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Startups 101: How Digital Marketing can Grow Your Business During the Corona Virus Pandemic

The coronavirus pandemic has paralyzed many industries across the globe, rendering millions of people unemployed. As many economies continue to decline (almost hitting recession), businesses are losing billions of dollars in revenues. The pandemic also presents a steep learning curve for many businesses. In particular, the COVID-19 crisis underlines the importance of learning and implementing digital marketing strategies in overcoming marketing uncertainties and dynamics and anticipating customer needs.

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Speaking of the advantages and the benefits of digital marketing, here are some ways digital marketing can support the growth of your business during this pandemic.

Relationship building

The success of any business is founded on the relationships with the stakeholders, including customers, employees, and shareholders. Digital marketing platforms, including social media platforms, offer a unique platform for building stronger relationships, particularly with customers. During this pandemic, customer loyalty is especially an invaluable asset that makes the difference between closing down your business and staying afloat. Therefore, it’s important to harness the power of digital marketing channels, including YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, to develop connections tailored for specific market segments and individual customers.

Data analysis

Today’s business landscape is dependent on data. Metadata is increasingly becoming an invaluable asset. Analyzing and interpreting metadata is critical in understanding market trends, customer behaviors, and making projections. A website company is strategically placed to deal with market uncertainties like this coronavirus pandemic. During this crisis, understanding customer buying habits and their geographical locations can help strategic positioning within the market and identifying potential niche markets to explore. Businesses can collect such valuable information from different platforms, including their websites.

Performance measurement

Digital marketing will provide your business with data for performance analysis. Digital tools such as Google Analytics will help your business gauge its performance in different markets. From lead generation on social media platforms to customer reviews and feedback, digital marketing channels offer a unique opportunity to fast-track strategy implementation and organizational performance. During this pandemic, informed re-strategizing is critical to establish a presence in new markets while also cementing your position in current niches. 

Improving market visibility

The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted normal business operations across the globe. Traditional media channels are increasingly curating their content to help in the fight against the highly infectious disease. Digital platforms offer a disruptive and customizable marketing option for greater visibility. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and business websites are great ways to improve your visibility. These innovative digital marketing channels allow your business to create highly customized content to generate traffic.

Cost-effective market reach expansion

One of the advantages of using digital marketing is the freedom to curate messages; high-quality and interesting content that is tailored to specific markets. With digital technologies such as Facebook and YouTube, you get a cost-effective marketing strategy with a global reach. Marketing content and communication can be customized to appeal to specific jurisdictions you plan on establishing your business operations.

Surviving during this coronavirus pandemic requires well thought of business strategies. Settling on a cost-effective marketing strategy and decisiveness are essential entrepreneurship skills needed to navigate these hard times. Digital marketing offers a unique opportunity to expand business operations while creating curated content for communication and marketing purposes.

Hope these help! Share your thoughts using the comment section below.

Autodeal Embraces Changes to Overcome Challenges

While most business are still in the mindset that things well eventually get back to normal, Autodeal embraced the changes and looked for ways to adapt.

AutoDeal.com.ph has been serving as a reliable go-to platform for car buyers in the country for 6 years now. With an average 3 million monthly site visits, over 350 partner local dealerships, and over 2,000 partner sales representatives, it’s the biggest digital platform in the Philippine automotive space. 

The site offers its visitors comprehensive information about vehicles to ease up the journey of researching for the best fitting vehicle for every consumer type. Its content varies from industry news, written and video car reviews, car comparisons, and feature articles, to name a few. AutoDeal website visitors benefit from comparing vehicles by price, specs, security features, and other special attributes.

They don’t need to visit multiple websites to get in touch, send an inquiry, and book a test drive with a local dealership in their area as they can do all these on the AutoDeal platform, therefore minimizing significant amount of research time. 

As advocates of a convenient and transparent car buying experience, AutoDeal founders Daniel Scott and Christopher Franks have been constantly coming up with smart solutions to offer Filipino car buyers.

