Are you tired of the pandemic ads yet? I know I am.
When I saw this I felt seen. I felt like somebody truly felt the same way I do about pandemic “advertising” – instead of advertising what they do, many brands are telling us that they are here for us.
To paraphrase a friend: “Just advertise to me already.”
At this point, so many major brands are making the same ad that it’s impossible to look good (or unique) pushing this message.
I would argue it’s now a really bad idea.
It might have been a decent the first time someone made one of these ads, but now it comes off as extremely insincere (depending upon the brand, of course).
I think we should focus on other things.
I’m not saying we should ignore the pandemic, but rather we shouldn’t spend all our time and money trying to think about how we can best say “I’m here for you.”
If you’re a small business professional your clients should already know you’re here for them.
What they need from you now is the help you normally provide them, not some special message saying “In these difficult times…”
Last week I wrote about internet trolls and how to deal with them. I have a unique solution. It’s a solution that was valuable 2 months ago, is valuable today and will be valuable tomorrow.
In your messaging during this pandemic you need to focus on what is valuable to your clients, especially what will be valuable for their futures.
At some point this is going to end; we don’t know how and we don’t know when. But it will end.
Our jobs are to help people. My job is to help you get more attention clients through the internet.
Right now, crafting a special, sensitive-seeming message of how to deal with this pandemic is not helping you. I would just get lost in all the noise. Some of you might would stop listening.
Right now, your clients need your help with unique problems, they don’t need a septimal message with slow piano music.
Some of these problems might be tied to their situation due to the pandemic, but many aren’t.
Moreover, the problems you help them solve today will put them in a better position for the future, and that should be the focus of your messaging: things I can help you with now so that your future is brighter.