Why the lockdown is the right time to get your content marketing on point

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In just a few weeks the coronavirus crisis has thrown the economic situation of many enterprises into complete and utter confusion, wrecking well-established marketing strategies along the way. Search Engine Optimisation is a serious alternative for keeping your head above the water. Better yet, content strategies seem to have become the new priorities for many a marketeer. Why? Which contents should you put urgently in place to start the digital roll out for your enterprise during confinement?

Content strategies on the up according to Sortlist

According to the latest Sortlist Covid-19 barometer demand in content strategy has experienced a genuine boom among agencies in Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Germany and Spain. More than 45% of additional projects in just a few weeks!

There is also a marked increase in demands for web applications, PRs, digital strategies, web site creation, social media and e-commerce.

(Source: Sortlist)

Why this interest in content marketing?

Digital, the only way to stay in contact with the outside world

First, the closing of physical shops and confinement have made offline sales impossible. So consumers are now turning to e-commerce and delivery to cover their needs. Having an online sales site has thus become vital for minimising the financial losses as far as possible.

We then observe that, with the lockdown, screen time has greatly increased. Consumers are making increased use of the NET. They are consuming much more digital content. Since demand is exploding, it is imperative to be able to respond by showing your online presence.

This sharp upturn in online searches for certain requests is clearly visible. Thus, if we take the trend for “bread maker” in Google Trends, we note an impressive increase since mid-March:

Even more impressive with “homemade bread”:

Or again, “online shopping”:

And “online games”:

The advantages of content marketing

However, despite the rising power of digital, the Sortlist barometer is without appeal: digital publicity projects have followed a steep downward trend. In fact, enterprises are reluctant to invest in online advertising campaigns without having a minimum of control on their ROI. So, if internet users are consuming much more web content than before, why not satisfy that demand by producing your own content?

One of the main strategies of content marketing is the management of hot content. The current situation with Covid-19 is the perfect example. You have to inform your clients and prospects rapidly of all exceptional measures taken by your enterprise and of any possible promotions or adapted timetables. They are searching for all kinds of information online and you must be able to reach them as quickly as possible, ahead of your competitors.

But why create content if my activity is put on stand-by? Because you meet the needs of internet users. You can benefit from this relative calm to focus on the essential: improving your client relations. Nothing better for this than to offer some suggestions for better cooking, playing sports, leisure activity ideas, making stuff at home… Anything in any way connected with your sector of activity and of possible use to them in these times of confinement. Helping them through this stage will consolidate your relation. And we suspect that it will also get you various benefits when this all blows over.

A final point: content strategies are long-term strategies. If your contents can already meet certain current needs, they will also grow stronger in the course of time. In the digital world popularity and authority are key notions. Publishing content today will help you to generate more links and shares to reinforce them and make them even more versatile once your activity gets back up and running again. You will be ready ahead of your competitors.

Going for content marketing in these times of lockdown means trusting to the future and getting ready for tomorrow. It’s also a demonstration of flexibility and the ability to adapt to the new economic issues so as to be ready today if the functioning of our society should happen to change once and for all tomorrow.

 

Universem supports you

At Universem we believe in the benefits of content marketing. We have developed our range so as to satisfy your requirements in the best way possible. Our experts are ready to guide and support you:

  • to define the searches used online by your clients and prospects through a semantic analysis;
  • to devise your own content marketing strategy, combining your editorial charter, your personas and a content timetable;
  • to edit your contents and make them more effective, for your readers and the search engines;
  • to optimise your web contents so as to handle all the big issues of SEO;
  • to take stock of your existing contents in order to benefit from your earlier content strategies.

Do you want more information about our content marketing offer?

Our SEO experts are happy to support you.