Marketing During COVID-19

April 8, 2020

Marketing Projects & Opportunities During COVID-19

To help our clients and potentially other small to medium businesses, we’ve compiled a list of helpful resources for support and tasks to push through the drop in business and prepare for when this is over.

While you may be experiencing a decrease in business this is the time to stay the course and tackle all of those potentially impactful marketing tasks you’ve had on your back burner. People are still searching for products and services, there may not be as many searches but they are searching. It’s also time to start preparing your marketing strategy for when this is over.

MARKETING PROJECTS

Free- only costs your time
$- small investment
$$- medium investment
$$$- larger investment

Google Ad Credits for Small To Medium Businesses – Free

  • Small to medium businesses who have been active advertisers since the beginning of 2019 will see a credit notification appear in their Google Ads account in the coming months.
  • Start planning for your Google Ads marketing goals and how you can improve upon your previous success.
  • https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/9803410?hl=en
  • Call Third Marble or visit our website to see how we can help with managing your Google Ads and improving your results.

Google My Business (GMB) – Free

  • Keep your hours or alternative ways to do business with you up to date and correct.
  • Google isn’t allowing access to reply to reviews but, calling past clients and letting them know by leaving a positive review will help your business survive in the future. Google might post them later and you’ll have reviews ready to roll!
  • Stay active by adding images and posts about your business.
  • Your customers are still looking for information on your business during this time. Be sure to keep them updated on how they can help support your business during this time.

Website – $-$$$

  • Move your website to a faster platform to improve your page download speeds ( TEST YOUR WEB PAGE SPEED HERE – mobile page 50 or higher)
  • Add more content about your services or products – you have the time, improve your websites ability to convert by providing quality content about your services/products.
  • Update your website to include strong, internet friendly calls to action (“Call Now,” “Get A Quote Now”) or change your call to action if you have changed the way you do business. ( “Call for carry Out Orders,” “Purchase A Gift Certificate,” “Click For Discounted Service/Products”)
  • Update your website. Outdated websites will need to be updated to compete on the internet for the future – even some services that previously required very little internet presence.
  • Opportune time to – Updating with fresh content. Optimizing with new CTAs and keywords. Adding internal links to new products/services pages. Re-promoting when business picks up again.
  • Need help with updating your website? Call Third Marble and we can help you find the web developer that’s right for your project!

SEO – Organic Placement Through Search Engine Optimization – $-$$

  • Invest in SEO now to grab market share when things stabilize and folks start looking for your services or products.
  • When Google knows someone is searching with “local intent”, ie. they are most likely looking for a local business, Google looks at your “Local SEO Signals”. An SEO signal is simply something that Google can find online about your business or website, measure it and use it in their algorithm.
  • Call Third Marble or visit our website to see how we can help you with your Local or National SEO efforts – https://thirdmarblemarketing.com/search-engine-optimization-richmond-va/

Marketing Ideas & Tools

Update on how your processes are changing to still provide services or products via social media, Google My Business, and your website. Folks are still searching and they are researching how to support their favorite local businesses during this time. Make sure you are providing updated information and communicating with your customers.

Online Gift Certificates

Set up a process to sell gift certificates for future services to your loyal clients. This is particularly beneficial for beauty salons, massage services, barbers, personal trainers, and other businesses that people will be eager to visit when this is over.

Pre-Order Discounts

Offer discounts for pre-ordering/pre-booking and paying in advance for services. This helps keep cash flow coming into the business and ensuring your employees have work lined up for when things return to the new normal. This is particularly beneficial for power washers, lawn care services, and other home improvement work.

Get Creative With Digital Products & Delivery

Now that many folks are spending more time at home, is there an opportunity for you to provide your services digitally? For example:

  • If you’re a dog kennel or trainer can you provide dog training services by video chat?
  • If you’re a personal trainer or gym can you coach at home workouts by video chat or upload video works outs via a platform only your clients can access?
  • If you’re a private practice doctor you can use Telehealth, a HIPAA Compliant to meet with your patients virtually and safely. ( https://business.amwell.com/ , https://teladochealth.com/https://www.mdlive.com/ )

Think about how you can get creative with delivering your products to your clients safely. If it’s shipping them their products via the mail or a contact free and sanitized personal delivery to their doorstep, your clients will remember the lengths you went to get them the products they love.

