I’m writing this from my home office where I’m on Day 21 of social distancing and stay-at-home orders because of Covid-19 precautions. The speed of change in 3 weeks is breathtaking. I’ve spoken with a number of small business owners and non-profit leaders and there is no denying that the impact of the virus is radically shifting the business landscape.
Here are the questions most small business owners are asking right now.
- How is COVID-19 going to affect my business in the long run?
- How should I market my business during this time?
- SHOULD I even market my business during this time given the hypersensitive social and economic state of events?
No-one has all the answers right now, but I’ll do my best to give you my perspective on where you can take action to best position your business or non-profit.
What follows is our the top three recommended actions for most businesses during this time. You can easily adopt these and prepare for the future, so that when things pick back up again your business can thrive.
#1 Perform an audit of your current digital footprint
By analyzing your existing online presence and taking stock of all the digital assets you already possess, you can begin to make informed decisions about where you need to invest resources.
Your digital footprint includes things like websites, videos, e-books, online profiles, social media accounts and more. Get clear about what you have at your disposal and you can begin prioritizing where to spend your time. You may even uncover opportunities that you may have otherwise missed.
#2 Chart your digital strategy roadmap
As working from home continues for the foreseeable future, establishing your online presence and remote communication tactics are becoming crucial to the survival of businesses.
But more than just surviving, the best businesses are dreaming up new ideas and new digital strategies that will position their companies for the future. They will run smoother and have an edge over their competitors in six months.
Consider these Digital Strategies:
- Make sure your website is functional, usable and effective at generating leads. Also, make sure you have someone on your team who knows how to update it quickly.
- Every social media channel has experienced a massive uptick in use in the last three weeks. Now is the time to leverage social media channels to build online community, create business awareness and drive traffic to your website.
- Host informational and interactive webinars or events to keep your customers engaged and invested in your brand, even from a distance.
- Create an email campaign to inform and engage your customers as well as foster brand loyalty as they continue to trust you.
- Rethink your company’s remote tools and systems. Establish a workflow for you and your employees.
#3 Communicate proactively with your customers
The biggest opportunity you have right now is to build trust with your customers. By being transparent and openly communicating with your customers you can create life long fans of your business.
Take some extra time to write an extra email or make a phone call. Check in with your customers and let them know that you’re still working hard to provide the best possible service for them. If you do this well, you will have no problem offering your services to them when the time is right.
The Internet is still open for business
The digital world is here and it’s quickly becoming the most important marketplace available to most businesses. Smart small business owners are harnessing things like online shopping, gift card orders, online courses, downloadable resources and creating content to engage new audiences.
Of course the challenges of today are very real and some businesses won’t survive, but by thinking strategically and creatively about your online presence you’re giving yourself a fighting change. Perhaps when this is all over your business will be ready to thrive in the new landscape.
If you need help with any of these strategies don’t hesitate to reach out. I’m taking free strategy calls right now. Just click the big red button below and pick a spot on my calendar.
Stay safe out there!
Matt (Co-founder / Project Lead)