B2B COVID-19 Update | August 13, 2020
As we navigate through the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses are being forced to examine how, where, and when to market themselves. It can be viewed as a reputation tightrope with as brands delicately balance having a sensitive and compassionate tone with finding opportunities to remain operational in an uncertain time.
Matthew Fanelli, SVP of Digital, MNI Targeted Media shares five key pivots for B2B brands to effectively position their business for success during a pandemic.
- Adapt Messaging: Look for ways to put your audience first by using messaging with a sensitive, relevant, authentic, and compassion tone. Make it your priority to address their needs, questions, and concerns.
- Engage Face-to-Face Virtually: Ditch the trade shows or on-site events and allocate budget towards virtual events. Hosting or attending virtual events and webinars is a quick, interactive, efficient, and effective option for connecting in real time with your customers.
- Try Something New: Redirect marketing to support your virtual efforts. One of the ways to do this is to focus on providing strong digital interactions, reconstructing the customer experience, and positioning sellers across channels to provide continued support. As you reallocate advertising spends, meet your audience where they are – leverage digital advertising to grow your brand presence and business online. Keep in mind that personalization and timeliness are key to achieving strong results.
- Focus on Current Customers: Be present. Listen to your existing customers. Find out what your customers are doing and saying by monitoring their behavior and sentiment, as it relates to your industry or brand. You may uncover a new problem your business can solve or find an opportunity to communicate something that your loyal customer base desperately needs.
- Share More Content: Content should revolve around the value your product or service provides and how customers will benefit when they are ready to purchase. Remember to keep the focus on helping people so it doesn’t look like you’re bragging or being self-serving.
A recording of the webinar can be found here (Password: zEuQM2mH).
Presented by MNI Targeted Media, Inc.: Matthew Fanelli, Senior Vice President, Digital