Hi folks, it's Bruce from Lifetime Media.
Firstly, I'd like to say we genuinely hope and pray this video finds you safe and sound in this really trying and sad time in our human history.
We realize there are businesses out there wondering if they should be marketing at all or how to market during the COVID-19 crisis - so we wanted to create this video to share our own opinions and hopefully offer some practical digital marketing advice to help you to continue building relationships with your customers and prospects.
We're mindful that money may be tight, so we've tried to include some free or relatively inexpensive marketing strategies and tactics in this video.
We'll also be linking to some content from marketing experts that we follow ourselves to shed some additional light on cost-effective or free ways to market your business.
On top of that, we'd like to make ourselves available to answer any marketing questions you may have. Please feel free to ask them in the comments below. We may not have all the answers, but hopefully, the insights we do have will help you grow in this time.
I'd like to encourage you that now is not the time to stop marketing. In a time when many are stopping marketing activities out of fear and anxiety, there is a huge opportunity for you to stand out and help your audience by being the hero that brightens their day, solves a problem or helps them get to where they want to go.
These kinds of marketing initiatives build powerful emotional connections that will be remembered when the crisis is over and sowing your efforts into them now will reap the rewards when your customers are ready to buy - if they are not ready to do so already.
So how should you be marketing in the COVID-19 crisis? Well, I've already answered that question to some degree but to put it more simply - by offering free value. In fact, I personally believe that most marketing should be guided by this principle.
But what does offering free value mean? Let me explain with some practical examples to help get the creative juices flowing:
What do these marketing initiatives all have in common? They all offer free value through some type of content. Content that can be produced on a budget. As humans, we're wired to like and even trust someone who is being generous. That's great news for your brand!
To get started, all it requires is stepping into the shoes of your ideal customer and asking yourself, what problems do they have that I can solve? What desires do they have that I can meet? Or, how can I help bring transformation to their lives?
As already mentioned, our smartphones are great tools for creating video content inexpensively. Plus there are loads of free video editing apps to help you round them off in a professional and engaging manner.
The internet also contains a vast treasure trove of free tools like Canva or Google Slides for creating other forms of content. All it requires is a quick Google search.
I'd like to encourage you not to get caught up in perfectionism. The key is to take action. The value you'll be offering through your content is what will resonate with your audience and make your brand memorable.
Once you've created your compelling content, it's time to get it in front of your customers and prospects.
Never forget the power of marketing to your existing customers. According to Business 2 Community, your existing customers are 60% -70% more likely to buy from you compared to the 5% - 20% of new customers.
You can do this by emailing an attachment or link to your content using free email marketing platforms like Mailchimp or MailerLite.
Boosting your content to your existing contacts and followers on Facebook is another inexpensive way to reach existing customers.
What about your prospects? The valuable content you created is primed for lead generation.
You can set up a lead magnet using a Facebook Lead Ads. These ads are one of the most cost-effective ways of generating leads in our experience. Using them, you can offer your free content to your prospects in exchange for their email address.
The leads containing the email addresses can be downloaded from Facebook in CSV format. All that's left for you to do is email the content to these prospects.
You can even automate the email sending by integrating your Facebook lead ads with Mailchimp.
Another powerful benefit of creating lead magnets is the fact that you're building your audience. Now that you have your prospects' email addresses, you can continue sending them valuable content to build trust and nurture these leads until they're ready to buy from you.
Something else to consider is that your Facebook lead form ads integrate seamlessly with Instagram, extending your potential reach on a budget. And while we're on the subject of Instagram, use the power of hashtags to gain additional free exposure for your content.
Another smart and cost-effective way to market on Facebook is through retargeting. By generating and installing a Facebook pixel to your website you can display retargeted Facebook ads to prospects who have already visited your website. That way you can reach audiences who already know you and keep loyal customers coming back.
If for some reason you find it hard to target the right people on Facebook as a B2B business, although it can be slightly more expensive, LinkedIn offers the unique ability to target the exact decision-makers your business needs to engage with. Plus, they also have their own lead gen form ads and retargeting solutions.
Facebook & Linkedin groups related to your industry are another powerful way to engage with prospects for free. Here your content would simply be to offer your help to those asking questions. But don't sell. Your strategy here is simply to offer as much value as possible. Your prospects will look you up, no need to put them off by being pushy.
Being mindful of your SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is an important consideration in this content creation process. If you're going to put your content on your website or on YouTube, optimizing it for search engines will help you enjoy the potential of generating free traffic in months to come.
Use a free keyword research tool like Ubersuggest to generate great content ideas and to find the keywords your prospects are using in search queries relevant to your niche.
I hope these tips have been helpful. Please be sure to check out the additional resources below and let us know if you'd like us to create more video content to help you with your marketing efforts.
Until later, stay safe, healthy and God bless.
7 Advanced Ways to Get Free Traffic That Converts | Neil Patel
Marketing During A Crisis | Market Crash And Economic Uncertainty
Good work Bruce, so well communicated!