4 April 2020
Author
Angeline Lo
The world is facing a serious challenge with the global spread of the coronavirus (known as COVID-19). We agree with you that the outbreak is a human tragedy. Globally, 735,000 cases and 35,000 deaths as of 30th March 2020!
Brand promotions might therefore not seem like the best idea. There have been people tweeting about their annoyance at being sent promotions from companies they haven’t heard from in years. In short, advertising is difficult at the moment. However, take note that spending more time at home means people will be spending more time online.
According to Facebook, the usage of social media platforms has increased by 40% due to COVID-19. Both Facebook Live and Instagram Live’s views doubled within a week. Hence, there is still a lot of hope for brands to market and sell their products and services. The key is to master the right way of advertising during COVID-19.
You cannot afford to stop marketing and selling during this period, even when all businesses have been forced to close down their retail business operations. The only way to continue marketing and selling now is by doing it virtually, through the Internet and on social media.
Marketing in the times of COVID-19 is brand new territory for all marketers. No one is a true expert at the science of social media marketing in the COVID-19 environment. However, as a professional and passionate social media team, we are looking for ways to provide the best outcome for our clients in terms of both marketing and sales.
To survive, a business must adapt by finding innovative ways to operate, offer value, engage and sell to their customers.
Based on the experience and knowledge we have collected over time, here’s a guiding principle you can follow to boost your marketing efforts right now:
Listen – Always let your customers know you are listening. Acknowledge the new normal and the struggles your audience may be facing as the result of the new normal, such as stress, anxiety or even loss. A simple yet direct way of communicating with your audience can go a long way—it all boils down to listening and caring for them.
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A post shared by RIUH (@riuhinthecity) on Mar 25, 2020 at 7:11am PDT
Here’s a heart-warming action by @riuhinthecity , spreading love to support local business and creative during a hard time wins the audience’s heart at the same time.
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A post shared by RIUH (@riuhinthecity) on Mar 19, 2020 at 2:37am PDT
Keep Posting – People are now spending more time online than ever before and as a brand, you need to stay connected with these people. Social media is flooded with coronavirus news and lock-down-related content. Come out with content that acknowledges existing COVID-19 news. Here’s how @ms_kuan curated her piece of social content, which is not only creative but relevant to the current situation we are all facing together.
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A post shared by Christinna Kuan (@ms_kuan) on Mar 20, 2020 at 1:20am PDT
Another creative local funeral business @nirvana.asia illustrated a visual with a quirky tagline that is relevant to the coronavirus issue people are facing now, “Stay at Home or Stay Nirvana”.
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A post shared by Nirvana Asia (@nirvana.asia) on Mar 19, 2020 at 4:40am PDT
Be Empathetic – Have empathy for your followers and offer compassion first and foremost because some of your followers might have just lost their jobs and may be caring for a loved one who is unwell. My Burger Lab (@myburgerlab) is doing a good job at this. Despite being true and fun, they acknowledged our current situation as an inappropriate time to promote sales, publicly labeling themselves as “a breakeven company only”.
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A post shared by myBurgerLab Malaysia (@myburgerlab) on Mar 30, 2020 at 8:31pm PDT
Provide organic value – Turn your Instagram account into a platform where you share valuable and shareable resources with your followers. Provide extra educational content and focus on engagement that could help you connect with the audience. This is how @bellakuan turned her Instagram into a destination for stay-at-home lifestyle content. Thus, focus on creating original and valuable content (think organic!).
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A post shared by Isabella (@bellakuan) on Apr 1, 2020 at 2:17am PDT
Revolve (@revolve) initiated a whole bunch of content from their #revolvearoundthehouse, hosting Instagram Lives to lead their audience in weekly virtual workouts.
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A post shared by REVOLVE (@revolve) on Mar 30, 2020 at 2:18pm PDT
Marketing Ideas to Launch During Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Check out these trending ideas for you to work on for your brand or business.
Air Asia – Tony Fernandez has launched the Air Asia Unlimited Pass on the 29th February 2020 at RM499, where flyers are entitled to unlimited flights with a 1-year validation. This method is a shortcut generation of pre-sales early during the coronavirus where no one would risk their life to travel around.
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unlimited flights on AirAsia X
A post shared by Tony Fernandes (@tonyfernandes) on Feb 28, 2020 at 9:32pm PST
The Flow Studio – Due to the lock-down, every citizen has to stay home to flatten the curve but how can businesses sustain without customers coming into their shop? Sell products or services online, not offline. The Flow Studio has launched their “Flow From Home Programme”, a series of 34 virtual classes at just RM5.85 per class sold as a bundle package
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A post shared by The Flow – Yoga & Pilates (@theflowstudio) on Mar 29, 2020 at 6:01pm PDT
Mei By Fat Spoon – A local cafe restaurant has met challenges during this hard time, struggling with ways to have a revenue stream come in to sustain their business. Hence, they launched a #supportlocal e-voucher programme to sell e-vouchers ahead of time at a discounted price. You can consider doing the same, or if it’s doable for your product or service, consider selling a subscription plan to your customers.
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A post shared by Mei by FS (Hartamas • The Hub) (@meibyfatspoon) on Mar 27, 2020 at 11:13pm PDT
McDonald’s Malaysia – Other than the fact that the logo alternation to demonstrate social distancing went viral, McDonald’s has created content that shows how Malaysian brands can unite together right now.
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A post shared by McDonald's Malaysia (@mcdonaldsmalaysia) on Mar 22, 2020 at 6:18am PDT
Flow Malaysia – Hygiene is a major concern during the coronavirus. Reminding people to wash their hands often could be your strategy. Flow Malaysia has leveraged on the idea of hygiene (buy a vape case to stay clean!).
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A post shared by Flow Malaysia (@flow.msia) on Mar 19, 2020 at 1:47am PDT
KENS Apothecary – The brand has launched a #CleanHandsChallenge with a big sum of social influencers helping to spread awareness on the importance of keeping your hands clean (with soap from KENS Apothecary, of course!).
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Lost count. 🧼 @kensapothecary #CleanHandsSavesLives #CleanHandsChallenge #KENSapothecary
A post shared by Jane Chuck (@janechuck) on Mar 28, 2020 at 1:20am PDT
Shophanya – If you are in the event industry, all of your on-ground events are being called cancelled. You can try host the event online,
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A post shared by Hanya (@shophanya) on Apr 2, 2020 at 7:37am PDT
Free Help & Support
Last but not least, here are some updates on Free Help & Support:
Facebook has announced the arrival of Facebook for Business, offering a $100 million grant programme and ad credit to small businesses.
Google has also announced that it will unlock the premium feature for their Google Hangouts Meet.
Tinker Society, a boutique social media agency based in Kuala Lumpur is now launching a FREE 3 Months of Social Media Retainer Services (Be the first 10 brands that sign up!). Drop your curious inquiry at wink@tinkersociety.com for further information.
Or click HERE to check out other useful information for your growing business.
https://tinkersociety.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Coronavirus-Support-Local-Promotion.mp4