help you gain more exposure, you should consider the pros & cons of each of these two groups. The two groups are Interrupt and On-demand marketing tactics.

These two categories of marketing tactics each have their unique characteristics ranging from the cost of impression, expected response rate, expected conversion rate, coverage, and more.

Tips On Building / Leveraging Your Website

A huge mistake made by many businesses is that they pick a website developer that is not a “true” marketing company. Consider that your website is the very first thing that a potential customer sees and is thereby their first impression of your company.

You should never allow anyone to build a website for you that doesn’t completely understand your marketing strategy. Your web development team should know/understand who your top competitors are, what your competitive advantage is, what your value proposition is, the buying process of a typical customer, etc. If you break this rule, your website will NEVER generate a decent number of sales leads, and will just become one more of the ten gazillion brochure-type websites that no one ever visits on the internet.     learn more

A Final Thought About Marketing In A Pandemic.

If customers are trying to limit their exposure to risk and are scared to come out to visit your business, you’ll need to provide a simple solution. Unless you already have an established shipping department, complete with existing shipping company (UPS, FedEx, USPS) agreements, you’ll likely be challenged to get all this in place in time to help you during this downturn.

A better strategy might be to focus all your attention on “local” marketing where customers can shop, do their research online, and then come by to pick up their order. You might even prepare to deliver your product to your customers.

The good news is that marketing in specific “local” geographies is typically much more affordable than attempting to cover a larger area.