COVID-19 Action Plan for Automotive Marketing Agencies

Everything is subject to change. Change is the only constant thing in all contexts. The insane outbreak of Coronavirus has proved the statement again. One just can’t stick to the normal doings. Everybody has to adapt to the current scenario to be in the race. The same is with the business of automotive. You have to take the right actions to move ahead of the pack in your automotive digital marketing strategies.

We all know it is a challenging situation for the marketing team of all the businesses. It is time for planned campaigns as per the need of the hour. The onset of the lockdown due to COVID-19 will have a negative impact on the automotive industry. According to experts, there will be a loss of $1.5 to 2 bn per month. But we have to neglect all the negative news and work dedicatedly towards strengthening our brand even during the crisis. Here is an action plan for automotive digital marketing agencies to stay on the course.

1. 1. Switch To Empathetic Marketing During the Pandemic:

Emotions play a significant role in everybody’s life. We all should learn from leading brands how they use emotions to reach the customers’ heart and retain their brand image in their mind. Coronavirus is a crucial time. It might be the case that your prospected customers might be going through very tough situations. So, give them an empathetic shoulder. Show your concern to them as life insurance companies do.

1. 2. Long-Term Marketing Contingency Plans:

Coronavirus has launched one of the most uncertain times of one’s lifetime. It has changed the entire picture of how things will work. Nobody would be welcoming to the idea of letting you walk through the doors and shaking hands. So, you have to adapt digital marketing strategies for long-term focusing on biding your customers towards yourself. No other platform than social media is a good way. People are shifting to Facebook and LinkedIn Live. Strategize accordingly to keep them engaged. It will make you resilient to deal with any future crisis like COVID-19.

1. 3. Think Of People Safety:

More than 2 billion people are suffering from the adverse effects of COVID in terms of finances, as per the ILO report. Employees would look to their community, employers for guidance and helping hands. Adjusting to flexible work arrangements goes unsaid. Like in your business of automotive, focus on providing infection protections to the workers working on-site. You can also collaborate with municipal governments to develop a health system where you can track their movements over the last 14 days to prove that they haven’t visited any high-risk areas to prevent the spread of the deadly infection.

1. 4. Focus On Liquidity:

It is no strange that businesses will underperform throughout the duration of the COVID-19 crisis. Shifts in consumer demand, operational disruption are the outcomes we all have been facing. To address these challenges, maintain strict discipline on working capital especially around managing inventory build-up and collecting receivables. Don’t forget to maintain regular contact with suppliers in order to identify potential risks.

1. 5. Make Sure You Renegotiate:

The companies who would be open to renegotiating and monitor direct cost escalations and study their impact would blossom. Otherwise tough time would be difficult to come to an end for other companies. You should assess operational and financial risks and then respond accordingly. In simple words, monitor in-house vulnerabilities impacting their suppliers, customer, contractors and other alliance partners.

1. 6. Waste No Time:

Take it as an emergency call. You have to fill all the gaps and recover your losses. So, you can’t afford to waste even single second thinking that your competitors are also calm. You never know what marketing automotive strategies are going on in their minds. You have to take the leap.

How E-Commerce helps to an Effective Digital Marketing Strategy during Lockdown?

The past few months have been very tough for the entire world. The outbreak of coronavirus has put a halt in our regular lives. It is a first in a lifetime experience for most of the people going through it. Nobody has an imperative idea when things would get back to normal. So, uncertainty is all around. Nobody knows what to do. There is a big question mark applied to all the businesses and economies. It is a challenging time for business owners and marketers.

Dilemma All-Around

Brand marketers are flummoxed and under dilemma, how to take their automotive digital marketing campaign to the next level. The crisis has changed the entire scenario of business and marketing. When all the working professionals are working from home and there is a silent panic in everybody’s mind, getting back the normal working pace becomes crucial. This article will help you to carpe diem and pull up your socks to again jump on the battlefield with both your feet.

1. Stay Connected:

Not being connected is one of the common mistakes most of the brands would be making during the lockdown. Everybody is going through anxiety and stress during tough times. Nobody can go buy from the favorite brand, eat from their favorite eating joint. So, rather locking down all your automotive internet marketing, show some empathy to your customers. Stay connected with them. Because they will not react like “who is this,’ on a sudden day after things get back to normal. Social media is the only way you can connect with them. It is a powerful source to spread positivity, unity in the world.

2. Use Emotions Wisely:

You might have heard and learned that Emotions always win people’s hearts. Use them. But COVID-19 is not a marketing opportunity. You have to abide by certain principles of marketing. If you have a thought in your mind to get people’s attention to your business through coronavirus, then drop it right now. It is the last thing your business needs. You have to focus on how COVID-19 is affecting your customers.

One thing you can keep in mind that after the pandemic, people might prefer to travel in their vehicles rather than taking public transport. Self-serving should be a big no. So, your chances of an exponential rise in your sales are very strong. So, don’t hesitate to adjust your automotive internet marketing strategies. You can pitch like protect your family from a crisis like a coronavirus, drive safe, live safe.

3. Rely On Pay Per Click Marketing:

With 24 hours in hand, people have been spending most of their time in front of screens. You can utilize this opportunity to gain a competitive advantage and connect with customers. Many advertisers are offline during the lockdown. So, it is a golden chance to appear your brand in front of your customers and retain in their minds. As a result, they would remember and recognize a lot of important things about your services when required.

Competition is reduced. According to Thrive Senior PPC Jacob Wulff, there has been a decrease of 6% across all verticals. You can shape your automotive internet marketing with a reduced price on every click.

4. Take The Lead:

You have to stay ahead and jump in front of the competitors. You have to keep on fighting. It is the time when you can widen the margin. I have heard most of the people saying that they will continue their automotive dealership marketing and another digital marketing campaign after coronavirus normalizes. They think it would be a waste of time, energy and funds if they continue working during the lockdown. But it is the worst thing. Don’t halt an SEO campaign. Otherwise, revenue and leads will suffer. Rather than opening the laptop after a month or so and revive all the things again, be a first mover and surpass your competitors. Work on your loopholes, strengthen the cores of your brand and marketing strategies. It will help you improve your rankings and outrank competitors.

5. Time For A Special Offer:

It is a unique circumstance that can provide you opportunities. Here, you have the opportunity to show support for your customers. You can offer special discounts, keep your revenue flowing. Create a special offer by identifying your product-market. People are looking for discounts on the products and services they want. So, offer something lucrative to them and get their attention. It will also deviate their mind during these tough times.

6. Make Your Business Fluid:

From fluid, I mean you should connect with your customers more aggressively. You can brainstorm and look for different ways of offering your services and products to them. Revolve your marketing around giving the customer benefit when they stay at home to avoid the spread of coronavirus. They are consuming more digital information during the quarantine period. Offer them something which can influence them, like online classes to fix a tire. What to do when seeing a smokey engine in the mid of the road, etc. These strategies will help you scale and get more eyeballs towards your video lessons. If you need to practically do these in your garage, don’t hesitate.