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How to Approach Marketing in Lockdown

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Over the past 12 months, many marketing strategies have been abandoned. Every business has had to rethink. Adjustments have been made to what’s offered and how this is effectively communicated to customers. With change the only constant, how can you approach marketing in lockdown?

Local Marketing; Be Part of the Community

One of the major shifts has been in favour of local businesses. ‘Shop Local’ initiatives are familiar, but in lockdown, this has grown in strength. Quick to respond in the first lockdown, local businesses have shown their value in the community. Whilst based at home, consumers are discovering what is on their doorstep, so make the most of this opportunity.

Google My Business

If you haven’t already, now is the time to ensure that your local listings are up-to-date. The first thing to check is whether Google My Business show your current location, opening times and contact information? If you feature in other local directory listings, take a look to see if changes are needed.

Local Groups on Social Media

It can also be useful to join and contribute to local groups on social media. This will help your business to become more visible in the community. If you offer valuable advice and recommendations, it builds trust and showcases your knowledge. (A comment on a community post has resulted in my latest enquiry.)

Print Media Marketing

Featuring in local publications and door-to-door leaflet delivery may not have been on your radar a year ago, but these are different times. People have more time to read what comes through their letterbox. Personalise your message so it resonates with residents.

Geographically-specific Paid Advertising

If your marketing strategy includes paid advertising, focus on your local geographical area. It is possible to specify individual postcodes. The benefits of a local focus are highly targeted marketing, less competition and, therefore, lower per-click costs.

Customer-focused Content

Whether B2B or B2C, every one of your customers has experienced change. As a result, what they want from you has altered. Has your written content been adjusted?

The keywords that you were promoting for search engine optimisation may need to shift. Metaphorically speaking, are you still promoting smart suits and party dresses whilst your target audience are browsing casual clothes? Beyond products and services, check that the outcomes you were promoting are in line with current desires.

When preparing your marketing message, Google Trends and other online tools offer data on what people are searching for. This can provide generic awareness to inform your blog content or social media posts.

The best approach is to get in touch with your customers. Give them a call, send them an email, even write them a letter! Gather feedback on what you offer and what they want; then use this to inform your marketing strategy. With customer feedback in mind, does your web page content need a freshen up? What would be helpful information to include in your next blog?

Keep it Relevant

These are strange times and we can’t simply carry on as if nothing was out of the ordinary. Any marketing message should reflect the current situation. It might suit your brand to approach this with humour, empathy, distraction or practical information, but tailor a relevant message.

Improve Home Life and you are on to a Winner!

In lockdown, those four walls can feel restrictive. Working, schooling and living in the same space is something we are still adapting to. Through the winter months, even getting out for exercise is less tempting. If your business can offer anything to make home life more tolerable and enjoyable, you could be onto a winner.

This approach isn’t limited to those selling craft kits, DIY products or office furniture. Our TV Licence letter included instructions for a paper-folding trick – perfect!

Here are a few ideas:

  • Use the back of that flyer that you are designing for doorstep delivery for a fun activity
  • Post a monthly challenge on social media
  • Include a printed template on your shipping boxes
  • Create a resource or competition that supports the curriculum – Pod Point and Fresh Air Fitness were two companies who have taken this approach.

With a little creativity, you can make things a little easier; that will put your brand in a good light.

Content Writing Services

As an Aylesbury-based, freelance content writer, I support local businesses to keep their message fresh and relevant. If you need content writing services, please get in touch: catherine@write-it.co.uk.

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Writing for the Web

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Writing for the web is a little different from other forms of correspondence. If you were to write a letter, it would be addressed and sent to the recipient. They would know it was for them. On the internet, they need to find your message and recognise that it is more relevant to them than all of the other messages that are available.

As a freelance copywriter, I visualise writing for the web as a triangle. I have to balance the requirements of the company, the target customer and the search engines.

Common Challenges of Writing for the Web

The challenges are writing for the web can be illustrated by the Family Law pages of two solicitor websites that I have come across.

Content on Family Law Page of Website One

This read along the lines of:

“Our experienced family law solicitors are aware of the financial and emotional cost that family proceedings can bring. Timely, focused legal advice can be crucial in cases of:
• Divorce and Separation
• Paternity and Parental Responsibility Issues
• Adoption Proceedings
• Domestic Violence and Injunctions”
(and the list extended to cover every other element of family law).

Now, this clearly states what they offer, but my first question is, how does this differ from the message that any other family law solicitors are sending out?

The content is full of keywords that people might search for and included geographical location, which can help them to be found online. However, when someone reaches their web page, it is impersonal. Despite stating that individuals needing their service are likely to have financial concerns and be in an emotional state of mind, they have not addressed this in the written content.

What is more, the list was so long that it was overwhelming. If you were going through a separation or divorce, do you need to speak to have a separate meeting to discuss parental responsibility? How much is that going to cost?

Content on the Family Law Page of Website Two

The second was at the opposite end of the spectrum:

“As an established firm, our committed team have earned a reputation for providing responsive and caring advice.

We offer all new clients a free 30-minute consultation. In this session, we ascertain your situation and advise on how we can use our expertise to help you. We recognise that this is a stressful time, so to get the most from this consultation, it can be beneficial to note down any key points in advance.”

It continued in this caring tone, which addresses the emotional and financial concerns by providing a clear idea of what to expect.

The issue in this example was that no relevant keywords could be found on the page. There was no mention of ‘divorce solicitors’ ‘legal advice’ ‘parental rights in a relationship breakdown’ or any other words or phrases that someone needing their services would search for.

Updating Website Copy

Both of these solicitors were in the process of upgrading their websites. As part of this process, they asked me to review the existing page content and provide feedback. I was then involved in creating fresh copy for the web pages; balancing the requirements of the company, the target customer and the search engines.