The global COVID-19 pandemic has no doubt changed the way almost every business across the world operates. From restaurants and retail stores, to healthcare facilities, warehousing and manufacturing plants, no organization is immune to the effects of the pandemic. 

More people than ever are staying home and working remotely as businesses are challenged to operate as usual. Organizations have begun to re-evaluate their marketing budget and tactics—especially their traditional marketing methods—to mirror changes in industry demand and the continual evolution of consumer behavior and determine how these need to be adjusted to fit the new global market.

As we enter into these uncharted waters, here are some tips to help you and your technology company effectively re-evaluate your marketing plan: 

Thought Leadership

Now is not the time for your business to push its technology products, services, or software solutions. 

Now is the time for your company to avoid hard sales and marketing tactics, which can be seen as insensitive and overall, too pushy. Now is the time for understanding and empathy. 

As a result, it is a great time to start positioning your organization as an industry thought leader, uniquely positioned to help your customers problem-solve and adjust to thrive during this pandemic. Creating educational and informational content-driven resources, such as eBooks and blogs, gives you a way to stay in contact with your customers and prospects using soft-selling tactics. These are also great opportunities for your company to start educating customers and prospects on the steps they can take to survive the pandemic and how their business can evolve for the post-COVID-19 economy. 

Attend Fewer Industry Events

Over the next 12 to 18 months, it’s expected there will be fewer industry events, trade shows, and conferences across the country. Due to the effects of the pandemic and social distancing, many events are being postponed or canceled, and ones that will carry on will likely see huge decreases in event attendance. 

As a result, it will be more challenging for a wide variety of companies to see an ROI from these events, which traditionally are very expensive endeavors and oftentimes one of the top marketing expenses companies include in their budgets. Scaling back on your event marketing spend will allow your company to allocate more of your marketing budget to other marketing tactics that will show a higher ROI. 

Be Aware of the Effects of Social Distancing

Social distancing has entered the national vocabulary as more and more people are encouraged to stay home and safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, we are starting to see more companies allow their  employees to work from home. 

This shift to working out of the home means that many traditional outbound B2B marketing activities like direct mailers and telemarketing will become less effective. Without the home address or mobile phone number of prospects, it will be more challenging for technology companies to find success connecting with prospects via traditional marketing activities, and instead should reallocate their budget to focus more on inbound digital marketing strategies. 

Invest in a Digital Strategy

As social distancing becomes the norm for everyday life, smart technology companies will be looking to develop a new means of marketing and communication, especially through digital channels. Activities such as search engine optimization (SEO), email marketing, social marketing, webinars and online advertising are predicted to soar as companies adjust to even more means of digital advertising.

Social media and email marketing are going to become key parts of your B2B marketing strategy. According to November research from Smartly.io, 52% of retail marketers said they will spend more on social advertising than they did in 2019, and 50% were planning to spend at least half of their annual marketing budget on social media advertising this year. We anticipate this number will only increase as people stay indoors and social media advertising becomes one of the primary focuses for brands within the technology industry.

Smart companies will evaluate this information and shift their marketing strategies to include almost all digital means in order to convey their messages and stay in front of prospects. An already-digital world has become even more so, and as a result, digital marketing tactics will dominate. As many technology companies make changes to the services they provide and plan for more digitally-native content, services, and solutions, they must also adapt their overall marketing strategies. 

What You Can Do:

As your technology company adjusts to operating under these unique circumstances, it’s important to find a marketing partner that knows your industry and can execute targeted marketing campaigns quickly and efficiently. SkyRocket Group is here to help you do just that. Contact us today for a free evaluation of your current marketing efforts and strategic recommendations for implementing a digital marketing plan that will help your business thrive.