Digital Marketing SmartTender

At the beginning of full-scale military operations, many companies found themselves in complete uncertainty both in terms of conducting business and conducting various marketing activities. Our company is no exception, and many business processes were instantly revised or suspended. The key task of SmartTender team leaders and business owners was to save the lives of all performers in the company, for which constant regular meetings were organized, and lists were created with the location of each team member for operational communication and assistance. As for the marketing team, its tasks have changed a lot in 2022. So we want to share with you the main trends that we were able to highlight during the full-scale war so that they will help you and your business to adapt to the modern conditions of the promotion.

Chief Marketing Officer – Yevhen Okaianiuk

1. What activities had to be stopped with the start of a full-scale war, and what, on the contrary, did you launch for the first time?

The first thing we did was suspend all outreach campaigns and brand awareness activities. The appearance of a brand in a negative information field could lead to distorted associative series with future users, which we wanted to avoid. Simply put, in the first month of active hostilities, it was by no means up to advertising campaigns for both us and users. But already a month later, when the market was “empty”, we were among the first to return to advertising campaigns to help businesses find new sales channels and markets, because already at the end of March 2022, a gradual increase in requests such as “where to sell” or “where to purchase”. Our team was able to capture the needs of users and we launched a PR and performance campaign to attract new suppliers of goods and services to commercial tenders. Simply put, we gave people the opportunity to find free distribution channels to stimulate the return of business to the market. At the same time, the growth in the rate of participation of new users in commercial auctions in the first three months of active advertising increased by 175% compared to the same period in 2021.

Our next goal was to help territorial defense headquarters, charitable organizations, and charitable foundations to purchase the necessary equipment, provisions, ammunition, etc. Having fulfilled the first goal, we saturated our site with new suppliers of goods and services, which allowed us to open free access to the Smart Procurement tool for organizations involved in ensuring the defense of our country and helping civilians.

Digital Marketing SmartTender

The third step for our team was a return to larger reach campaigns and expensive paid traffic channels. With extreme caution, we are gradually returning to our usual niches, analyzing in detail the ROI for attracting users to a particular line of business. Where the market has sunk to the maximum, we test its possibilities by testing, and if they do not meet our expectations today, we take a break or switch to the micromarketing format within limited budgets.

Separately, I would like to mention that after the start of the full-scale war, our team joined the development of the Front-U charity fund, which is engaged in the purchase of various technological means for the Ukrainian military on the front lines. It was launched in May by our colleague Andrii Siabro, director of development of SmartTender.biz, together with other volunteers from the financial market. We, for our part, help with marketing activities: content and promotion of the site, and with maintaining social networks and e-mail correspondence for the sake of transparent communication of the fund and attracting more people to support soldiers in various hot areas.

2. How did the beginning of the full-scale war affect the main metrics and KPIs, and was it possible to return to the previous indicators?

The whole business felt the year 2022 and it was no exception for us. In some niches, the drop reached 99% compared to pre-war times. The first thing we experienced was a 70-80% drop in traffic in the first months of a full-scale war because traffic is users, users are customers, and a customer is a company's revenue. These things are directly related, and if you don't have traffic volume, where will you get revenue from new users?

Regarding the main metrics and KPIs, since April we have had a systematic growth of all indicators, with the help of all the SmartTender teams as much as possible, providing professional advice to all our new users and helping them find the best tools to sell their goods and services with maximum profit.

Digital Marketing SmartTender

3. How has the demand for Ukrainian-language content changed? How did it affect the site's performance?

According to statistics, more than 65% of people who spoke Russian before the full-scale invasion switched to our native Ukrainian language. We had to help users find exactly the content they are looking for in the Ukrainian language.

Historically, our site has always been in three languages, and although its Ukrainian version has been the main one for us for several years, after February 24, we decided to additionally reduce the organic output of Russian pages in search. We carried out a whole series of works to change the "language" weight of the most converting product pages to reduce the output of Russian-language content as much as possible. First of all, we reviewed the approaches to the formation of the semantic core of the site, organic methods of linking, and the formation of the external mass of links. Additionally, content filling with LSI (Latent Semantic Indexing) has been strengthened – these are keys that are logically related to the main used keys in semantics.

