Small and medium-sized businesses in Canada are all affected by the economic strain caused by the COVID-19 crisis. For most of them, the temporary closure of brick-and-mortar stores considerably reduced their sales and revenues.
C’est Beau is a small Montreal-based company that sells clothing, accessories, kitchenware and various lifestyle products. The company is known for its eco-friendly and organic products made by Quebec artisans. C’est Beau has two stores that are temporarily closed due to the pandemic. However, their team is working relentlessly and has shifted its focus on e-commerce to offset the financial impact of the crisis.
5 digital marketing tips to adapt your strategy during COVID-19
Our team, in collaboration with C’est Beau, has implemented various marketing tactics to get through the crisis. Here are a few examples that could help other companies adapt their marketing strategy as well:
1. Show an attractive incentive for customers
Your ads must display an attractive offer to capture your potential customers’ attention. Whether it’s free shipping or a promotion, customers usually see a lot of value in those offers. A discount will drive action for your loyal customers, and your new prospects.
2. Adapt your messaging
SMB’s across Quebec and Canada must emphasize their local initiatives, as more and more people are looking to support the local economy. By using popular hashtags (#stayhome, #quarantine, #survivor2020, #buylocal, etc.) or by registering on platforms such as Le Panier Bleu, you can increase your visibility within your community. These are excellent ways to be part of a popular movement and stand out from the competition.
People everywhere are staying home and going out to get the strict minimum. Use this new reality to your advantage and adapt your advertising messages to their situation. In the case of C’est Beau, messages such as “Stay home, we deliver.” or “Stay cozy at home in our clothes” have proven to be very effective.
3. Focus on brand engagement and customer acquisition
In these difficult times, it is essential to maintain all initiatives designed to increase your potential customer base. Campaigns designed to generate newsletter subscription or increase brand awareness can help your brand acquire new potential customers. These actions will be incredibly valuable when the crisis slows down.
In addition, this is the ideal time to increase engagement on social networks. Take this opportunity to create organic content on your Facebook and Instagram accounts. People are spending a lot more time on their mobile phones to stay entertained and informed. This is a perfect opportunity to grow your online community and connect with new users.
4. Create visuals that will catch your audience’s attention
If you have the time and resources during quarantine, work on your creative assets. It’s a great time to try out new things, create videos or new product shots. There is a ton of free and premium software available online to create videos, GIFs and slideshows quickly. Here are a few examples:
You could also revise your images to add promotional mentions such as “Free Shipping” or “Buy Local”.
5. Get involved in your community
A good way to increase brand awareness within your community is to get involved in different causes. For example, C’est Beau encourages local artisans and favours eco-responsible products:
For other companies, this social engagement can take many forms: making donations to organizations, producing medical equipment (e.g. masks), etc. We’ve listed great initiatives from Quebec companies during the COVID-19 crisis here. By focusing on giving back and helping in ways that make sense for your business, you will, first of all, have a positive impact on your community, but you will also increase brand awareness.
The results
As a result of their efforts, C’est Beau has increased its online revenues by 109% and its number of transactions by 161% in the last 30 days (as of April 8, 2020). Although affected by the temporary closure of their physical stores, C’est Beau, in collaboration with our team, is quickly adapting its marketing strategy to get through this crisis.
We’re very proud to help local businesses grow their online presence. Want to know how we can help your business? Contact us for more information.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Alexandrine Pigeon
Alexandrine is the Paid Media Director at Bloom.
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