COVID-19: Digital tips for brands
During the crisis we’re going through due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19), companies have faced the challenge of finding creative and innovative ways of maximizing the reach of their brands.
We’ve seen an almost immediate shift to channels such as TV, digital media and social networks. And although it’s expected, and the right one, there are other areas that can also be maximized during and after this current situation.
Global Internet traffic patterns show a considerable increase. And this number is expected to grow as the crisis continues.
Taking this into account, we offer some recommendations.
Online Search
More traffic means more online searches, which translate into more potential visibility for our brands. SEO is key to maximizing that visibility. If you’ve optimized your website in the past, now it’s a good moment to revise your content and keywords. They should be aligned with your current communication strategy.
If your website is not optimized for search, you should begin by looking at your content, performing some technical SEO changes, and getting your business information on Google My Business. And definitely, using SEM for immediate results.
Websites
Strengthening your website offerings should also be top priority. They can fill some of the void, that physical store locations can’t fill right now.
Communicating current efforts
Online sales
Decision engines
Lead generation tools
Live assistance/chat
Mobile device optimization
Simplifying website menus
Enabling voice search
These and similar functionalities are key in meeting the immediate needs of our clients.
Security
There’s always the threat of an increase in cyberattacks to websites and corporate networks. Companies like CloudFlare are constantly monitoring and reporting many of these things as they happen.
Some preventive measures should be:
Implement security certificates on websites (HTTPS or SSL)
Server security updates and patches must be applied
Plugins, code libraries and modules should be updated as well
Implement online security platforms such as Sucuri or CloudFlare.
Other Recommendations
Although brands quickly moved to social media outlets, it is important that the content being generated for our audiences is relevant and with the sensitivity they deserve right now.
There is a great need to provide distractions for children during daylight hours. This would be of great value to parents. Also, you can help ease any potential stresses created by being confined to our homes, with live entertainment. There are many artists sharing Facebook lives of their creative processes and informal concerts.
Additionally, channels such as blogs and email campaigns can be a great support to the above efforts. But fundamentally, having a solid strategy that covers each area and defines the "why" and the "how" is vital.