COVID-19: The Importance of Digital Marketing During A Time of Crisis
As COVID-19 continues to impact business, the role of digital marketing is becoming increasingly more important to create continued awareness.
We’ve all been impacted by the coronavirus (COVID-19), both professionally and personally. There is a vast amount of information going out 24/7 regarding COVID-19 via the internet, through social media channels, on television, in newspapers and magazines, etc. These outlets are sharing important information about how to avoid it, proper hand-washing techniques, the role of social distancing, and what to do if you get the virus. In addition to the task of how to reduce the spread of the coronavirus, businesses of all sizes and genres are concerned about how to minimize the financial impact of COVID-19 when the dust finally settles.
There are many questions that we are asking ourselves as we continue to service our clients here at DoctorLogic, and that you as a business owner may be asking as the number of days your business is shut down continues to increase.
- How will COVID-19 affect my business?
- What should I do to market my business?
- Should I even bother to market my business if the doors are closed?
While we can’t give you a definitive answer to the first question, we can definitely help you with the other two. Continuing digital marketing efforts during these uncertain times can help you maintain a sense of normalcy and return to business as usual sooner rather than later.
Below we discuss some important things to remember when it comes to digital marketing, how it can impact your business in times of crisis, and why you should think first before putting a stop to your marketing activities.
How is SEO impacted by the coronavirus?
The team of dedicated professionals at DoctorLogic is ready to assist you in leveraging the situation for your long-term digital marketing success. While the virus is strongly impacting some services and marketing channels, the Search Engine Optimization (SEO) channel has not felt the effects as much. Even during times of crisis, Google’s algorithms and crawlers remain largely unaffected, continuing to operate, as usual, irrespective of current events. They run by complicated computer algorithms that don’t ever sleep. Fortunately, the only thing impacted is the number of people searching for the keywords we’re targeting around practice types and procedures. While the search volume will take a temporary dip, it will return back to normal once this outbreak is over.
SEO is also a long-term process that requires patience. It is important to keep in mind that it can be immediately impacted by halting the creation or launch of your new site, or if you discontinue current digital marketing services, such as content marketing (blogs) or social media.
Should I pause or shut down my website?
In a short answer, NO! There really isn’t such a thing as “pausing” a website. If a website was temporarily removed, it’s likely to lose all the rankings and performance the site had before the outbreak began. By maintaining the status quo, you will not only keep yourself in good shape to maintain performance but can potentially improve it when things return to normal.
What if my website hasn’t launched yet? Do I wait until COVID-19 passes?
If you delay launching your website, then it will take longer to be successful. It takes time for a website to succeed both from an SEO perspective and overall. For every month not launched, it would take that much longer to see a performance increase. By launching now, the website will be in a much better position when things return to normal.
What should I do if my offices have temporarily closed?
It’s recommended to update your Google My Business hours until your office returns to regular hours. You can also mark your location as “temporarily closed” through your Google My Business listing. On your DoctorLogic website, we can add a temporary banner to the top of your homepage stating that your offices are currently closed due to COVID-19. This banner can be removed at any time, once your offices reopen.
Have you considered Content Marketing?
In the ever-changing digital marketing landscape, the role of content marketing has become an effective way for businesses to remain in touch with their customers before, during, and eventually after the coronavirus pandemic. Utilizing various ways to communicate and engage with your current and future clients, such as blogs, videos, and FAQs, content marketing can still relay important information and quality content, even if your doors are temporarily closed.
What digital marketing tasks can you perform as you wait out COVID-19?
If you are faced with downtime because of COVID-19, this a good time to create more content via digital marketing, which gives your website an opportunity to rank for additional keywords. This can be done by:
- Adding new before and after photo galleries
- Posting blogs, videos, or FAQs on commonly searched topics or procedures relative to your business
- Consider refreshing your existing content to reflect changes or updates to procedures
- Respond to reviews on places like GMB and Yelp
- Use your website to update visitors on temporary closures, how to reach your office, and even provide tips regarding health and safety during this time
- Get social! Connect with customers through various social media outlets like Facebook or Instagram
There is no doubt that coronavirus has given all of us a new challenge on how to continue to create awareness of our business outside of some of the more traditional channels, especially when it comes to digital marketing. Our team at DoctorLogic has talked to many concerned practices regarding how their company is reacting to the coronavirus pandemic and what we can do to help you stay vital and active even in a time of uncertainty.
As always, DoctorLogic remains dedicated to the future success and growth of your business. Please contact us if you want to discuss any changes to your current digital marketing strategy or to brainstorm new ideas on how to keep or regain momentum. We are in this together, and together we will maximize the opportunities that await us when COVID-19 is a distant memory.
Other Resources:
- 6 Medical Practice Marketing Strategies that can TRIPLE Your Leads in 2020
- How To Build a Profitable Practice
- Is Your Healthcare Marketing Plan Working
- Healthcare Digital Marketing Metrics: What to Know Before You Measure
If you need help with your marketing strategy, please reach out to us at 855-522-3600 or email sales@doctorlogic.com. We’d love to help you take this time to devise a plan of action for maximum efficiency after the coronavirus.
