Who could’ve thought that the Pandemic as bad as the Covid-19 is going to impact so many lives in just a blink? But guess what, in over a couple of months the entire world is engulfed by it. 

Sadly, the death toll has crossed over 60,000 as of now while I am writing this article. 

While the world is taking every precautionary measure to combat this menace and taking possible steps to self-isolate themselves so they don’t spread the virus, the UAE is also taking every drastic measure to ensure the security of its citizens. The public health authority is urged to work on the safety of its citizens, visitors, & residents by providing them with adequate healthcare whenever and wherever they need it. They are deploying extensive preventive measures to protect the public health in accordance with the set guidelines set by the World Health Organization’s rules & regulations.

In the wake of this debacle, many people are instructed to stay indoors whereas the world observes a total lockdown. At times as such, many digital marketing experts are struggling to work as well. 

Whether you’re a business owner yourself or you’re working as a SEO expert Dubai, you might be wondering what steps can one take to safeguard their business. Because believe it or not, this lockdown isn’t going to be there forever, yet you want to stay on the map to help others, don’t you?

Here are 6 digital marketing strategies one must follow amid the COVID – 19 Pandemic Outbreak. 

Things You Need to Follow During this Pandemic

But first things first, I want to say that Branex cares about you just as much as your government do.  

1. Use hand sanitizer (with at least 60% alcohol) if soap and water is unavailable
2. Avoid close contact with people who are sick
3. Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds
4. Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue or the inside of your elbow
5. Avoid touching your faces, especially your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands
6. Clean and disinfect frequently-used surfaces.
7. Stay home if you are unwell.

Because after all, it’s not just your lives at stake here, but all the countless others around you.

Here are a few steps that you need to take so they may complement your SEO practices. 

Update Your Google My Business

Just imagine how negatively is it going to impact on the image of your business, if your business is shown opened during the COVID-19 outbreak and someone visits to shop only to find it closed! 

Here’s something that can have quite a negative impact on your business presence. 

One of the foremost things you need to do during the pandemic outbreak is to update your Google My Business profile irrespective of the fact whether you are going to your business place or not. 

Sundar Pichai, CEO at Google, has already announced that they will soon be launching a feature that will allow businesses to easily mark themselves as “temporarily closed” using Google My Business.

At one of the occasions, he said:

“In the coming days, we’ll make it possible for businesses to easily mark themselves as ‘temporarily closed’ using Google My Business.”

For further details, you can check the article published by Search Engine Land on GMB (in COVID-19)

For now, the only way of doing so is to contact them personally through their GMB support service. 

Google currently urges all business owners across the globe to follow specific guidelines on how to update their business information. Interested to learn how to do it, check out Google Support.

While you’re updating your Google My Business, I would like to advise that there are two practices that you shouldn’t follow. The first one is not to change your listing name to show you’re temporarily closed as it will be represented as your business title on the MAP. Nobody would come to your place if your business listing name has “temporarily closed” written all over it. And the second one is to set your listings to “Permanently Closed” as at some point in time amid the outbreak, you will have to open it. And lastly, do not forget to update on your new opening hours amid the coronavirus outbreak. 

Answer Questions in Your Community Amid the COVID-19 Fear

Right now, people are scared and all they want is your support and awareness which they can get. If you are a business serving in the UAE, it is your responsibility to keep your audience properly acknowledged. As a brand operating in the UAE sector, it is your responsibility to make sure you guide your people in the right direction so they don’t eventually end up taking the wrong steps and fall ill. 

There are several questions that come to an individual’s mind during the pandemic outbreak. 

• If I get COVID 19 what will be my symptoms?
• Should I get a COVID-19 test done? 
• Should I go and check my primary care doctor, or should I visit the hospital if I am showing symptoms? 
• Am I showing minor symptoms? If yes, then who should I consult with and when? 
• If I got COVID-19 then what is the right time to visit the hospital? 
• What is the best way to stay safe from getting infected? 
• Should I consider contacting a telemedicine helpline to guide me if I show symptoms?
• Are their hospitals in my area that can help me combat the COVID-19? 
• Are there any details that I should know regarding the COVID-19 and its impact on health?
• If I have COVID-19 can I keep others safe from getting infected through me? 
• How will I learn that I am infected and what are the risks of transmitting my infection? 

By answering these few questions, you can definitely help out others by creating a common awareness. At times as such, people everywhere have many questions and if you as a brand can help them find answers then why not! They will always remember you because you were there to assist. 

Lastly, Work on Your Ad Campaigns

So amid, the fear it is highly important your customers should know that you’re open even at this grave hour. If you’re afraid that you are unable to advertise your product/service among your target audience, the best way to send your message is through running Google Ad campaigns. Believe it or not, but it’s one of the best ways to reach your desired target audience. 

If you’re not quite sure whether you should use Google to run your ad campaigns or not, you can always try Facebook. It will help you reach the desired target audience on your favourite social media. 

Amid the COVID-19, there’s no denying the fact that the world will observe a drop in the demands of certain product/services. But at the same time, there will definitely be a demand increase for certain other types of product/services. Businesses can urge others to invest their budgets in online advertising and focus on pushing forward discounts and supporting their sales team. All you have to do is focus on maintaining the inventory and pushing the word out, let your sales team do the talking. 

So here are a few handfuls of digital marketing strategies which we can focus amid the covid-19. Do you have some more interesting digital marketing strategies that you want to share? Leave comment.