Spending more time at home means there are more opportunities for people to see advertising. “Brands are shifting towards screens, which makes sense.

Phones will be on no matter what, TV viewership is already higher than normal as people are indoors more.

So for brands that decide to advertise, what’s the right way to do it?

Here are few ways brands can go in the crisis.

1. Acts NOT Ads

“The first is in practical help. Acts not ads. Lifebank, a health startup that finds and delivers blood to patients has turned its attention to seeking critical medical equipment for Covid-19 treatment. Hotel booking platform Hotels.ng has partnered with hotels to create isolation centers across Nigeria.

2. Communicate proactively with your customers

Let your customers know if you’re closing your doors, changing your hours and what steps you’re taking to keep your employees and work environment safe and clean. If your store is closing, notify your customers on your social media channels, through email and on your website.

3. Hold a live event online

Recognize that most consumers are craving entertainment while being quarantined at home. This is where Facebook Live or Instagram Live can come in handy. It’s a great way to keep your customers engaged and build goodwill, as well as to sell your products. Offer a special discount code to the first 100 people who stream your live event.

4. Increase your social media presence

Your customers are already on social media, but these days, they are likely checking in much more frequently to get the latest updates on the virus. Whether you’re posting about the virus specifically or trying to offer light, positive content to help take people’s minds off the panic, it can be helpful to increase your posting frequency to ensure you are showing up in their news feeds and keeping your brand’s image in their minds.

5. Offer online deals

If your business already has an e-commerce component, remind customers that they can still shop for their favorite items on your website. It might even help to offer a coupon or discount to encourage online shopping while your customers are staying home anyway.

DON’T!!! exploit the situation

The first thing we are seeing is people trying to exploit fear.

What I mean by this is supplies are running low around the world. From masks and toilet paper to hand sanitizer and other basic necessities… I am seeing marketers buying them and then reselling them for 10-50x the price.

This isn’t entrepreneurship and this isn’t marketing. I highly recommend that you avoid exploiting the Coronavirus situation to make a quick buck.

Hopefully, the Coronavirus passes soon and it has minimal impact on lives. For the time being, try not to socialize with others too much or go into crowded places.

Goodluck