We Hope This Helps!

Our mission as a company continues to be a support service for local businesses and economies. We have created additional options to help our clients bounce back as quickly as possible when things settle. When things do settle, you’ll want to get ahead of your competitors to grab market share by coming back with an aggressive marketing budget. For now, the clicks are significantly cheaper because there is less competition in Google Ads. People are still searching for services and you can win those clicks potentially at a significant discount. We are here for your company and ready to support you in any way we can. Call Third Marble and our team will work to get you more market share now and when all this is over. Stay safe and healthy!

 

VISIT OUR WEBSITE TO SEE HOW THIRD MARBLE CAN HELP YOUR BUSINESS TODAY

By Alex Huibsch April 2, 2025
In the digital age, brand voice consistency is key to building a strong, recognizable brand. Whether your business engages customers through social media, blog posts, or customer service interactions, maintaining a consistent tone and messaging across all platforms is crucial for brand identity and trust. Here are some practical strategies to ensure your brand voice remains consistent everywhere your audience interacts with you. 1. Define Your Brand Voice Before you can ensure consistency, you need to define your brand voice. A brand voice is the personality and tone you convey through your content. It reflects your business values, culture, and mission. For example, is your brand voice professional, friendly, humorous, or authoritative? To define your brand voice, consider the following: Core Values: What principles guide your company? Are you about innovation, reliability, or creativity? Target Audience: Who are you speaking to? A brand targeting Gen Z might have a casual, witty tone, while a brand targeting professionals might lean towards a more formal voice. Emotional Tone: What emotion do you want your audience to feel? Whether it’s excitement, reassurance, or motivation, your voice should reflect this. Once you’ve identified these elements, document them. Create a brand voice guide that outlines key phrases, vocabulary, and examples of how your voice should sound. This guide will serve as your compass, ensuring consistency across all platforms. 2. Create a Style Guide A style guide is essential for maintaining consistency, especially as your business grows and more people get involved in content creation. Your style guide should cover: Tone and Language: Specify the tone and style of communication for each platform. For example, social media might be more casual and conversational, while blog posts could be more informative. Grammar and Punctuation: Consistency in punctuation (e.g., using the Oxford comma ) and grammar rules can greatly affect how professional your brand appears. Imagery and Design: While voice is primarily about language, the visuals that accompany your message should also align with your tone. Whether you use bright, playful colors or more minimalist, subdued hues, your design should reflect your voice. Having a comprehensive style guide means anyone creating content on behalf of your brand knows exactly how to communicate. 3. Train Your Team Your entire team must understand and embrace your brand voice. Whether it’s your marketing department, customer service team, or content creators, everyone needs to be on the same page. To keep your brand voice consistent across platforms, provide your team with resources like: Workshops and Training: Hold regular sessions to reinforce your brand's messaging and tone. This could include writing exercises, social media role-playing, or reviewing successful brand campaigns. Ongoing Feedback: Offer constructive feedback on content to ensure it aligns with your voice. Whether it's through content reviews or monthly meetings, consistently check in with your team. Remember, keep your brand voice flexible enough to adapt to different contexts (like more serious tones during a crisis) but consistent in core elements, such as clarity and empathy. 4. Understand Platform Nuances Each platform has its audience and unique characteristics, but your brand voice should remain consistent across all of them. Here’s how to tailor your brand voice while keeping it unified: Social Media: Social platforms are usually informal and fast-paced. You can use humor, emojis, and casual language to connect with your audience. Blog Posts: Blogs are a great place to showcase your brand’s expertise. Use a more polished, informative tone, but still keep it in line with your brand voice. A friendly, approachable tone can make your content more relatable. Customer Service Interactions: Whether it’s over chat, email, or phone, your customer service team must embody your brand’s tone. For example, if your brand is known for being friendly, ensure that your team’s responses reflect that particular attitude even when dealing with complaints or difficult customers. Being aware of platform differences helps you maintain a unified message while tailoring your approach to fit the environment. 