As a result, we got a higher ranking of pages in the Ukrainian version than in the Russian version. In addition, we see an increase in the traffic of Ukrainian requests, and accordingly, an increase in conversions.

Digital Marketing SmartTender

4. What tools were used during 2022 in conditions of budget cuts?

For many marketers, 2022 was a year of bold and sometimes objectively unsuccessful experiments. If you think of a few major advertising campaigns in 2022, they evoke more questions of "What was that?" than rave reviews of "What a good creative."

Digital Marketing SmartTender

First of all, this applies to attempts to introduce military linear connections into their advertising creatives. The perception of advertising in its classical sense changed significantly in the first half of 2022 and was transformed in the second half of the year. If in the first half of the year, I often heard remarks from acquaintances who watched the advertisements of various brands: "Why are they spending money on advertising, it would be better to help the Armed Forces", then in the second half of the year the advertising activities of the brands were perceived to a greater extent as a revival of business activity on market.

As I said above, we did not use outreach campaigns in the first half of the year and we are very careful about using them now, betting on the performance of the campaign, where there is a clear request, a clear answer, and a clear and transparent result. Our main marketing activities in 2022 were focused on SEO promotion, SMM, and online events. The main task of our team and the company as a whole is and remains to help users find reliable sales channels for business, which would not depend on market conditions.

SMM Management – Yaryna Yaroshevych

Digital Marketing SmartTender

From the first day of the full-scale war, we as a socially responsible business had to quickly decide – "You can't stop running social networks." But the coma immediately found its place, because thousands of users were waiting for information about the further work of the site and were looking for important materials through social networks.

1. How did graphic creativity change with the start of a full-scale war?

In January 2022, we reviewed the strategy and prepared visual communication updates for social networks and content sections of the site for the beginning of March. The time in which we live is quite dynamic. It needs regular changes because trends and tendencies change. The company's brand book is dominated by bright colors, but when a full-scale war began, it was decided to urgently review the graphic content and adapt it to the events. The bright colors were annoying because everything that happened around them was reminiscent of a terrible dream. Therefore, we abandoned the previously established visual design rules, preferred calm shades, and quickly developed new templates that would allow us to quickly react to events and reach out to users with communication.

Digital Marketing SmartTender

They used more Ukrainian symbols in creatives, ran graphic campaigns to attract people to charity, and supported important messages. I remember with what inspiration they made the banner "Russian warship go f*** yourself" because in normal times it was impossible to even assume that such a message could appear on our company's page.

2. What new categories have appeared and how do users react to them?

First of all, I would like to note that we have a very conscious audience of adults, representatives of business and state enterprises. It is thanks to the reaction of users and their feedback that we understand that our decision not to stop communication was the right one. And that the materials we worked on under all external circumstances were useful.

We immediately abandoned entertainment content and everything that can annoy our users and prevent them from quickly getting the most important information from the news feed. So our focus on Facebook posts has changed: we've started compiling evacuation contacts, trusted charities, up-to-date military fundraisers, and free services. In addition to socially important materials, we wrote a lot about procurement during martial law, and legislative changes, and answered frequently asked questions from users. It was important for us that people understand that you can rely on us. The site continues its work, managers, and lawyers continue to provide advice, and the marketing team continues to prepare materials and carry out their work.

Digital Marketing SmartTender

Regarding the columns that appeared during the war, these are tips from lawyers who collected incredible engagement rates from users. In the first months of the war, we did a lot of materials with the legal department, in which we gave answers to frequently asked questions, reviewed legislative changes and the practice of the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine, published messages on where to get the necessary documents and extracts, when the registries were closed, and much more. other.

We also have selections of wartime tenders. We regularly search the procurement system for drones, military uniforms, optics, helmets, fuel, transportation services, and other urgent needs that are critical to securing the military and bringing victory closer.

