The global coronavirus pandemic is one that came with several unprecedented circumstances. Not only were nations affected and forced into a lockdown, but businesses were also forced to shut down.

Many of the startups that had just been newly launched then couldn’t survive the test of the time. The major reason for the failure of these startups was their inability to adapt to the new normal created by the pandemic.

The Covid-19 pandemic has changed what marketing for startups is like. | Source: Unsplash

One area that startups that want to survive during the pandemic times must pay attention to is marketing. The volume of sales and level of productivity recorded by any business largely depends on the marketing strategy put in place.

However, beyond having a marketing strategy, businesses need to know what marketing opportunities are available during pandemic times. There is a common saying that desperate times demand desperate measures, and it is crystal clear that the global pandemic times are a desperate one.

As a startup, some of the marketing opportunities that can be leveraged for increased productivity include:

Express sympathy to customers

The world at large and everyone in it was affected by the global coronavirus. It will not be a good marketing strategy to ignore the current realities of your customers when pitching your business products and services to them.

Regardless of the marketing strategy your startup is engaging, factoring in the place of empathy is very vital.

Several ways exist to communicate this empathy, including acknowledging the realities of the times that we live in, encouraging customers that it is just a bend and not the end.

Also, you can let them know that if they can carefully negotiate the bend, they would have no problem making the most of the times that we live in.

A good example of how your startup can communicate this empathy to customers include:

“Hello there,

No doubt the world is going through a trying time, and it appears like every area of our lives is affected. However, you must know we feel and share in your pain in all of these. To make things easier for you, we have updated our services to serve you better during these times.”

Provide valuable resources

Another good marketing opportunity that is opened to startups during this period is providing valuable resources. The global coronavirus pandemic has brought many people to an awareness of the benefits of healthy living.

Globally, many people are looking for helpful resources that will help them stay safe during these times. So, instead of hurrying to pitch your products and services to customers, why not respond to their current needs first.

Remember that the first step is to communicate empathy. You take a step further by providing them with helpful materials that provide tips on how to stay healthy amidst a pandemic.

When customers know that they can get valuable resources from you beyond the basic products and services that your business offers, the chances are that you will not only retain existing customers but also attract new ones.

Be creative when designing a strategy

It is wrong to do the same thing repeatedly and expect different results. The coronavirus pandemic has brought about a new normal which is different from what we are all used to.

How businesses should operate has been altered by the pandemic. Therefore, if your startup will thrive in the new normal created by the pandemic, you must be creative when designing a strategy.

Many of the old marketing strategies, especially the traditional ones, don’t have a place in the post-COVID world. To develop a creative marketing strategy that converts, you have to study the market and its customers during these times.

• What keeps people engaged in a pandemic?
• Where do they spend most of their time daily?
• What are they doing with their time, and why are they doing it?

Providing detailed answers to these questions will help your startup design a creative strategy to bring about more sales and increased productivity to the business.

Focus on retaining existing customers

While many businesses are finding ways to attract new customers, now is the best time for your startup to focus on retaining existing customers. As a startup, it is important to avoid the mistake of going for new customers when there is no plan in place to retain existing ones.

Instead of investing more money into marketing to attract new customers, why not cut that cost and devise means to retain existing customers? To do this, maintaining communication with your customers is vital. Ensure you keep them updated with happenings in the business and what is going globally regarding the pandemic.

The more you maintain communication with our customers, the more they feel valued and are updated. With this, it becomes easy to retain them and convert them into loyal customers.

Pay attention to the conversion rate when marketing virtually. | Source: Unsplash.

Market virtually and effectively

The pandemic times do not allow for trial and error in business, especially in marketing. If you must invest in marketing during these times, you must be willing to go all virtual. The pandemic and the post-pandemic world is a virtual world where most everything will be done online.

There is no better time to move away from the traditional in-person type of marketing to marketing on online platforms to engage with people. No doubt, social media platforms have been the most used since the pandemic broke out. So, if you have a startup without an online presence, then you are getting everything wrong.

To market virtually and effectively, you need to have a good online presence and build a huge following. A good way to do this is to market to your target audience on social media and provide them with exclusive offers and deals on your business products and services.

Conclusion

Though true that the global pandemic has affected many things, it still offers several marketing opportunities that startups can leverage. The pandemic times are when startups have to focus on retaining existing customers, investing in virtual marketing, building a strong and viable online presence, and maintaining communication with their customers.

As a business owner, the bulk of initiating and sustaining the process of harnessing the opportunities that these times offer will be on you. If you want your startup to grow, then you must take this responsibility seriously.

References

• WHO: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic
• Hubspot: What is Marketing, and What’s Its Purpose?
• Lyfe Marketing: The Importance of a Marketing Strategy for Businesses Today
• Medical News Daily: What are the benefits of eating healthy?
• Duarte: 10 Ways to Communicate with Empathy and Authority in Times of Crisis
• Monday Marketing: 6 must-haves for a creative strategy

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