5. Use Automation Tools Wisely As your business scales, automation tools can be lifesavers in maintaining consistency. However, it’s important not to let automation become robotic. Use tools like social media schedulers or CRM software to streamline communication, but always ensure that the voice feels human and genuine. When using automated responses (especially in customer service), incorporate your brand voice into the script. Use friendly, helpful, and personalized language, and be mindful of how these responses will be perceived. 6. Monitor and Adapt Consistency doesn’t mean rigidity. Regularly monitor the performance of your content across different platforms to ensure your message is resonating with your audience. Use analytics and feedback to gauge how well your brand voice is being received. For example: Social Media Analytics: Track engagement rates to see how your voice is performing on each platform. Customer Feedback: Pay attention to how customers respond to your tone in service interactions. If your voice is too formal or too casual, it may not align with their expectations. Adjust your approach as needed, but always stay true to the core values of your brand. 7. Keep It Authentic Above all, your brand voice must feel authentic. In today’s digital landscape, customers can spot inauthenticity a mile away. Your voice should reflect the real values and personality of your company. Whether you’re posting on Twitter, writing a blog, or answering a customer service question, staying true to your brand will help build trust and loyalty. Final Thoughts A consistent brand voice is essential for creating a cohesive customer experience and fostering brand loyalty. By defining your voice, creating a style guide, training your team, and adapting to platform nuances, you can ensure your messaging is clear and unified. Remember, authenticity is key. Be sure to stay true to your brand’s values and always communicate with your audience in a way that resonates with them. Ready to Strengthen Your Brand Voice Across All Platforms? Struggling to find time for content creation while managing your business? At Third Marble Marketing , we specialize in writing clear, consistent, and compelling content that resonates with your audience. Whether you need engaging copy on your web pages or informative blog posts, we’re here to help! Our Content Writing Services are designed to enhance your SEO while staying true to your brand’s core values. We ensure consistency in tone and messaging across all platforms, creating a cohesive brand experience that fosters trust, increases engagement, and drives success. Contact Third Marble Marketing today to learn more about how our content writing services can elevate your brand voice and consistency!
By Alex Huibsch March 26, 2025
Step-by-Step Guide to Optimizing Your Google Business Profile:
By Alex Huibsch March 10, 2025
Which One Do I Need? When it comes to driving traffic to your website, you’ve likely heard the terms SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and PPC (Pay-Per-Click). Both are essential digital marketing strategies, but they serve different purposes. So, how do you determine which one is the right fit for your business? The truth is that SEO and PPC work best when used together, but understanding their differences will help you decide where to focus your efforts based on your goals and budget. Let’s take a closer look. What is SEO? SEO focuses on improving your website’s visibility in organic search results. This involves optimizing your website’s content, structure, and technical elements to rank higher on search engines like Google in the organic section of the Search Results Page. Some key components of SEO include: Keyword Optimization : Identifying and using relevant keywords in title tags, meta descriptions, alt tags, and onsite copy to attract the right audience. High-Quality Content : Creating valuable, authoritative, and informative content that appeals to users and search engines. Technical SEO : Improving site speed, mobile-friendliness, and security to enhance user experience. Backlink Building : Earning links from reputable websites to increase domain authority. Benefits of SEO Builds Long-Term Organic Traffic : Once your website ranks well, you can enjoy a steady stream of visitors without ongoing ad spend. More Cost-Effective Over Time : While SEO requires an upfront investment in content and optimization, it becomes more affordable as your rankings improve. Boosts