Site features include the 3 Quote component, which distributes a customer’s inquiry to a maximum of 3 participating AutoDeal partner dealers to help the buyer compare multiple pricing options; the Auto Loan Calculator feature, which presents a calculation of down payment and monthly amortization of a car loan from its partner banks; and the newest feature, the ‘Buy Online’ component, which allows consumers to buy their dream car online, and pay for the reservation fee directly on the AutoDeal website in just a few clicks. 

AutoDeal’s mission is to offer a seamless, fitting, and fully digitized car buying experience to consumers, cover the car ownership cycle, and provide transparency in the whole process. 

AutoDeal’s business model 

Driven by a solid technical arm, AutoDeal provides a highly efficient and convenient process for the users to conduct the majority of their car buying activity. 

“Our business model has always been connecting a car buyer and a dealer together, via lead referral, to create a car sale. Receiving quotations from different car dealers, reviewing them, and accepting the best deal – all done from a screen to eliminate time-consuming trips to various dealerships – is now made possible for consumers via the AutoDeal platform.’, stated Daniel Scott, AutoDeal Co-Founder and CEO. “With an extensive amount of SaaS technology for brands, dealers, and sales agents, we have developed a strong technical backbone, which allows a dealer to track a customer from a lead all the way to a sale.”, added Scott.

Opportunities amid trying times

The automotive industry is being affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and with the imposition of an enhanced community quarantine, car dealerships, as a non-essential business, were pressed to temporarily close their showrooms and adapt a work-from-home set-up.

“We have been impacted in some areas of day to day business, but we have also seen many digital opportunities. As our partners think of innovative ways to conduct business moving forward, we are able to accelerate the development of features that perhaps would not have been possible in a regular working climate.”, shared Scott.

Embracing changes to adapt to challenges

Scott and Franks are continuously working on smart digital solutions to fully digitize the consumers’ car buying journey. Disrupting the way Filipinos shop for cars by coming up with more innovative services available at the consumers’ fingertips is the way AutoDeal embraces the changes brought about not just by the pandemic, but by the growing on-demand consumer lifestyle too. 

“As consumers are getting more accustomed to on-demand services with short waiting time, they expect more solutions of this nature from various industries, and automotive is no different.”, stated Christopher Franks, AutoDeal Co-Founder. 

Buying a car online is now made possible through the AutoDeal platform. The tech startup is launching the ‘Buy Online’ feature, which will allow users to choose the car and color they want, select the dealer, and make a reservation payment on the vehicle. AutoDeal is working to bring more of the traditional car buying process online, therefore helping the customers avoid queuing in banks and multiple showroom visits, allowing them to make more efficient use of their time.

“For the last six years, AutoDeal has persevered to deliver on the promise of “Car Buying, Simplified.”. We believe that the new solutions we introduce to the Philippine automotive landscape will contribute to a hassle-free, quick, and a more agreeable car shopping experience.”, added Franks. 

Business lessons from a pandemic

Keeping an optimistic attitude and focusing on the bigger picture helped the two young founders pursue innovation in the middle of a crisis. 

“I think once you have got over the initial shock of a terrible situation like this, you have to start thinking about what are the new problems that will now occur and how do you solve it as a business, or what opportunities may arise and how that steers your product development. You have to look past the difficult situation and imagine what society will be like, what the new norms will be, and prepare for that.”, shared Scott.

For both business partners, protecting their employees is a priority as they believe surviving a crisis like this together will only make them a stronger team than ever. Enduring tough times will only make them see the prosperous times together in the future.

Downy Anti-Bac with the Power of Safeguard Review

I’ve been seeing a lot of working moms and their kids doing house chores together. It’s nice to see that moms are giving it their all in learning how to cook, bake, wash laundry by hand and ironing clothes. One of the things that I have realized during these trying times is that knowing the basics and going back to the basics is something that we should do occasionally.

Normal Scenario in our house!