We also have a separate section for business, to which we select premises from the state and ideas for using the facilities. These can be buildings for warehouses, offices in relatively safe corners of Ukraine, shops, and other needs. This section is also very important because the sale of state property allows you to fill the country's budget (which, in turn, helps to ensure the Armed Forces of Ukraine) and helps businesses expand their capabilities.

We also have a section on public procurement with the highest savings rate (the difference between the expected cost and the winner's proposal). Once a month, we tally the money saved through transparent competition and showcase what that money means for the military.

Digital Marketing SmartTender

The section of charity auctions also deserves special attention, because the funds raised go to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine and thanks to them you can not only become the owner of a unique lot but also make a significant contribution to the victory.

During the war, we paid great attention to the commercial direction of trading. The business needed a reliable platform for interaction and collaboration to quickly fill needs and continue to operate in difficult conditions. At the start of the war, the company provided free access to the Smart Procurement platform to charities and the defense industry. The business continued to work actively and persistently, covering the needs of each other, and many new users joined the site. That is why we have columns on business procurement, useful tools of the Smart Procurement platform, and charity procurement.

Interestingly, we had attempted to publish in this area before, but they did not receive good engagement rates.

Digital Marketing SmartTender

It was also during martial law in the country that we began to congratulate our audience on the holidays much more often, telling about their history. Many dates did not have such a deep understanding before, as they do now.

In addition to changing the focus of social media content, I would like to note the great involvement of different teams in our company in its creation. Previously, most of the materials dealt with changes and communication with representatives of other companies. With the outbreak of a full-scale war, we are conducting a lot of internal communication and preparing interviews and expert articles with SmartTender specialists. They are very happy to share their knowledge, experience, and advice with customers and participants in different areas, communicate with business representatives, and put a lot of effort into creating useful articles.

Communication with users became more open, we shared photos of working in blackout and anxiety, and stories of colleagues and friends who courageously defend us directly in the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Digital Marketing SmartTender

To support the team spirit, we additionally introduced internal communications: we created a Telegram channel of good news for company employees. We developed a character – a smiling robot, which was a symbol of IT products and accompanied visual communication, changing its image by the content. Thus, we shared the successes of our users, new projects, results of work, and other information, which, in the crazy rhythm of work, helped to relieve the emotional burden a little, immerse ourselves more in the activities of other colleagues, and track the results of work. Content created good news not only for the company but for the whole world.

3. Do you publish situatives in response to vivid events related to war, or does the company prioritize content according to a prepared content plan?

Let's be honest, even before the war, we didn't manage to strictly adhere to the content plan. The purchasing sphere is very dynamic, so we constantly keep our finger on the pulse of current changes and news so that users receive all the necessary information promptly. During the war, many additional factors appeared that affected our communication. Changes at the front, massive missile attacks, severe events, blackouts – we take everything into account before publishing the next publication, because we experience all the events in the country together.

Digital Marketing SmartTender

At the beginning of each month, we make an approximate content plan of unique and expert materials, the preparation of which requires the most time. Every week we supplement it with regular columns and revisions. And every day we review the info field and make corrections following news and circumstances. Often the plan made at the beginning of the week looks completely different at the end. But the topics we prescribe, albeit with changed dates, we publish. Therefore, we prefer the content plan more for structuring materials and planning work with a copywriter. This is convenient and helps us not to overload our readers' feeds.

Digital Marketing SmartTender

For example, due to enemy attacks on critical infrastructure, companies needed both useful materials for work adaptation and suppliers of relevant goods and services (generators, powerful power banks, etc.). We also have a page for tenders for the reconstruction of Ukraine, which was developed for the convenience of participants and in response to hostile military actions. The adaptation of legislation, the growth of demand for the services of carriers, the increase in the number of charities that have transferred their purchases to the platform, and much more – all these are also situatives that we publish.