Credibility and Trust : Appearing in organic search results gives your business more authority in your industry. What is PPC? PPC is a paid advertising strategy where businesses bid on keywords to appear in sponsored search results. Every time a user clicks on your ad, you pay a fee. Google Ads is the most popular PPC platform, allowing businesses to target specific demographics, locations, and search queries. Benefits of PPC Delivers Instant Traffic : PPC generates immediate site visitors, whereas SEO results are not immediate. Highly Targeted : You can reach specific audiences based on keywords, location, demographics, and even online behavior. Measurable Results : PPC provides detailed analytics, allowing you to track performance and adjust campaigns for better ROI. Scalable: Depending on your immediate business needs, you can increase and decrease your budget, and therefore the number of leads and sales you get each month from PPC. SEO is not that nimble. Setting Realistic Expectations: SEO is a Marathon, PPC is a Sprint When deciding between SEO and PPC, it’s important to set realistic expectations for results. Think of SEO as a marathon and PPC as a sprint. Both can get you to the finish line, but they work at different speeds and require different strategies. SEO: The Marathon Approach SEO takes time, just like training for a marathon. You won’t see results overnight, but with consistent effort, you’ll build momentum and endurance. Timeline Expectation: Months 1-3: Research, technical optimization, and content creation. During this period of time, expect little to no ranking improvements. Months 4-6: Gradual ranking improvements and some organic traffic growth. Months 6-12: Stronger rankings, increased traffic, and leads (provided ongoing effort continues). 1 Year & Beyond: Established rankings, steady organic traffic, and a strong foundation that requires maintenance, but not constant spending. The key takeaway is that SEO compounds over time. The more effort you put in early, the more rewards you reap later. PPC: The Sprint Approach PPC is like a sprint—you get results quickly, but you have to keep paying to stay ahead. If you stop running (funding your ads), the traffic stops too. Timeline Expectation: Week 1: Campaign setup, keyword research, and ad creation. Weeks 2-4: Ads go live, and traffic starts coming in immediately. Months 1-3: Performance optimization. This entails adjusting bids, refining targeting, and improving ad quality for better ROI. Ongoing: As long as you continue funding your ads, you’ll keep generating traffic and leads. PPC provides instant results, but costs can add up. Unlike SEO, which continues to bring traffic over time, PPC stops working the moment you turn off your ads. What’s the Right Strategy? Need leads now? Start with PPC. Want long-term sustainable growth? Invest in SEO. Want the best of both worlds? Run PPC while building your SEO strategy in the background. Understanding these timelines will help you manage expectations and make informed marketing decisions. In Closing All in all, SEO and PPC are not competitors. In fact, they complement each other. Investing in both strategies can maximize your visibility and help your business grow.  If you need help deciding where to start, contact Third Marble Marketing , and we’ll help you craft the perfect strategy for your goals and budget!
By Alex Huibsch March 5, 2025
Tips for Driving Engagement on a Budget
By Alex Huibsch February 13, 2025
Adapting to AI, Voice Search, and Google's Evolving Algorithms
By Alex Huibsch February 12, 2025
The Google Reviews Count Bug: A Worldwide Issue
October 10, 2024
Washington, DC Area Law Firm Wins Big
By Alex Huibsch October 3, 2024
One bad review can cast a long shadow online. It can deter potential customers and damage your reputation. But before you panic, there's good news! Google allows businesses to flag reviews that violate their policies, and with the right approach, you can get them removed. This email is your one-stop shop for reclaiming your online reputation. We'll walk you through the process step-by-step, including some extra tips to maximize your chances of success. Important: Remember, Google won't remove reviews simply because you disagree with them. They only remove reviews that violate their policies. You can find a full breakdown of Google's review policies for more information.
August 23, 2024
How Third Marble used Google Ads to increase three different HVAC businesses leads. Three case studies rolled into one!
By Alex Huibsch August 13, 2024
Are you looking to turn more website visitors into paying customers? You're not alone! Here at Third Marble Marketing, we've helped countless businesses achieve dramatic conversion increases. In this post, we'll share 9 powerful tips that can help you do the same.
More Posts