Content marketing tips during COVID-19

It’s a bit of an understatement to say the last year has been a tough one for businesses. The pandemic has meant that most businesses have had to change the way they operate and this includes their approach to marketing.

Content marketing is a vital part of any business’ organic strategy but how do you make sure you’re hitting the right tone during a global pandemic? If you’re unsure of how to approach your content this year, here are 4 tips to consider…

1. Plan with flexibility in mind

With government guidelines changing constantly, and sometimes by the hour, it can be hard to keep up with who is in what tier, who is allowed to do what and whether businesses are open or not. This means that it’s quite difficult to plan and schedule your content in advance as one press conference from the Prime Minister can render it all irrelevant. Our advice is to plan as much as you can but be mindful that things could change. Check any scheduled social posts or blogs to ensure that they’re still relevant and not insensitive to any breaking news. Anything that needs to be scrapped can always be saved for later.

2. Think both long and short-term

It might feel like we’ll never go back to any form of normality, but things will get better, and you need to keep that in mind. It’s important to keep on top of your long-term SEO and content strategy so you don’t find yourself lagging behind when things do get back to normal. But you also need to adapt to changes in the short-term to reflect the current state of things. This will allow you to cover both bases with your content marketing strategy.

3. Strike the right balance between promotional and informational content

This is something we’d suggest whether there was a global pandemic or not. Too often brands focus on self-promotional content which people can find difficult to engage with, and during COVID-19 it could appear a little insensitive. Instead, produce content that has value, is helpful and serves a purpose. This type of content is great for SEO, but also converts the best and is the type of content people engage with most.

4. Keep in mind your audience’s wants and needs

Throughout the pandemic the way we live has changed dramatically, which has meant our needs have changed in terms of what we’re looking for from businesses. So naturally, your content should reflect that. Do some digging and find out how your audience’s behaviour has changed and adapt your content accordingly. For example, Google released some insights into new consumer trends and behaviours that have emerged throughout the pandemic that was extremely helpful.