Whether you're a home improvement store still open to serve contractor needs, a restaurant finding creative ways to serve new and existing customers or a retailer at the local mall that's closed and has no idea when they will re-open, there are ways you can continue marketing without the traditional marketing tactics.
According to the American Marketing Association, marketing is the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners and society at large.
The definition - in its simplest form - doesn't reflect time frames, platforms or requirements - it's simply the actions you take, the process you follow and the value you provide to others.
That means that marketing can be any action that is helpful and and timely given a situation.
Here are 5 ways you can help and stay relevant at the same time:
Offer something of value but for a limited time offer a discount or for free (state if it's for a limited time).
If you serve the elderly, offer to deliver to them or create special hours for them to visit you.
Volunteer time in your community helping neighbors or anyone living alone (a friendly stop-by and staying 6-feet apartment to have a conversation goes a long way when you are literally alone 24/7)
Offer to help parents who have a lot of change working from home and managing their younger children with online schooling - offer to help in the yard, to bring them groceries or send over a 6-pack of beer or a pitcher of margarita (if they drink alcohol that will be the 5 star treatment they need!)
Browse social media and look for other businesses in your local community who are struggling and find ways to help them with people resources or offer your strengths to keep their business operational).
The list of ways you can help is endless. Browsing social media will give you all kinds of ideas you can do.
You and your team (if they are doing the same thing) will be seen as collaborators, helpers and givers that you will be remembered in the long term.
And it's likely to come back and help you when you need it after the Coronavirus pandemic is behind us or when you need it most.
Vicki O'Neill is a fractional CMO in Ohio with over 20 years of marketing leadership experience. She's the founder of KenKay Marketing, a marketing solutions company founded in 2011. Vicki hosts Connect the Dots a marketing and sales educational podcast for entrepreneurs and businesses of all sizes. She recently launched a new podcast with her Gen Z daughters, The Power of 3X, to help individuals who want to learn about the youngest generation. You will find Vicki on most social media platforms but you'll find her mostly on LinkedIn and Twitter.