Coronavirus(COVID-19) has put any small businesses in the search for new ways to reach their consumers. The financial burdens that many SMBs are under during COVID-19 have put them in search of cost-effective ways to market their business.

The good news is that currently more people are spending time online and you’d be surprised how many simple ways are there to reach your customers digitally without spending a dollar(more on this ahead).

Why is Social Media Marketing the Answer During Coronavirus?

Let’s take a look at the main reasons why you should take your marketing online right now:

In the quest of seeking information, killing time, and calming ourselves, people are turning to online content more and more. A report by Facebook revealed that time spent on the application in Italy has seen around a 70% increase.

Online marketing doesn’t require much effort as compared to other marketing methods. You don’t need heavy cash or a lot of resources.

All you need is to understand the need of the hour and create content that’s in demand.

But before we move forward here’s one important thing:

Focus on growing your accounts right now, Not on conversions

Right now, we’re living in a time where consumer spending has been limited to the very essentials. So expecting your marketing to boost sales right now would be unfair on your side. However, now’s a great time to build a loyal online following, and put out content that’s really needed.

Here are 6 free ways for you to establish your reach on different online mediums:

1.Hop on Facebook Live

Facebook Live viewers have increased these days by as much as 50%. People are watching live videos now more than ever. You can do a lot of things for your consumers on Facebook live such as answering COVID-19 related customer questions, giving relevant advice, or leading an online workout.

Also, remember that Facebook Live videos can be saved. Right now is a great time to run live sessions on your evergreen topics, which you can repurpose down the line later on.

2.Create Google posts

Just like social media, you can publish posts on your Google My Business listing. But unlike social media platforms, during COVID-19, consumers on Google are actively seeking. GMB posts enable you to announce your updates and special offers in front of customers who are ready to engage.

3.Update your profile on Google My Business

Your Google My Business profile is what appears for your business on both Google Local Search results and Google Maps. Because of physical shut-down, timing constraints, and restricted travel, consumers are performing even more “near me” and “nearby” searches on Google during COVID-19. They’re also searching for specific services such as online payment options and delivery options.

• Modify and edit your description(From the business) to include relevant COVID-19 offers.
• Verify your working hours (or mark your business as temporarily closed if so).
• Create posts (more on this coming up).

4. Write relevant blog posts

The internet right now is saturated with Coronavirus(COVID-19) related content, but that doesn’t at all mean you can’t still show up on the first page of a Google search. The trick here for you is to target long-tail keywords that are highly specific to your niche. This content will cost you nothing to create other than time, which you likely have plenty of at this point.

Authentically valuable coronavirus-relevant pages will garner traffic in right now, but they’ll also boost your overall website SEO over the long run.

5.Support other local businesses during COVID-19

Once again it all boils down to providing value and being helpful to your customers. You can share information about local businesses and their services that your customers may be able to benefit from. It’s a great way to reach new audiences by being genuinely helpful to your consumers as well as other local businesses struggling during COVID-19—all of it for free.

6. Use COVID-19 hashtags

Hashtags are free and yet a quite powerful organic way to expand your social media visibility. There are many trending COVID-19 hashtags circulating around. But broad Instagram hashtags like this #COVID19 aren’t going to give you much actual visibility.

The key here is to use a specific location and industry modifiers.

• Instead of #COVID19, try something a bit more specific like #covidhomeschooling.
• Instead of #weareinthistogether, try something with a location like #newyorkstaystrong.

Conclusion:

These free methods of digital marketing are great for reaching out to your audience during COVID-19, but they can really be adapted for use even after the pandemic has passed. Try these out now and who knows, maybe you’ll come out of this lockdown with a stronger online presence than ever before.