The COVID-19 pandemic has punched humanity in the guts. However, does the same apply to B2B Marketing? Contrary to popular belief, we don’t believe so! While you will need to make some adjustments and adapt to the new reality, this disaster can actually be a blessing in disguise for your business. Read on to learn more.
Here are the Top-3 Do’s and Don’ts for the Winter of COVID-19.
Top-3 Do’s
1 – Keep on Blogging – Many CMO’s have slowed down their Content Marketing Ops due to the pandemic. This is a huge mistake. More and more people are stranded at home and internet usage is spiking. Now is the time to push out educational blogs, vendor-biased material, and other types of content (ebooks, whitepapers, etc.).
You should ideally create a new Editorial Calendar for the next few months and hire as many writers as possible to create engaging and purposeful content that can be distributed to your target audience. Not only will this help you now, but this material can also be repurposed, reedited, and redistributed in years to come.
2 – Ramp Up Your Social Media Activity – Distribute the content you are creating and re-purpose old material. More and more IT Professionals and Decision Makers are on their smartphones 24/7. There is no better time to feel the pulse and engage your target audience. Use surveys, interviews, and giveaways to pull them in.
The current pandemic has made social media the biggest hotspot on the net. If you have a technical audience, Quora, LinkedIn, and Twitter are the places to be right now. Regardless of the platform you decide to use, it’s wise to boost at least one post every week for improved engagement. Organic ops don’t work like before.
3 – Invest in Webinars – If your product has real value, you should be able to create some compelling Webinars by collaborating with Influencers (Use Step No.2 to find them). Decision Makers are already looking at 2021. Now is the time to get noticed and demonstrate your value with real-time demos and convincing endorsements.
Your potential customers are tech-savvy people who are looking for value. Generic B2B Marketing campaigns and slogans can lead to serious Brand Damage. Webinars are a great way to lure in your target audience and give them what they want – a chance to see your product in action and the opportunity to ask questions.
COVID-19 is going to be with us for a while, but now is the time to create more engaging webpages, invest in resources (whitepapers, ebooks, etc.), and most importantly – boost your Blogging ops with optimized content. It’s also a good idea to ramp up your Video Marketing efforts ASAP.
Top-3 Don’ts
1 – Don’t Wait for the Expos – Expos are a great way to raise Brand Awareness and make new connections. However, 2020 is shaping up to be a wash. Even if the big Expos take place in the summer of 2021, participation will be lower than expected with companies cutting their budgets and scaling down significantly.
The human connection as we know it will not be there even after we get a Covid-19 vaccine. People are realising that meetings can be held online with equal, if not more, effectiveness and engagement levels. It’s time to shift your focus to online B2B Marketing, which includes the content, social and email channels.
2 – Don’t Focus on Outbound – Many companies fail to invest enough in Inbound Marketing because they have less patience and want instant results. I don’t like this kind of thinking in general, but this is surely not a wise move when the markets are slow and people are reluctant to spend big.
Yes. Outbound Marketing has its benefits and should not be neglected. But you must not shy away from Inbound Marketing. Creating meaningful content based on extensive SEO research will enhance your visibility for years to come. Yes, this may take a few months to materialise, but it’s well worth the wait.
3 – Don’t Get Lazy With Your Website – Use the COVID-19 lemon to make some lemonade. Take a close look at your website – Are your webpages SEO optimized? Do you have a Glossary? Have you invested in Video Marketing? Does your content tell a story? Are your webpages leading to some kind of CTA?
The better you plan your website, the more conversions you will see. Covid-19 has people spending hours on the web. Once your target audience recognises your website as a nice place to be with helpful resources, you will reap the benefits of your hard work. You must stay proactive with your website!
It’s easy to “go with the flow” and lay down your weapons, while settling for generic Email Campaigns that can give you OK results. But this is not a long-term investment. But now is the time to dedicate yourself to bringing in Inbound Traffic and use Social Marketing to build your brand credibility. Keep Calm and Get Writing!