It’s real, and it’s here. What started as a single case in a faraway province in China is now a worldwide pandemic with unpredictable implications both for people and for businesses. The COVID-19 outbreak gave birth to a virus, more dangerous and a lot scarier than the flu itself – mass panic and corporate greed. It also gave birth to unexpected acts of kindness and people looking to make money on digital marketing.
Now, we all know who loses in this pandemic, but let’s look at who can win and the role of digital content in this whole thing.
Let’s Get Entrepreneurial
Digital Marketing can’t catch viruses
As digital marketers during a time of crisis, we all do one thing, and some of us do it well.
We create bandwagons, so we can ride them.
Coronavirus didn’t do it. Ebola didn’t do it. The Spanish Flu didn’t do it. We make the hashtags, we spread the viral images, we create a market out of a tragedy. And, for a long time, I felt bad about it. I felt like it’s unfair, inhuman, and cold. And then, I looked around at the people at home, scrolling through their feed, looking for things that raise their eyebrows and make them tweet, Instagram, and share opinions.
We create a market that consumers are willing to join and pay for. Why? Because of FOMO.
Those stuck at home are dying to get news of the outside world, even if they are a bit dramatized, somewhat untrue, and fairly exaggerated. So, if there’s demand, there should be supply. Hire content writers or commission your content writing agency to research trending topics, blog about them, social media them, and basically join the COVID-19 bandwagon.
No matter if you are an e-commerce store, a web design team, a business consultant, an innovative startup, or an aspiring entrepreneur, coronavirus content won’t hurt your platform.
If everyone wants to talk about it, why not join the conversation?
It’s Not About Fake News, It’s About Joining the Conversation
Don’t be just another Trump
My dad always says, “speak when you have something to say.” In terms of coronavirus, I believe there are 4 meaningful ways to join the COVID-19 conversation:
- Share positive news about the outbreak. It can be people who’ve recovered; those trendy videos of quarantined Italians singing from their balconies; acts of kindness and charity campaigns.
- Show what you’re doing during the pandemic. Are you working from home? How has the outbreak affected you and your business? Do you enjoy quarantine life? Etc.
- Ask questions. Ask for opinions. Tap into what people would like to share. It can be a meme contest; creative ways to have fun when you’re locked at home; what people are cooking/eating – there is hardly a bad question to ask.
- Blog about the important news and facts related to your industry/business and the outbreak. Whoever is writing the blogs for your website should expand your focus to cover the COVID-19 topic. If you don’t have a blog, I know a pretty cool content writing agency that can help, wink wink. Don’t spam people with too much virus talk though, one or two meaningful posts are enough. There’s no need to go crazy and post just any content.
Instead of a conclusion, I’d like to follow my own advice and share something I think will be useful to a lot of people. It’s a sober look on isolation from a retired NASA astronaut who spent a year on the International Space Station without ever meeting the outside world. Give it a read especially if you have trouble digesting quarantine life.
Catch you later, quaranti-gators. And until then, let’s raise some eyebrows.
Till next time,
T.
