Due to the ripple effect of the 2019 coronavirus, the marketing landscape has subsequently changed. As the priorities and structure of small businesses struggle under the COVID-19 restraints, digital agencies must evolve their approach when engaging with these small businesses.
The COVID-19 pandemic is forcing digital agencies to modify not only the way they take clients to market, but also how they go to market to acquire clients. Through the rest of 2020, as the economy attempts to mend itself, agencies must evaluate their product market as well as that of their customers to be successful.
As the market and its constituents progress through these uncertain times, digital marketing agencies must find unique ways to stay relevant to their clients. Many SMBs have been affected by temporary closings and the demand for ecommerce and their budgets may have drastically changed due to the immediate revenue drop that has occurred in the past months. Marketing agencies must highlight the ways in which their implemented strategies will generate additional earnings for their clients in this new business territory.
While the pre-COVID-19 approaches may not be applicable at this time, in order to formulate a strong marketing strategy for their customers, agencies should evaluate what changes have occured within the company. Another important step to formulating these new strategies is to focus on the new trends of the customer and advising the SMB to promote the right services to help those customers.
After analyzing their client’s needs, it is up to the agency to develop unique approaches, utilize smart technical applications, and introduce creative analytical and data marketing skills. While advertising & marketing may seem like a waste of money in a financially starved local-business economy, agencies can continue to stay relevant by following these four concepts.
Think Consumer First
Consumers, both end-users and business buyers are evolving their media consumption habits rather quickly. While everyone is advised to stay home, there are numerous social media and digital marketing avenues that are gaining significant traction. These growing trends have paved the way for new, more personalized, advertising.
Agencies today need to ask themselves, how can they build consumer-brand relationships that go beyond transactional? What experiences are modern consumers looking for?
As the COVID-19 pandemic has put a stop to face-to-face interactions, modifying their sales and marketing efforts to prioritize remote personal communication can attract more customers. Digital agencies must think of the consumer first– both for their business buyers and the end consumers that these businesses service– and design campaigns to keep the audience engaged.
Adopt a Data-Driven Approach
While there have been tons of articles written about the need for digital marketing agencies to accept data and insights as critical tools to measure and continuously optimize performance, we’d like agencies to step back a little. A data-driven approach and attitude should not be limited to just campaign optimization. Today, data is necessary even before arriving at the step of campaign optimization and reviews with the customer. Agencies today will find data equally useful in developing deep, meaningful insights to deliver great customer experiences and drive purchase behavior.
The COVID-19 pandemic has strained acquiring new clients. It is harder than ever not to look pushy and sound insensitive. This is why using platforms such as BuzzBoard and leading with data and insights is your best bet for making an impression and acquiring new customers.
I love the data in this software!
It is detailed and shows pain points where improvement is needed. It helps the client to see where solutions can be used. The customer service team is AMAZING. They have gone so far as to send me leads during this trying time.
Erica Garza
Founder
Round 2 Media Group
Embrace Agility
The only way digital marketing agencies can harmoniously fit into this new market reality is by being a strategic partner for a SMB’s needs. By taking that extra time to specifically design a marketing approach for their prospect, it can ensure greater success for the agency and its partners.
In the current market, it may be smart for agencies to adapt data insights for campaign design and success. To regain stability in response to the pandemic, recommendations may include encouraging a business to embark on an agile marketing approach that takes shorter turnaround times.
While budget cuts may be unavoidable, digital agencies can still appeal to some of the crucial concerns of the small-business owners. Carrying out effective PPC audits, identifying poorly performing ads, and using free keyword tools to identify search ranking opportunities are some examples of considerations for digital agencies while outlining strategies for these small-business clients during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Carrying out effective PPC audits, identifying poorly performing ads, and using free keyword tools to identify search ranking opportunities are some examples of considerations for digital agencies while outlining strategies for these small-business clients during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Additionally, taking inspirations from the marketing activities other similar businesses are engaging in could be a helpful starting point for a campaign. By utilizing successful strategies that have had beneficial feedback from customers in similar verticals, agencies can determine precise consumer trends to influence their own strategies. Ultimately, digital agencies must have enough insights to persuade SMBs to follow the most lucrative marketing strategies to respond to the economic lull that was facilitated by the COVID-19 crisis.
While looking for such avenues to extend marketing support to businesses in their niche, digital agencies may need to evaluate measures as drastic as pivoting to customers from different industry verticals, either to leverage from the advantaged and growing categories or to minimize setbacks due to servicing declining verticals as their niche.
Do Those Good Deeds
Due to the drastic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, it may be beneficial to reach out to some of your ideal customers and see how you can help them survive the crisis. Offering a free consultation or a complimentary quick-fix can go a long way in building a lasting relationship that will survive long after the crisis.
To craft your new business approach with the right balance of prudence and philanthropy, it will be critical to navigate this time with additional insights on your targeted SMBs. Finding businesses that can easily get back on their feet with some marketing support from your agency and have the potential to turn into profitable customers for you are definitely worth your investment.
Finding businesses that can easily get back on their feet with some marketing support from your agency and have the potential to turn into profitable customers for you are definitely worth your investment.
As a digital marketing agency, keeping these four concepts in mind will go a long way in helping you adapt your marketing strategy, focus on digital signals, embrace productivity, and improve communication.
