Digital Promotion Social Networks/AI
In times of crisis, national or global, the reality of all of us changes.
Most of the public systems enter an emergency situation in all its derivatives, the economy is shaken and the behavior of each of us reacts differently to the new situation.
The Iron Swords War illustrated this matter even more strongly and the damage to business was so dramatic and extreme that many industries have not yet returned to full activity.
The business owners realized that it was necessary to enter the process of 'returning to normal', even if partially, in order to prevent the business from collapsing.
With the opening of the year 2024, it is already clear to every business in Israel that in order to deal with the crisis it must be present in the digital space, or better yet, train the ability to have electronic commerce (E-commerce) that will allow citizens to consume relevant products and services even without physically coming to the business.
Company owners who did not understand this until now had to realize the hard way that, especially in times of uncertainty, the digital is the cutting edge of the business and it is the one that allows them to maintain regular communication with the customers and continue to provide their basket of services fully and continuously.
The company's digital arena
As a result of all this, updating the digital assets and adapting them to the situation according to the need has become critical for any business that wants to broadcast "business as usual":
The official website
- whether it is a trade or image site, a special message tailored to the situation must be included detailing contact details, changes in response times and the delivery schedule if applicable.
Even if nothing has changed and you are working as usual, the visitors to your website don't know that, so you need to communicate it clearly, in black and white.
Social networks
- it must be ensured that, in addition to regular updates distributed to existing and potential customers, there is a two-way communication that includes a quick and efficient response to inquiries received by the company.
If you are experiencing a shortage of personnel, make sure to set up an automatic system that will provide an initial response to inquiries until you are free to handle them.
Additional marketing tools
- advanced options such as mailing (email, SMS, WhatsApp), automations, pop-ups and the convenience of purchasing on the website - must be adapted to the situation, either through dedicated wording or updates and with high frequency and full transparency.
Monitoring and control systems
- it is recommended to make sure that all assessments work properly, that an indication and regular report is received on their correctness from all the relevant teams in the company and that the response given to customers and digital inquiries is high quality and fast.
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Mindset change
A crisis brings with it challenges but also many opportunities.
In Corona, while we were all sitting at home without employment, some of the most successful companies today emerged from the crisis when they were established or reinvented, because they realized that the needs of the market had changed and managed to provide exactly what people lacked at that time.
Zoom, the video calling application, tripled its revenue within a year, as did Shopify and Etsy, e-commerce website platforms.
Netflix and PayPal doubled their revenue.
Even in non-digital fields, of course, there are big winners - the pharmaceutical companies, Moderna and Pfizer, which increased their revenues 10-fold with the discovery of the epidemic vaccine.
Of course, there are other industries with companies that have made a huge leap thanks to identifying potential - do-it-yourself companies, delivery and fast food companies like Walt, e-commerce companies around the world and streaming services that have grown wildly.
Do you think it bothered them that people didn't leave the house and apparently bought less?
It's possible, but they chose to focus on what did work, and it paid off big for them.
Likewise in the case of the war, try to think about the unique needs of this period that you can meet, and look for the sweet spot between the relative decrease in waste and the needs that have changed from end to end.
Marketing and advertising in an emergency situation
When a war breaks out, the competition between businesses is undermined and the needs of customers change.
In general, the consumption habits of potential customers are changing, also in the digital world and certainly in the physical world.
Experience shows a drop of between 25% and 35% in credit card spending in the first weeks of each extreme event.
It is recommended to be ready to change or adapt the marketing activity to the new reality.
First, in written messages and design and later, if necessary, in changing the products, the price list, the payment methods and the digital tools that the company uses.
For example, if you are a service provider, offer transactions in installments instead of a single payment.
If you own a store in a large commercial center such as a mall, offer a home delivery service.
If your customers are businesses (B2B) try to offer collaborations or 'barter' transactions where both parties benefit.
There are financial advisors who will say that sometimes it is worthwhile to maintain the ongoing operation of the business even in exchange for an erosion in the profitability percentages or a minimal loss that will avoid a bigger loss.
In addition, it is useful to consider the various options depending on the state of the crisis and the atmosphere in the public and to understand how the performance can be improved in the most effective way.
There may be a need to change the approach to advertising and marketing and focus on digital tools that provide quick and efficient results.
Choosing other platforms, changing the intensity of activity, direct mail, creative designs and increased management of activity on social networks can be important tools in such times.
A time of crisis is also a time of awakening
Much has been said about the changes that digital and innovation have brought to our lives.
The technological developments in the field occur with such high frequency, that sometimes we find ourselves with a feeling of 'missing out' or the lack of doubt to stick to the forefront of action in the field.
A period of crisis such as war, in which a decline is naturally felt among businesses in all fields, can also be used as an opportunity to sharpen and improve the existing digital business.
A stop from the increased current activity in favor of examining all of the member's digital performance, examining the functioning of the digital advertising office and analyzing the performance of the various platforms, may end in new conclusions that will shape the company's marketing strategy.
It is not impossible to adopt global trends and incorporate them into the existing business, in order to optimize and upgrade performance: the introduction of AI tools into the marketing system, real-time personalization, intervention and active participation in brand discourse on the network, the use of influencers and returning to the use of communities in order to upgrade the worlds of e-commerce on social networks, can all be Growth factors even in the current reality.
In conclusion,
In every crisis lies an opportunity for growth and success.
Give your marketing people room to maneuver, follow other businesses and learn about their ways of coping, and build an action plan for the next crisis, hoping it isn't waiting around the corner.
This is a call to all business owners, of any size, including those in charge of marketing and digital in the organization: as long as the war continues, dealing with the challenges of the time will only become more difficult.
Try to find the opportunities that exist in the situation and prepare for every scenario, all of them also a fundamental change in the activity and goals of the business.
You must be flexible and be ready to change your skin if necessary, in order to adapt to the new reality in a professional and efficient manner.
Aviv Cohen, is a consultant and digital strategist and owner of the digital advertising agency Vision, accompanying businesses in the process of setting up and creating a marketing strategy.
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