In times of hardship will you lay down and give up, or choose to RISE UP and fight?

This is the difficult question we must all ask ourselves during this uncertain time. Due to the big C (don’t even want to mention its name), SO many businesses are struggling to stay afloat. Thousands of employees have been stood down and many business owners are left wondering how they will get through. As scary as these times are, we MUST rise up. We must change our way of thinking and look for new ways and opportunities to pivot our businesses.

So many businesses choose to stop their social media marketing first in difficult times but this can be one of the most detrimental things that you can do! Marketing, especially online, is crucial to business, regardless of the industry or economic climate you’re in. Without it, you’ll have no way of letting people know about your products or services and how you provide value. You also have no way of communicating with your customers and building and maintaining those relationships.

So why is it CRUCIAL to continue marketing your business on social media during times of economic hardship?

Here are my top 5 reasons:

1. Marketing online is the most affordable option when compared to traditional marketing channels.

Social media marketing is not only something you can do with a small budget, but it also has a fast turnaround time, allowing you to quickly adapt and pivot to any changes that occur. It’s also one of the easiest platforms for you to track and measure your ROI. You can track how many people you’re reaching, their demographics, what they’re clicking on as well as what content their engaging with. From here, you can revise and optimise as needed.

2. Increase the perception of your business’ strength.

By continuing to have a presence online, you will create the perception that your business is in a place of strength and resilience. That you don’t plan on going anywhere and that you will indeed return once this crisis is over.

3.  Increase Reach

Currently, 1.62 billion people use Facebook daily and 1 billion + people are active users on Instagram each month! With stats like these, not to mention the fact that so many people in lock-down with nothing to do but go on social media, it’s easy to see why having a presence on these platforms is crucial. After all, marketing is ALL about being where your customer is!

4. Increase brand awareness and thought leadership.

Now is the best time for you to stand out from your competitors, who may be choosing to reduce or eliminate their marketing completely. Continuing to be present on social media will increase your brand awareness, allowing you to reach new potential customers that you haven’t been able to previously.

5.  Build relationships and brand loyalty with your audience.

Openly communicating with your audience on a regular basis will increase their trust and loyalty with you and your business. Social media provides business with an amazing two-way channel for communication, allowing you to talk directly to your customers and continue to provide them with value and support.

Maintaining your business online will help to strengthen your business, not hinder it. Let’s use this time as an opportunity to RISE UP, not give up so that we can stay at the forefront of our customer’s minds and succeed!