A lot of designers are asking, how do I embrace marketing during this pandemic? Everyone has found themselves walking a tightrope—trying to find a delicate balance between sensitive and empathetic—but also trying to keep their business afloat. In this episode of Wingnut Social, Kelly Campbell joins Darla and Natalie to share her thoughts on a marketing approach.

Kelly spent 14 years launching, scaling, then selling her digital marketing agency. Now she allocates her time as an agency transformation coach, helping established companies delve into personal and business development. She’s also Wingnut Social’s very own business coach. Don’t miss out on her expert advice!

• [2:17] Wingnuts very own Business Coach—Kelly Campbell 

• Kelly on Instagram

• BOOK: The Trauma of Everyday Life

In this “new normal” everyone is enmeshed in, Kelly points out that best practices have been thrown out the window. Everything we thought we knew is changing. Kelly points out that we NEED to keep marketing and filling pipeline’s but not pushing sales. On the other side of this, people will remember how you made them feel. You can offer free resources, webinars, seminars, blog posts, and podcasts. 

She also recommends getting personal with your social media and email marketing. The coronavirus has become everyone’s common denominator and discussion starter. Share how you and your family are doing, offer to be a figurative shoulder to lean on. Kelly has been waiting for these walls to come down for ages and wholeheartedly embraces integrating the personal and professional. 

Kelly supports being creative—you can offer to do free zoom consults for everyone bored at home. Help people get excited about the space that they HAVE to be contained in. You can give them a healthy distraction while building your brand awareness and also fostering a positive perception of your brand. It’s the time to practice empathy while taking action, or as Kelly likes to put it: “It’s not about hiding under the covers, it’s about stepping up”. 

If you’re finding yourself questioning your positioning in the market right now, you’re likely not alone. With everyone on the verge of collapse, they worry they’re no longer relevant. Kelly says you need to ask yourself these questions: Does your team have deep expertise where you’re positioned? Are they passionate about it? Is there a market demand for your goods or service? Can you make a profit with this?

In short, you’re positioned correctly if you have passion, expertise, market demand, and profitability. You NEED all four to have a successful business. How you position yourself needs to represent 75-85% of what you do. If you make a pivot with your business, you must consider those variables to find success. 

But right now, everyone is dealing with a demand problem—unless you sell groceries, toilet paper, or face masks. So consider it carefully before implementing any business changes. Instead, focus on what your strategy will be a few months from now, as we all emerge on the other side of the pandemic. 

Be sure to listen to the whole episode for email marketing call-to-action ideas, social media strategies, and practical ideas to get paid when everyone is experiencing cashflow problems. 

• www.WingnutSocial.com

• www.curreyandcompany.com

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