4. How did hostilities affect the activity of users on social networks?

At the beginning of the war, the activity of our users increased significantly. This was due to the quality of the content and constant communication. From my observation, many sites have suspended their publications and activity on the Facebook network while we continued to cover the changes and provide useful information. A year later, new readers joined us and a lot of effort was put into the organic promotion of our community.

Digital Marketing SmartTender

Such feedback from our users is very motivating and shows that we are useful to them and are working in the right direction.

But it should also be noted that the indicators of user activity were not as stable as before the start of the war, and they were influenced by external factors. There were moments when people felt tired in the information space. Many factors affect the coverage rates, here are some of them:

- unstable Internet connection and blackouts;
- horrifying events and hard news related to the war;
- forced displacement;
- some people remained in the occupied territories.

In general, there is a study that notes that the Facebook network has lost 2.05 million Ukrainians in a year, most of which are aged 18 to 35 years.

To keep our users active, we focus on the quality, uniqueness, and relevance of content. We try to simply talk about difficult things, cover important topics, and, most importantly, be honest. We thank our readers for being with us, and for your likes to publications and feedback, which motivates us to develop and prepare new interesting materials.

Project Management – Yelizaveta Zhuravlova

1. How did the approach to setting and fulfilling tasks change with the beginning of martial law?

From the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the main focus was on communication – it was important to let users know that we were still working and that purchases and auctions were taking place. To do this, we added technical messages and banners to the site that led to the site's pages, as well as to selections with useful contacts, and instructions that explained how to act in conditions of complete uncertainty. In addition, we called for donations to the army (such banners remain on our website).

Digital Marketing SmartTender

We also worked on strengthening the site's security – we developed a secure Smart ID online authentication system. This login method meets the latest trends in safe work in online services, as it implements modern authentication protocols OAuth 2.0, and OpenID Connect, which are used by all leading companies, including Google, Microsoft, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Today, they are the most secure and protected.

After the start of a full-scale war, the site development strategy and the prioritization of development tasks were completely revised. The main priority tasks were those related to the security of public procurement, site support, and implementation of the new requirements of the Prozorro State Enterprise.

We also worked on expanding the geography of users of commercial tenders, and involved European companies, in particular, developed English and Polish versions of the Smart Procurement landing page (a tool for organizers of commercial purchases).

2. Tell us about the idea of creating a new page of tenders for the restoration of Ukraine

When the main tasks to support Ukrainian business were in the works, we began to think about the future, and how we can contribute to the restoration of Ukraine. Thus, the idea arose to create tender search pages that would collect tenders by category for the restoration of Ukraine. Then we combined these pages into a single aggregator of auctions for the restoration of Ukraine – now it contains current purchases of goods, services, and works related to the repair and construction of various facilities in settlements.

Digital Marketing SmartTender

UI/UX Design – Yevheniia Trynos

1. How was the site interface modified for new requests under martial law?

First of all, we added new functional elements to the site interface. Emphasis was placed on helping the Armed Forces and a button was added to the header leading to the page with funds for donation. In addition, we have also added banners that are displayed on various pages of the site and allow our users to learn more about the opportunities to help our army.

In the context of finalizing the site interface on the pages with state tenders, we developed a special functionality to protect addresses from publication and hide them from the general public.

Digital Marketing SmartTender

In the conditions of the constant threat of missile attacks and sabotage, this is extremely important.

Later, we created a separate page where we collected all the tenders related to the restoration of Ukraine. To make them easier to use, we have divided them into different categories with corresponding CPV classifiers (more on this in the Project Management section).

2. What changed in the needs of users with the start of a full-scale war?

Since the beginning of the full-scale war, we have seen a significant increase in traffic to our site from mobile and tablet devices, even though previously our users mainly used laptops and computers for work. We always believed that mobile versions of the site were necessary and developed them, so this growth did not become a problem for us – the site was already ready for this format, so we only have to make sure that everything works correctly.

