12 Recovery DOs and DON’Ts for Small Business Marketers
THE DOs
DO FORM A MARKETING RECOVERY TEAM. Whether 2 or 10 people, a Marketing Recovery Team can project out marketing programs over the months ahead, analyze recovery metrics such as paid search performance, and scenario plan – all providing adaptability and readiness as the months continue.
DO WATCH SEARCH ACTIVITY AND PERFORMANCE MARKETING AS A BAROMETER OF RECOVERY. Paid Search results, web traffic and inbound calls are all good indicators of whether your business is beginning to pick up and signs of when to increase Marketing spend.
DO TRANSITION FROM WORDS OF SUPPORT TO ACTIONS OF SUPPORT. Empathetic language is important, and as we move into Recovery mode, we need to look at ways to provide tangible support to our clients, in the form of webinars, virtual client meetings and new content.
DO ACCELERATE DIGITAL MARKETING; COVID-19 HAS INCREASED DIGITAL ADOPTION. Many small businesses may not have had the time or client interest in moving more of their business online, but the pandemic may have freed up some of your time and consumer barriers have fallen. Take advantage of more consumers being willing to do business online.
DO PLAN VIRTUAL EVENTS AND MAKE THEM MORE EXPERIENTIAL. No one knows when physical events will return, even smaller local events. Virtual events are a fun and engaging way to gather clients online and feature group conversation, speakers, and even entertainment.
DO KEEP AN EYE ON WHAT YOUR COMPETITOR’S ARE DOING TO RECOVER FROM COVID-19. Despite long-term loyalty, clients are willing to change brands/products/vendors in times like these if they notice an alternative solution is better suited to help them through the Recovery. Keep an eye on the competition, as always.
THE DON’Ts
DON’T STOP LISTENING TO AND COMMUNICATING WITH YOUR CUSTOMERS. Now is the time to listen harder to clients in need and communicate more, with transparency and frequency.
DON’T ASSUME YOUR CLIENTS WILL RECOVER AT THE SAME PACE. Whether consumers or businesses, we are not all equally affected by COVID-19. Depending on where we live, what kind of business we are in, the nature of our employment and family composition, the stress and strain of this pandemic has varying impacts. Be mindful and sensitive to these differences.
DON’T PROJECT OVERCONFIDENCE IN YOUR RECOVERY MESSAGING. One can be optimistic and have a positive attitude about the future in your messaging, but no one should predict with confidence what next month will look like. Predicting the future will undermine credibility and erode trust. Cautious, informed optimism is the right tone.
DON’T UNDERESTIMATE THE PERMANENT IMPACT OF WORKING FROM HOME. Many of us have unexpectedly adapted well to working at home, and this may bring about permanent behavioral change that can affect small business marketers, for example if you sell in-office solutions or manage physical events.
DON’T LOSE SIGHT OF WHY YOUR CLIENTS LOVE DOING BUSINESS WITH YOU. When you are successful as a small business, you have a point of difference and way of working that is valued. Leaning into that knowledge is a good confidence booster when challenged as we are today.
DON’T LOSE SIGHT OF HOW MARKETING DRIVES REVENUE FOR YOUR BUSINESS. Whether in great times or in challenging times, measuring what you get for what you spend in Marketing is critical. As Recovery spending is evaluated, measuring the return on spend is essential.
Bill Borrelle, CMO, Pitney Bowes
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