The Eight Most Important Initiatives to Implement During an Emergency The Eight Most Important Initiatives to Implement During an Emergency

A marketing crisis today is significantly different from historical crises due to the speed at which (and where) information travels. Most businesses will knee-jerk react by pausing all marketing efforts and budgets. This is the opposite of what you should be doing within your marketing and communications.

In addition to reading this article, I recommend downloading my e-book, The Emergency Business Response, which covers the whole scope of managing your business during unprecedented times, available here: www.cardoneventures.com/emergency. You can also check out my recent updates on Instagram @brandonmdawson.

As you reset, start allocating and optimizing funds. Adapt approaches to your marketing strategies to connect with clients with greater intention. Lastly, keep in mind these eight important initiatives when deciding how to pivot during a crisis.

Activate start-up mode mentality.

Get back to basics. Pause all automation and launch into a reverse marketing cycle, using retention first, as you super serve your loyal client base. Focus on keeping your loyal customers, not on attracting new ones.

Communicate often and clearly with your current and potential clients on all platforms.

It is likely your customers are watching your every move. What you do now will be reflected on the future of your business. Remember to add value with every message and touchpoint.

Be you.

Stick to your brand house look and feel, voice and tone. Don't let the pressure morph you into an inauthentic version of your brand. Your clients expect you to maintain the course; in fact, authenticity goes a long way. People value normalcy during a crisis.

Don't report.

If this is a national or global crisis, keep in mind that your brand is not the Washington Post, CNN, or FOX. Stop regurgitating content/news that doesn't pertain to why your consumers trust you in the first place.

Daily marketing audits are a must.

Don't rely on the typical reporting schedule to optimize your plan. This is the time to start a weekly, daily, and hourly check-in. Speed is a necessity.

Reset your goals.

Take an in-depth look into the performance of past efforts. A close look will definitely indicate if there is a real need to refresh any of the marketing materials produced in the past.

Measure your progress.

The major advantage of digital marketing, besides the fact that it does not require face-to-face interaction, is that it is measurable. Marketers can quite easily obtain a good picture of their spending return on investment (ROI) and a clear idea of which activities generate the highest number of quality leads and at what expense.

Revisit your brand's vision.

Owners often complain that they have no time to update their websites, social, content, and overall marketing efforts because of their workload. With more time on your hands during a forced shift in the norm, this is exactly the time to revisit your brand's efforts and make sure that your company is well represented.

Emergencies allow you to assess your weaknesses so you never have to go back. Use this time to reassess and fortify. Evaluate weak points and determine what isn't working, so in the future, you can do it differently and more effectively.

Will they say the stress and pressure of challenge drove you underground? Or will they say you rose above—innovating, leading, and looking within— to secure a greater future for yourself and those around you?

Would you like a way to hold yourself accountable to these standards? If so, I recommend signing up for the Crushing COVID Mentor Group program. For $47, you'll get nine training videos, four weeks of recorded coaching calls, and 10 self-guided worksheets, available immediately. Visit www.cardoneventures.com/mentor for more information about the program.

To learn more about how Cardone Ventures can help your business, visit www.cardoneventures.com.

Follow Brandon Dawson on Instagram @brandonmdawson.