It’s no secret that the impact of Covid-19 on business has been felt globally. Businesses and brands have had to take drastic action to keep afloat in these unprecedented times. But with some forward planning and a change in strategy, you can ensure the safeguarding of your business throughout this period. 

One vertical we’ll focus on is eCommerce.

Ecommerce presents an interesting case as it should technically provide the best-case scenario for advertisers and marketers: everyone is at home with lots of time, sat with multiple devices, logged on to their social media channels, and browsing online shopping sites. 

BUT because of the uncertainty of the current situation, spending and purchasing behaviours have switched dramatically. 

So what can be done with eCommerce and advertising on social media, with a short, mid and long-term view?

Reviewing customer experience trends, we can see in the short-term the impact and changes that have occurred. With limitations, and in some countries a ban, on venturing to the local shops (not to mention the closing of some stores) more people are turning to eCommerce to minimise physical contact, as well as store closures driving traffic online.  With this comes a supply chain and delivery issue - with such an increase in demand and restrictions, these areas are struggling. 

With a longer-term view, this online activity, together with a new way of living and working,  will drive faster adoption of eCommerce shopping habits. Consumers will factor in time to browse online more often and be presented with more opportunities to purchase through ads across social media. 

With this comes a new level of expectation. Consumers are beginning to be more understanding of the impact on industries and therefore are becoming more lenient and flexibility is prevailing, but increased demand for expeditious and clear information is evolving to be the new norm. 

The implications of these new trends on businesses are becoming clearer. With new and uncertain purchasing patterns, businesses must be reactive. In the short term, by adjusting inventory levels in real-time where possible can alleviate the stresses of fewer or more sales. With this in mind, if you’re able to identify bottlenecks within the purchase fulfilment process, onboard new suppliers to assist with this if even on an ad-hoc basis. 

Clear and concise information must regularly be conveyed to the consumer, Whether this is about the state of the business or an update on stock or delivery options, it’s all very important for the consumer as it allows them the build trust with your brand. Likewise, on your Facebook page, manage users expectations by amending your delivery speed, safeguard yourself from negative feedback on Post Purchase Experience survey scores. 

Where you can, offer discount/family/multi-pack bundles. This will appease those with larger families and those with a tendency to buy in those volumes. 

If your products have a shelf-life, highlight the fact some products have longer shelf-lives which will more likely appeal to the ‘stock-up’ mentality. This mentality also lends itself well with ‘pre-order’ promotions, consider these for when the end of the outbreak looks likely as people will be looking to get back to normal life.

With a longer-term view, consider how your business will deal with the end of the outbreak. Make sure to have a review of your production planning with a view of increased demand when societies are given the all-clear and consumers resume with business as usual, a.k.a. Spending money.

With your supply chain, work on implementing and improving visibility on your supply origins and ensure you have traceability embedded in contracts. Now that this has happened once, new contingency plans will have to be drawn up, segmented by crisis type, you can pre-approve protocol to limit damage to the business in the future.

As many businesses have adapted by having a last-minute product shuffle, safeguard against this by improving and increasing your product mix. 

All of the above then needs to be translated across marketing efforts. While some consumers feel like they shouldn’t be advertised to, there are still a number of approaches marketers can adopt to maintain a brand connection with the consumer building rapport and affinity in the short term. 

Keeping top of mind will be a valuable approach for many. Utilising standalone instream campaigns, as we see more users consuming various formats and media, ensures that we are more likely to reach consumers wherever they are. 

Creating poll ads adds a level of interaction but also can provide valuable feedback, enhancing the understanding of a consumer’s preferences enabling you to build better quality ads and campaigns that are more likely to resonate with them, saving you money on your ad spend. 

Live-streams have become very popular in the last few days. These can be created from the comfort of one’s own home but can be viewed by millions. This helps with engaging your audience during these relatively dull times. 

As previously mentioned, consider running ‘pre-order’ promotions across campaigns if stock is low for popular items. This ensures a steadier stream of sales when stock is low or out. 

When addressing the consumer’s needs, if you sell or stock health care products consider running conversion campaigns to promote these products together with remarketing campaigns to those who have bought health care products and therefore more likely to buy from a dynamic ad showing a variety of related products. 

Simple customer care and maintenance will be crucial in the long run. Using Messenger to keep your customers engaged will be crucial for brand recognition and affinity. Unifying your efforts to push your brand during these times would definitely be a pragmatic move if, after all, you don’t make many sales your brand will be remembered and the sales will come. 

Don’t forget, you shouldn’t stop running your BAU ads though! However, these should be reactive, keep your ear close to the ground and react accordingly to any positive development that can positively affect your business and ultimately the consumer. 

So, take that all in and experiment with a few new approaches. This current situation is unprecedented and a test and learn approach would be the best way forward to find the right route for you and your business or clients. 

Stay safe and wash your hands. 

To learn more about Safeguarding eCommerce, Get in contact today.