Do you have a Digital Strategy for Corona Pandemic?

Without a doubt, the corona pandemic has majorly affected businesses across industries and oil and gas industry is one of the hardest hit sectors. A novel strain of the coronavirus has brought some unique challenges on the table, the ones that need a creative approach. In such times, business owners are contemplating how they can maintain their competitive edge. Many companies across the world, including oil and gas firms, are investing in digital efforts to make an impact. There couldn’t be a better time to do this. Here’s how you can break through the noise, and continue seamlessly with your business goals, despite the crisis. 

(Suggested Read: Corona Outbreak puts spotlight on Digital Strategy)

Consider Reallocating your marketing budget to Digital Efforts

In the oil and gas industry, a major chunk of business relies heavily on conferences and technology events such as OTC, ADIPEC, Petrotech, Gastech, and so on. It is in these events that companies invest heavily in networking, marketing, and ultimately for achieving business growth. The traditional conferences have been there for a very long time and have been working really well for organizations. 

But what we have before us is an unprecedented situation that organizations and media networks have not planned for. Leave aside planning, they weren’t even prepared for this. Nobody was. 

With companies widely expected to slash marketing budgets, the ad industry could see nearly $26 billion in lost revenue, or a 10.6% decline.

– Michael Nathanson, an analyst at MoffettNathanson

Amid the coronavirus crisis, companies are reallocating their marketing budget to digital efforts. They are able to realize the high cost involved in traditional marketing and now, that amount can be channelized effectively elsewhere. 

By improving your online presence and capitalizing on your current digital efforts, you can not only push through these tough times but also emerge as a leader in your space. Adding to this, digital marketing also empowers you to measure the success of your efforts, unlike traditional marketing. You can gain more insight into useful analytics like unique monthly visitors, cost per acquisition, return on ad spend, and much more.

It’s all the more wonderful if your organization has been embracing digital methods for a while. This could be a great time to review and potentially refocus your digital strategy to adapt to the current environment. 

(Want to learn how Energy Dais can help you? Connect with us!)

During the Corona Pandemic, the right digital strategy can make all the difference

Organize an Online Event or Host a Webinar 

With lockdowns and social distancing, most of the events have been either postponed, cancelled, or shifted online. If your organization had an event planned and is now affected by the pandemic, that does not mean you cannot do it. You still can get people together, collaborate effectively, and deliver the value they were expecting from you. This is where the opportunity lies. 

Even if you weren’t planning an in-person event, hosting an online webinar or interactive online event can be very helpful and beneficial for your audience in challenging times like these. Getting online and talking to them on important issues will help you keep up with the engagement. It is also a way of showing that you care for your community, as a brand. 

If your organization had an event that was affected by the outbreak, that doesn’t mean you can’t get people together and still deliver the value they were looking forward to.

(At Energy Dais, we will be hosting a webinar on April 14th  to discuss the impact of the corona pandemic on the oil and gas industry. We would love to see you there! You can register here.)

Optimize your Website Content for enhanced searchability 

The buying behavior of consumers is at the core of a business and we couldn’t emphasize it enough. With the changing dynamics in the current situation, the way people look for products or services online may also experience changes. 

Now is the time when you need to optimize your website content for better visibility and searchability. Make sure your website is keeping up with the relevant and most searched keywords regarding your products and services. You should have strong Call to Action in place for redirecting users to get in touch with you. 

Share Information via Relevant Content 

The corona pandemic is a unique challenge and consumers are seeking information to prepare better in every walk of their life – personal or professional. From their mundane engagements to business plans, everything is affected. People would want to do everything in their power to contain the damage. 

You cannot afford to miss out on the opportunity to share knowledge with your audience. As the search queries have been redefined and retargeted online, so should your content. Brainstorm with your creative team and get some good ideas for articles and newsletters. Sending out a weekly newsletter to your clients with regular updates is a great way to show that you care and you want to keep them updated on everything. Further, you can reach out to a broader audience via a press release on an important topic, relevant to the present crisis. 

(Want us to write for you? Talk to us.)

Engage and interact with your audience on Social Media

With most people in lockdown, social media remains one of the constant sources of interaction and information. This is also a time to build and strengthen the relationship with your audience. A deep sense of empathy is what the present times call for and marketing is not just limited to numbers anymore. Make the most of this time to talk to your audience and convey that your brand cares about people. 

Empathy helps marketers break out of their blind spots, open their eyes to the human side of the consumer and flips the conversation from brand-led to people-led.

-Nick Graham, VP, Insights at PepsiCo

At the same time, people are using social media to catch up on trending news and topics. Share all relevant content on social media with a renewed focus and strategy. Talk about the topics your platform will be discussing, the webinar you would host, any free services you plan to offer to your clients/prospects or invite suggestions and feedback from your audience. The whole idea is to keep the show running and getting engaged on a deeper level with your community. These are the people who support your brand and they would definitely remember how your organization helped them get through these difficult times. 

(Want to learn how you can expand your digital reach? Contact us.)

Create Video Content 

The sheer cost of video production has come down to a point where there are no barriers to entry. Buyers have devices that can play videos with them at all times and are engaging in 100% more information year-over-year before they make a buying decision.

-Joe Pulizzi

This is exactly why marketing needs more videos. In recent years, we have seen a dramatic surge in video content and they definitely make a huge difference. Particularly, when it comes to adding a personal touch to the content. With the lockdowns, social distancing, and remote working, video content can be effectively used for reaching out to more and more people. People connect more with a human on their screen rather than an image or text. 

Zoom, Skype, Google Hangouts, Microsoft – there are various options available. Meet people online and welcome people with the same warmth as you would express in an in-person meeting. Make them feel included in the conversation. 

If you are still thinking about the effectiveness of videos over descriptive content, remember 78% of people watch online videos every week and 55% view online videos every day. There is absolutely no good reason for not incorporating video into your marketing efforts. 

How can Energy Dais help?

For an industry that is well-recognized for its unpredictable environment, Energy Dais offers a sustainable platform. Being a digital B2B platform, Energy Dais is doing every bit to connect buyers and suppliers and keeping the stakeholders updated on relevant business opportunities. Apart from this, we also offer digital marketing solutions to position your brand in the global oil and gas community. 

We realize that the industry is not isolated from any kind of crisis – cultural, political, economic, or health. Adapting to the changing environment is the key for businesses to thrive and survive. 

Now is the time to get the most out of your digital marketing efforts. In the end, the overall results from a revised, retargeted strategy with a renewed focus at this time, will far outlast the corona pandemic. 

(The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Energy Dais.)