Lockdown. Virus. Economic Downfall. These three things pretty much sum up the situation that the world has been witnessing for the past few weeks or months for some. We are all aware of the large scale impact of COVID-19. Name any sector, name any business, they have all taken a hit at some level or the other. But does it mean the world stops? We are stuck in a crisis but No! The world will keep moving forward. Being in a panic and hasty state can be considered pretty normal at this point. However, one should not ignore the gift of digitization that our generation has received.

We are thankful for digital technology, that it is not only entertaining people but is keeping the businesses alive and working. However, it is true that some businesses have definitely taken a hit and are facing adverse repercussions. But, every crisis can be managed when dealt with calmly and with a plan. So, if you too want to make your business stick through the hard times, just take a deep breath and read on to know some of the best Marketing Practices you can do during this crisis.

Pause and Assess
The first response that anybody would have when hit by a crisis is panic. It is like a reflex and very natural. But sometimes, when the crisis is beyond your control, the only option left is to stop for a while, look around, comprehend the entire situation and assess what is it that you can do?
Asking this question will lead you to do your research, thoroughly inspect the severity of the situation. We are in the middle of an outbreak, but let’s face it, the world won’t stop.Now it is the time when you can make the most out of your digital presence and believe us, pandemic or no pandemic, going all out digitally is never a bad decision.

Gather your team
When the assessment is done, it's time to take action. Bring your team together and brainstorm on building a well-grounded communication plan that will give you an incontestable upper hand on digital platforms. Your team must do a profound research to know where their audience is in this crisis? What are they looking for? How can you provide them with it?

Streamlining your communication is extremely important to understand what route you desire to opt for. Right now, your audience is looking for three things- entertainment, information, and inspiration. You have to come up with a communication strategy or a marketing plan that suits your choice of positioning.

You can explore all ways of communication and experiment with different digital platforms. All the options are open to you- collaborations, online marketing, PR marketing, interactive sessions or challenges, people are locked in their houses and they are up for anything that keeps them going through this hard time.



Steer away from false information
As mentioned before, panic is the first reflex during any crisis and it is not applicable to just businesses but also the general public coming from all nooks and corners of the world. And with so many misleading facts flying from all sides, you have to make sure that you don’t fall from those and ensure that your audience ceases to fall prey to it.

Digitization is a boon that comes with its own drawbacks and one of them is that people inattentively hit the share button on their devices without anticipating the outcome. Misleading information at a time like this can only fuel the panic and might also hit businesses.

The perfect example of this would be the false news that spread at the inception of the Coronavirus which stated that Corona beer can cause this virus. It sure wasn’t true but people panicked so much that sales of the beer were hit in one fell swoop.

Find alternatives
For a business, it is essential to always have backups and for something as unforeseen as a pandemic, it is important to keep looking for alternatives. For instance, due to the outbreak, a lot of events got canceled. But eventually, they found an alternative and started hosting virtual events.

Options are not available just digitally but also offline. A great example would be how some liquor companies and perfume brands started manufacturing hand sanitizers. They saw it was the need of the hour and turned it in their favor. Also, it's very admirable that these brands are offering to help health workers and hospitals by providing sanitizers at no cost or low cost.

We are in the middle of a pandemic where everybody is affected equally. And while you are doing something to make a difference for your business, you should also contribute to society if you can.

Remember that everything that you do now will come back to you when all this is over, either in the form of revenue or gratitude. You know your business better than anybody else and you know what’s best for it. At this time of distress, if you are attentive and active enough you can absolutely turn the odds in your favor.