Email Marketing – Yuliia Saz

1. How was communication with users at the beginning of a full-scale war?

On February 24, 2022, we were scheduled to hold an online webinar "Participation in land auctions on the SmartTender platform." Unfortunately, the first communication was that the webinar would not take place. We understood that on this day people did not want to study and did not want to work at all.

After a few days, when there was an understanding of the situation, our team began to actively send e-mails with verified funds that help our army and information that should be shared on social networks to attract even more people from other countries to help us.

Digital Marketing SmartTender

We monitored all changes in legislation and informed about them, wrote advice on where it is better to evacuate, shared important links and contacts, prepared selections of martial law purchases to attract even more participants, and, of course, reminded that we continue to work, and users of our site can ask for help.

2. How did military actions affect user activity?

Even though there was a significant decrease in the activity of users in purchases, the activity of opening and reading e-mails remained quite high. Many factors contributed to the fact that our users could not continue their work, and we understood that. Someone relocated their business, someone went abroad, and someone changed their type of activity and started volunteering or joined the ranks of the Armed Forces.

First of all, we tried to help them adapt to the situation, prepared selections of auctions for renting office and warehouse spaces in the west of Ukraine, and told them how to adapt the business to new realities and how to make purchases in conditions of martial law.

3. How did approaches to working with e-mail change during martial law?

Before February 24, we told users about the possibilities of expanding their business and involved them in watching educational webinars on organizing and participating in the bidding, then after the start of a full-scale war, the situation became different.

In the e-mails, we told how to abandon Russian services such as 1C, Bitrix, etc., and replace them with a Ukrainian product, shared the latest changes in the legislation regarding procurement, and explained how to conduct them "in a new way", and shared useful information from our lawyers.

We had to abandon many automatic mailings that were aimed at customer adaptation and procurement advice. And we also refused the reactivation e-mails, realizing that they were not in time, and began to involve supporting the country's economy, renting property, and participating in martial law tenders. They talked about how we can be useful and created many forms for feedback.

Digital Marketing SmartTender

At the moment, we have already resumed sending reactivation e-mails to users who stopped working with purchases and auctions last year. We have also refined many of the tender trigger e-mails for the convenience of customers and updated the designs of our e-mails. Additionally, feedback forms were added to the site in the form of widgets and pop-up forms.

Copywriting – Olha Vernyhora

1. How did the content on the SmartTender website change with the start of a full-scale war? What topics are currently in greater demand?

When the first shock of the start of hostilities passed, already on February 26, we started publishing news and articles on the website, which allowed people to stay abreast of events and receive useful information that would help with survival. We released relevant content on military topics: selections of useful contacts, applications with maps of shelters, gas stations, shops, etc.

Our content was always sufficiently serious and specific and therefore did not lose its relevance even in the first days of a full-scale war.

Digital Marketing SmartTender

Our site specialists are in Prozorro and Prozorro.Sale, as well as our lawyers, constantly provided useful information on how customers and suppliers should now work with auctions. And we know that these articles helped our users during the most difficult time when everything was changing every day, the procurement and auction systems were adapting to the new reality, and the government was passing additional regulations. This can be seen even from the fact that the materials released last spring are still steadily collecting traffic.

Legal content is still particularly popular, which users need to understand, although it is quite difficult. Our most popular articles in 2022 are devoted to the description of critical infrastructure objects and the preparation of documents for participation in a tender under martial law. We also release case studies on the work of customers and suppliers in wartime to show users that work continues and procurement and auctions can be a good way to develop business.

2. Did you have to change something in the brand's Tone of Voice? What message is embedded in the content?

In the first months of a full-scale war, we understood that people were scared, and they needed to be supported, providing stability at least in terms of information.

Digital Marketing SmartTender

Now we emphasize that our team is always ready to help with any questions, and we also regularly call for donations to the army.

Since in the beginning, we were still read by users from Russia, we automatically directed them to an article devoted to the Russian-Ukrainian war, which was updated daily. So we tried to tell them the truth in conditions when everything was blocked in the Russian Federation. Now it remains hidden on our site as a reminder of the terrifying first month of the full-scale invasion.