Life has been crazy these past few months, feels like everything has been turned upside down and inside out. Keeping your businesses connected to the community and your customers can be challenging, especially with all the disruptions, operational changes, and other extenuating circumstances.
As you have so many other challenges these days, we want to help you keep your business going forward and make sure you are reaching your audience. It is more important than ever to communicate with the public, so they are aware of your hours, your services and any specific changes they need to know about regarding safety and operations.
1. Keep Communicating
Hopefully, you have continued to market, even if you shut down, so that you are still in front of your customers. If you have not it is a good time to start.
Send regular emails updating your audience about your changes, update your website’s homepage with any necessary information customers may need to use your services, s hop in your store, eat in your restaurant, etc.
2. Stay Social
Maintain your social accounts by updating any bio information with new hours and operation standards. Continue to post daily updates to your social accounts. Update your audience with any changes, adjusted hours, safety measures, how customers can order or shop, etc.
3. Maintain Relationships
Continuing with your social media activity allows customers to contact you via the platforms so they can get answers to their questions.
Even if you are not open yet it is still important to stay in front of people. This will ensure customers are aware when you open and ready to do business with you again in the future.
4. Virtual Venue
Instead of cancelling an in-person event, meeting, seminar, etc. take it online. Using the various online meeting sources (Facebook Live, Instagram, Zoom, Google, etc.) This is a great way to keep current. As a bonus, you can record the live meeting and provide the video for others to watch later.
5. Express Gratitude
Let your customers know you appreciate their flexibility during this time. Let them know they matter and that you care about what they have to say and how they feel about what we have all been going through.
6. Don’t Stop
The overall message is DO NOT STOP! Keep marketing, keep communicating, keep moving and stay in front of your audience and customers. Businesses that continue marketing during downtime have a better chance for success when things open again.