Marketing to an audience that’s homebound during a pandemic requires advertisers and marketers to think creatively and compassionately while embarking on challenging, newfound territory. So how do you keep clients engaged in this coronavirus age—while still adhering to pandemic protocol and promoting positive messaging?

Engage with Clients and Their Needs on an Individual Basis

It’s important to remember that this pandemic has impacted every person and business, but in many different ways. Keep in contact with your clients by assessing their needs individually.

What does this specific client need from me right now to feel protected and secure? Who are my clients and businesses that are considered essential? Which clients are just trying to keep business flowing? What clients have been severely impacted by COVID-19? From there, sort each of your clients into categories and determine the best way you can provide help.

For Essential Clients and Businesses:

• Offer what support you can via email
• Repost and share their messages on social media
• Send them your product or service free of charge as a thank you

For Clients and Businesses Who Want to Keep Business Moving:

• Suggest projects or services that you have been meaning to get to, or that require downtime to execute properly
• Share their messages on social media
• Offer brainstorming sessions to generate new projects and ideas

For Clients and Business Who Have Been Greatly Impacted:

• Offer your support and call them to check in
• Send them your product or service free of charge

Keep Social Media Relevant and Stay Connected

Social media and online consumption are at an all-time high right now. When marketing to an audience via social media it’s crucial that you change up your messaging to make it relevant and timely to what is occurring in the world. You might think your customers are sick and tired of seeing social posts about the virus but ignoring the situation at hand can make you appear out of touch.

Tips for social media:

• Share positive, uplifting stories from clients
• Build up your community by sharing posts about local businesses and organizations
• Reward people for participating in online activities—like webinars and giveaways
• Give hope through your social media without appearing out of touch

Tips for Online Messaging:

• Share situation-sensitive content
• Authentically comfort your audience
• Be a part of the solution and inspire action
• Proactively communicate
• Appropriately connect

Now is the time to build trust with your clients and show them that you have their backs. People are looking for strong leaders to take charge, giving companies a clear opportunity to be there to support their clients and their businesses. When it comes to your marketing tactics, be strategic and have a concise timeline and messaging plan. Keep in mind that all messaging and content should be proactive, positive, and productive in order to keep clients and customers engaged and to ensure that we will get through this together.