Speaking of “the basics”, in our household, one of the products that we can’t live without is Downy Anti-bac. I discovered Downy Anti-bac through browsing through Lazada. I was having a hard time keeping our clothes smelling fresh and clean during this enhanced community quarantine. My husband would wear a shirt and would complain about his clothes smelling weird (na amoy kulob).  This smell, people say, is because the clothes didn’t get to dry out properly. It’s so hard living inside a condo unit where I don’t have the necessary space to hang and dry all of our clothes. But I just found out that the main cause really of our clothes stinking is that there are what you can call odor-causing germs. 

I tried Downy Anti-bac for our first huge basked of clothes during quarantine. I wanted to see if this Downy Anti-bac with the power of Safeguard for maximum germ protection could really help us. 

So why this variant? It protects your clothes from germ growth that causes that weird and funky smell. All you need to do is pour Downy during the last rinse water or into the washing machine dispenser. Just use one cap for one full load, so this my bottle of Downy actually goes a long way. One cap is for 52L water level and do not pour downy directly into the clothes. 

I’ve never used a FabCon or a fabric conditioner before Downy. I easily get allergic rhinitis to scents, but for some reason, I don’t have the same experience with this product.

My super active child! haha!

I think Down Anti-bac with the Power of Safeguard for maximum Germ Protection will be a staple at home. Our clothes smell great even after I work out, Zeeka jumps around and EJ sits and works in an un-airconditioned room. We still smell fresh and clean at the end of the day. So what i’ve realized is that it’s not the sweat causing it but the odor-causing germs.

So for moms who are still having doubts if they should buy this FabCon, Downy Anti-bac  with the Power of Safeguard really eliminates these odor-causing germs. It’s worth every centavo since you don’t have to wash clothes again and again. 

Staying safe and protecting everyone in the family should be our main priority! Dapat lamar kayo protektado! Stay safe!

Sincerely,

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Crisis Proof your Freelancing Business

The COVID-19 pandemic will bring a “new normal” for many.

I just had my husband cut my hair a while ago then I colored it with a hair dye after. I haven’t been out of the house since March 13. I still manage to stay positive though and be grateful for what I have.

Not everyone will be affected the same way. Some Filipinos have already lost their jobs while others are thinking of resigning due to health and safety concerns. 

And there are those who surprisingly started a freelancing business in the middle of the pandemic. These Filipinos are earning a lot of income in the comfort of their home.

Crisis proof your Freelancing business

On March 21, John Pagulayan, a highly sought-after, 7-figure freelancer who has taught thousands of Filipinos how to build a thriving freelance business will teach you exactly how you can do this.

This is for everyone who wants to work from home, start a freelancing business, earn additional income on the side, or get better, higher-paying clients.

FREE WORKSHOP: The Simplest Way to Start a Crisis Proof Freelancing Business in 90 Days or Less… Even If You’re Just Starting Out

WHAT: An online workshop on how to start a crisis proof freelancing business in 90 days or less

WHEN: May 21, 2020

HOW MUCH: FREE

What will I learn from this webinar?

  • The unlikely opportunity waiting for you to earn “new” and more income during this pandemic
  • How COVID-19 accidentally created 6-figure per month Filipino earners
  • A proven plan that allows you to create a business that needs little to zero capital
  • Why freelancing has become one of the most stable source of income right now
  • What it takes to get freelance clients at will even if you don’t have skills, portfolio, or experience

Who should attend this webinar?

  • Filipinos who are looking to supplement or replace their monthly income
  • Freelancers who are overworked and underpaid and are struggling
  • Anyone who wants to create a sought-after, highly-paid, stress-free, freelance business 
  • People who want to explore and make money from online income opportunities

Who will be teaching in this webinar?

John “The Legend” Pagulayan is an email copywriter and consultant to businesses here and abroad. He has been featured in GMA 7’s 24 ORAS, Inquirer, and a regular speaker at freelancing and digital marketing summits.

His mission is to give every Filipino freelancer (regardless of their background — high school grad man o walang pinag-aralan) a fighting chance to have the business and lifestyle of their dreams.

Quick Questions:

What is a webinar?

It’s an online video seminar. All you need to attend is a computer, a good internet connection and speakers. This is great because you can learn at the comfort of your own home, wherever you are.

What if I’m not available on March 21?

