Adapting your business
The current environment has been tough on most businesses. COVID-19 is having a profound effect on our community and economy.
When we are scared or worried, it's natural to stop and take in what's happening around us. Businesses have closed and many are experiencing difficulties and with such things going on all around us, you might feel uncomfortable about selling.
But even in these uncertain times, it’s essential to keep moving.
There are plenty of businesses quickly adapting their services and making their offering available online or pivoting completely to offer new products or services.
Many local businesses have shut up shop and have taken to offering a home delivery service instead.
Think about all of the business owners that need to continue making income but have no idea where to take their business or are starting a business for the first time. How can you support them through this time with your skills or knowledge?
Keep in touch with your audience
All of these changes and adapted offerings need to be communicated to customers, so the need for marketing continues.
Whatever your business, it's important right now to keep in touch with your clients, customers and wider audience.
Now, more than ever, you can relate to your audience on a personal level because we are all going through similar experiences. Sharing your experiences with your audience will only help build that trust factor.
Isolation means that almost everyone is spending extra time online and on social media, so it's a good opportunity to stay top of mind by being present on your chosen platforms.
Email marketing is playing a central role by helping people stay connected, there has been reported growth in the number of emails being sent.
Stats from Mailerlite, April 2020.
But to maintain your brand loyalty, make sure you continue your marketing with empathy.
Think about the tone of your message, be considerate of the current situation, don’t ignore it and carry on as if it's business as usual. Your connections want to know that you understand what they are going through and how you are going to help them get through this crisis.
Building awareness
Perhaps with the current situation, you have a little more time on your hands? If so, now's the perfect opportunity to work on the marketing ideas which you've had on the backburner.
For example, if you want to create videos for your business, now is the time to practice filming, editing and posting videos.
If you’ve been considering using some paid advertisement, in general, the cost of Facebook ads has dropped as fewer people are in the ad space. It’s likely that your business would benefit from staying visible at this time and increasing your market share.
Maybe you want to grow your subscriber list? Have a look at your social media platforms, is your message up-to-date? Are you providing what your audience needs right now?
You could revisit your landing pages and lead magnets, or create some new offerings to encourage some new sign-ups.
Focus your energy on supporting your audience and offering help. Priorities have changed, find out what your audience needs from your business and if you’re not sure how you can help, ask them.
Keep going, now isn’t the time to stop marketing, it's quite the opposite.
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Photo by Hello I'm Nik, Unsplash