Crisis Marketing Guidelines for Movers

In times of crisis, maintaining and even growing your business’s online presence is crucial to ensuring its resilience. When faced with challenges at local, national, or global levels, many companies struggle to stay afloat. One effective strategy to weather these storms is to adapt modern marketing tactics to the specific circumstances your business is facing. Given the impact of crises like COVID-19 on the removals industry, it’s essential for moving companies to adjust their marketing approaches now. RemovalsPal offers the following crisis marketing guidelines for movers, tailored to help UK removals companies prepare for and navigate through difficult times.

Five Ways to Approach Your Marketing Efforts During a Crisis

1. Assemble a Crisis Management Team

It’s nearly impossible to predict a crisis, especially one on a global scale. However, when one occurs, your first priority should be to form a dedicated crisis management team. This team will be responsible for managing your company’s public image during the crisis. As moving companies have proven to be essential services during crises, it’s crucial to maintain a trustworthy public image. Some effective crisis marketing strategies that have proven beneficial, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, include:

• Creating informational banners or dedicated pages on your website to address the crisis. Customers don’t expect companies to ignore the situation; they want to know how you’re responding and what measures you’re taking.
• Publishing insightful and practical crisis-related content. Moving companies should promote safety and offer advice on how to approach relocations during a crisis, how it affects the industry, migration patterns, and security. Your website’s blog should become a reliable source of information for both customers and other business owners.
• Implementing moving company software solutions to help manage the crisis more effectively. Many removals companies have adopted online moving quote estimators and virtual moving surveys via video calls as part of their crisis response.

The team you assemble should oversee these activities and ensure they are promoted across your social media channels, email campaigns, and other marketing platforms.

2. Prioritise the Safety of Your Employees

During the early stages of any crisis, it can be challenging to fully understand the risks involved. Until you have all the necessary information, it’s vital to ensure your employees are protected from potential dangers. Some basic steps to consider include:

• Implementing remote working conditions where possible. Many roles within removals companies, such as administrative tasks, can be performed remotely. Offering your staff the option to work from home and conducting meetings via Zoom, Skype, or other video conferencing tools can help ensure their safety.
• Reducing working hours for field staff, such as moving crews. By reducing their exposure to potential hazards, you can help protect them from risks associated with the crisis, whether it’s a pandemic or a natural disaster.
• Keeping your staff informed. Whether through a dedicated page on your website or links to trusted third-party sites with real-time updates, ensure your employees have access to accurate information. This helps prevent the spread of misinformation and panic.

3. Prepare Contingency Plans for Your Marketing Strategies

While having a crisis management team and a communication network is essential, you also need to prepare for how a global crisis might affect the economy, local markets, and employment. Therefore, it’s crucial to be ready to adapt to market fluctuations.

• SEO efforts are long-term and can remain effective through a crisis as long as companies continue to manage them diligently.
• PPC advertising should be reassessed based on the current demand for removals services. Make data-driven predictions and allocate your budget accordingly.
• Email marketing campaigns should shift focus from direct sales to raising awareness and maintaining your public image during the crisis.
• Social media posts can be utilised to support crisis control efforts, promote donations, and highlight charitable initiatives.

4. Prevent the Spread of Misinformation

Crisis situations often lead to widespread panic, fuelled by misinformation. As a reputable removals company, it’s your responsibility to help maintain public calm. Your advertising platforms should be used to provide accurate information about the crisis.

• Google is increasingly cracking down on unreliable sources, such as phishing attempts, conspiracy theories, and misinformation. Ensure your content is credible and aligns with efforts to promote truthful information.

5. Focus on the Post-Crisis Stage

Maintaining an optimistic outlook during a crisis is vital, but it’s also important to remain realistic about the situation’s severity and its long-term effects. Protect your brand’s credibility by focusing your marketing efforts on:

• Adapting to business interruptions caused by the crisis and continuing to manage unexpected challenges.
• Sustaining long-term relationships with customers by maintaining communication and support throughout the crisis.
• Mitigating risks for customers by employing transparent and ethical marketing strategies.

Staying United During Tough Times

Ultimately, during a crisis, the most important thing is to prioritise safety and remain united. By considering these steps, you can better manage your business during challenging times. These crisis marketing guidelines for movers are our way of helping the UK removals industry navigate the risks and challenges of operating in crisis conditions. Stay safe, and consult with RemovalsPal for additional support and strategies to grow your business.