Not a problem. You can watch the VIDEO REPLAY of the webinar anytime, anywhere. Please watch it at your earliest convenience because the video is only available for free viewing for a limited time.

Is there a deadline for the registration?

Yes, registration will be closed once the video is no longer available for free viewing.

When will this happen again?

This is a special learning opportunity provided in partnership with John Pagulayan. We don’t know when it will happen again.

Don’t Miss Out On This FREE Learning Opportunity

You have nothing to lose and everything to gain by joining this webinar. This is your chance to learn how to create a sought-after, highly-paid, stress-free, freelance business and seize the “new” opportunities in the middle of this pandemic. 

SUMMARY OF WHAT TO DO:

  1. Register for the online workshop: CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR FREE
  2. Watch, comment and tell John your biggest takeaway, share, and win 1 of 5 Full Year Memberships at zero cost.

Hope this helps!

Sincerely,

Going Global as a Small Business

One of the end-game goals of most entrepreneurs is to reach a point where they’re recognized internationally. Thanks to the internet, it’s surprisingly easy for your product to reach different cultures, countries and languages. However, this alone isn’t enough to consider yourself as a global business. Unfortunately, small companies have a much harder time breaking into international markets because they don’t have the right connections, staff or knowledge required to make it overseas. While this can be something you slowly work on over a long period of time, there’s no doubt that it takes a lot of hard work and dedication.

However, there are a couple of strategies that you can employ today that will not only increase the number of international opportunities available to you but could help you enter foreign markets on a much lower budget.

Photo by Brett Zeck on Unsplash

Consider which countries you want to appeal to

While it’s possible to appeal to the world as a whole with your product, we highly suggest that you pinpoint your focus on a particular region of the world or country. Some products do much better on a global stage because it’s something that everyone can use, such as a smartphone. However, even such a widely-used tech product can have smaller markets and demands in certain areas. For instance, wealthy areas of the world love big-name brands such as Apple and Samsung. However, areas with dense populations and lower income might prefer budget smartphones with a heavy emphasis on value.

As a result, you need to consider which countries your products appeal to. This can be difficult to identify with minimal research. This is why it’s important to do some preliminary research on potentially viable markets before you decide to invest in your growth in another country’s markets.

Do your research as early as possible

Once you have identified those opportunities, it’s time to start doing research. Everything from financial options to production and even cultural differences needs to be considered when performing research. The idea here is that you’re looking for any risks or challenges involved in breaking into a new market.

On the financial side of things, it’s worth establishing flexible options so that you can easily pivot your business when you want to capitalize on overseas opportunities. For example, having a way to send money to Pakistan could be helpful if you wanted to set up a means of production in South Asia. Similarly, having support for local payment methods and not just cards and PayPal. In the context of Pakistan, this could mean local options such as EasyPaisa and payOrder. Doing this type of research will greatly improve your chances of breaking into an international market simply because you’ll be more relatable.

Establish a small team of experts

If you want to go global as a small business, you’ll need to organize a team of experts that can smooth out the process. This can include translators, local influencers and even support staff that can speak the language. With this small team of specialists, you’ll have a much easier time communicating with an overseas audience and also appealing to them through changes in your branding and products. It can be difficult to find the right people for the job. Networking is your best friend here and doing your research on local influencers to work with can make a huge difference in your success rates.

One of the essential skills of becoming an entrepreneur is being able to lead a team. Even if it’s a relatively small but diverse group of specialists, having a team that is focused on international growth will make a huge difference in the long run. Not only will you be able to communicate with overseas customers, but you’ll also be able to change your branding or products and services to fit a different market. You should never underestimate the cultural differences in overseas markets and how they can affect both the products you create and your marketing materials. By respecting these cultural differences, you’ll have a much easier time growing your business in a completely different environment.

Going global as a small business can be surprisingly challenging, especially if you’re working with a relatively small team or have a limited budget to spend on overseas expansion. However, with the right approach and a team to support you, we believe that it’s one of the most attainable goals for a confident entrepreneur. If you’re looking for something challenging to push your business to its limits, then attempting to break onto an international stage may be enticing thanks to the rewards it can offer.