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The right content strategy during the Corona crisis

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Reading time 4 minutes
By Chantal Tol

Due to the coronavirus, various tasks are put on hold, emails are modified and many campaigns are halted. Many marketers are puzzled: what do we do with our content strategy when the world is in crisis? We'll help you find the right content strategy during the corona crisis.

Marketers want to show compassion without coming across as "played." Organizations want to provide value without appearing self-serving. The most important question you should be asking yourself as a marketer right now is, "How can I help my target audience?" Right now, your target audience is looking for help with a (new) specific problem, and you can capitalize on that with the right content.

#1. Increase engagement

Many industries may be stagnant, but that doesn't take away from the fact that your target audience still needs relevant content. This is precisely the time when consumers look for information that will help them move forward. 

The corona crisis has caused a notable increase in audience engagement. Interest in corporate content is increasing. This is putting more pressure on marketers' shoulders. It is essential at this time to deliver content that is not only relevant to the situation we currently find ourselves in, but also impacts your target audience. 

Failure to deliver the right content now will damage your company's reputation. Edelman indicates that even 71% of consumers say they will never trust a company again if they find that the company is only out to make a profit. Therefore, make sure your content helps the consumer with what they are looking for. This will leave a positive impression. Gartner indicates that now is the time for organizations to restore trust. The organization should perform customer-centric actions and meet the needs of the consumer.

In addition to the engagement rate that has risen tremendously,the crisis also puts a lot at stake for companies. This is a unique situation for all of us, which calls for a new strategy. This is what we will discuss further, in the following points.

#2. Put scheduled items on-hold for a while

In times of crisis, marketers think first and foremost about what not to do. Scheduled projects, campaigns and announcements are reviewed and, if possible, postponed. 

There are probably some things already scheduled for publication. It is important to adjust all articles, emails, ads and posts that are scheduled to fit the current situation.

To arrive at the right content strategy for in a crisis, you need advice and knowledge from multiple teams. A communications team for message creation knowledge, social media teams for online connections, email marketing teams for brand tone and a sales team to ultimately convert the lead to customer.

It is obviously difficult to make drastic adjustments on short notice. But this can help with that:

  • Make sure you have a decision-making process for crisis communications; this can reduce any confusion;
  • Centralize your customer interactions in a shared CRM. This way, you have insight into what communications customers receive, so you can adjust your marketing, sales and service accordingly. 

#3. Create new content

When you decide to create new content during the crisis, it is essential to focus on what is relevant to your target audience. So don't focus on self-interest. Above all, make sure you offer something unique to your target audience, rather than something everyone is already talking about - which happens quickly since a lot of news is about corona..

Many companies publish content about the crisis because the target audience needs it. But on the other hand, the target audience will not only be interested in content about the crisis. They will also be ready for content that escapes the crisis for a while. If your marketing team does not have the ability to create new content for a while, we have an alternative solution. You can very easily adapt to the needs of your target audience using already existing content. Adjust this content where necessary so that the texts fit the current situation.

There are plenty of ways to create new content during the crisis. Be unique or respond to the target audience's new behavior. But above all, make sure your content helps the target audience!

#4. Choose the right channel and distribute the content 

There are a huge number of options for distributing content, but that means you have to publish it on all these channels as well. On the contrary, in fact. Because of the corona crisis, companies are sending a lot more emails. Subscribers' mailboxes are overflowing. This can sometimes actually have a negative impact, preventing you from helping your target audience - or even reach them because they don't open it..Use your main communication channels, where you know your target audience is present, and make sure your (relevant) content stands out.

You can also optimize the SEO of your content to reach your target audience organically. You make sure your target audience finds you, if they are doing a targeted search. That way, you don't need a direct email or social media post. You avoid your target audience's busy inbox.  

#5. Update content as quickly and often as possible

A crisis is often unpredictable. The relevance of content constantly changes during a crisis. Therefore, regularly adjust your content strategy to the needs of your target audience.

To stay up-to-date on these changes, you need to monitor them continuously. Keep a close eye on metrics that indicate engagement - such as average time spent on pages and show-up rates for webinars. This way, you can gain insight into whether or not your new content is resonating with your target audience. With these insights, you can further optimize your content.

#6. What content marketing has always been about 

It is not news that consumers have lost trust in companies in recent years. During a crisis, there is an opportunity to restore this trust and build long-term relationships with consumers. This is because of unique situations that arise during a crisis. Your target audience then starts looking for answers from their favorite companies through social media. This is the time to offer relevant content as a content marketer. Content that really offers the target audience a solution or answer to what they are looking for. 

 

The corona crisis is causing many challenges for businesses. Figuring out what the right content strategy is in times of crisis is part of that. We hope the above points offer some support.... You are helping your target audience and this is exactly what content marketing is all about.

 

Do you have questions or need help with your content strategy during the corona crisis?

Contact contact with us!

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Chantal Tol
Chantal Tol

About this schurq

Online Marketing Consultant

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