Social Media Marketing in a Pandemic
By: Anushan Suppiah
Tags: Small Business, Digital Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Advertising, Facebook

Covid 19 has changed the world. This statement is deeper than how it sounds. The change, we are talking about is not just about our behaviours or lifestyles.

This pandemic has questioned our systems, policies and even ideologies. However, while the human race is getting used to the new normal the world of business is shifting towards online at an alarming rate. We have seen an abnormal rise in profits for online giants like Amazon, Facebook, Tencent or Paypal and companies like Boeing or Walt Disney making huge losses. Although there are many aspects in analyzing the profit and loss of these companies the one common and obvious point is the very fact that the loss-making entities had little to do with online.

While this is being the story of the giants, the small and medium-sized entities (SME) are suffering like never before. It’s more important now to adapt and improve a new online strategy for all the SMEs.

In this article, I am going to highlight 3 important reasons why small and medium entities need to adopt an online marketing strategy with a special focus on social media marketing which eventually results in increased sales and more visibility to their brands.

In the last five years, there has already been a growing trend of setting up online operations for any industry. As a social media marketer, I have seen a steady climb in my clientele, especially in the last five years. But here’s the thing. Online businesses almost doubled when the government imposed travel restrictions and lockdowns of public places during this pandemic. People wanted to make more money. Globally the economies were not doing well. Not everyone was enjoying their promised full salaries from their respective companies. I know large companies who introduced up to 40% salary cut to fight the losses because of the tough business climate.

Internet was the only place where the people were allowed to roam freely. This encouraged a buying and selling mentality in the public. For example, face masks. I know a dozen of my friends who have approached me and told that they have started an online business that sells masks and sanitizers so they need a Facebook campaign done.

The question is if you are trying to make quick money or trying to sustain this business in the long term.

This is the exact question I asked them. Some were looking for quick money so I gladly helped them out to run a successful ad campaign by getting the basics done. But some said they wanted to sustain it. They said its a business that they are trying to build.

For a business to develop sustainably it has to have a strategy. Pretty straight forward right? This is the same for going online as well.

So the 1st reason why you need to develop an online marketing strategy is, the people you are trying to sell your product are now home and spending most of their time online.

There are more people online than ever before. If you don’t see this as an opportunity your business will not succeed in the new normal. You need to know where they are and how you can approach them super-fast. Although creating a website or doing Search engine optimization can greatly help your online presence and sales, creating a website from scratch will need a fair amount of time.

Social Media Marketing is the go-to option especially during times like these.

They are quick, tailor-made and effective. There are proven statistics all over the internet indicating how the online behaviour of the general public has seen a spike on social media.

Whether you have decided to make use of this increased time spent by internet users or not, the social media giants have noticed and made significant changes to their presence. Facebook for an example has made huge changes on the tools that you can use. Almost all of them are business-friendly. Especially the last 3–4 months Facebook has made a total re-vamp. From their user interface to the tools available for businesses Facebook is now more improved with their targeted audience for your businesses.

Number 2.

It’s affordable & it puts you in the driver seat. The common mistake anyone can do when it comes to online marketing is that they don’t quite understand how to measure the investment they are making. Or they find it very difficult to make use of the metrics that are already available to them.

Traditional marketing techniques like television commercials or newspaper advertisements are no more effective. Especially during this extraordinary time. And it’s more expensive.

Social media allows you to customize your ad the way you like. From the budget to the end goals. Facebook now recommends you suggestions that are best for your business.

By effectively managing your Facebook or Instagram ad campaigns you can achieve great results by just spending $3-$4 a day.

This is super cheap. This amount is still very much lower than your daily running cost at your physical store.

Whether you seek Brand visibility or increased sales, being able to market it on social media is a lifesaver for all the SMEs out there.

Especially with tight budgets this is more or less becoming a must for all the businesses.

You must have noticed that even large companies like Coca-Cola are now releasing their commercials straightly targeting their social media fans. We only see part of the entire commercials on TV. The importance has greatly shifted. It is exciting for all the businesses that they and Coca-Cola are on the same platform. Their marketing budget may be bigger but the medium they chose and the technique they use is going to be the same as yours.

So don’t delay. Buckle-up.

Number 3

This may be the most important one out of the 3.

Your competitor is already doing it. As I wrote earlier when people approached me to do ad-campaigns during this pandemic most of them knew exactly the potential behind it. They have already started it but maybe not doing it in the right way. Yet, most of them had something to show me as their findings online especially on social media.

Always stay ahead of your competition

It was a matter of fine-tuning their campaigns and helping them achieve their goals with a planned strategy. And they started to pay off well.

So you need to be in the game. Because your competition is already there selling the same product as you to your customer base. Last week, I have purchased an earphone to gift my friend. The area where my go-to shop for electronic items is under lockdown. And unfortunately, they are nowhere to be seen on social media or the internet. I paid extra and bought it from a store that was only having its presence on Instagram. And Of course, it popped up while I was going through my Instagram stories.

You are getting my point right?

So the bottom line is,

We all are going through a very difficult and historical pandemic. It has challenged many businesses in many ways. However, there are new opportunities and rays of hope for businesses in the form of online marketing.

Imagine this with limited access for the public, when your customer search online, if you are not going to be available with your product, …. you are going to lose big.

Rough seas make the most skilful sailor. Let’s sail together.