The coronavirus pandemic has resulted in businesses being temporarily closed or drastically change the way they serve their customers. And business people are experiencing anxiety over when these measures will be lifted, and what their business will look like after.
In order to help businesses to make the most of a difficult situation, I am offering some ideas to improve your business during the corona crisis:
1. Do SOMETHING
The worst you can do, is nothing. Even if you have to temporarily close your doors, and can’t offer takeout or delivery, and can’t sell online – you can still keep building your business for when everything starts opening up again.
Let’s continue with some things you could do, for instance:
2. Reach Out – To Everyone
Your customers and prospective customers will be wondering if you are still open, if your hours have changed, if you have new procedures in place. Your suppliers may be wondering about this too.
It’s important to put people’s minds at ease by providing coronavirus-related updates:
- Call your existing contacts
- Send out a newsletter update to your email list
- Put a pop-up or full page overlay on your website
- Pin a post to the top of your Facebook feed
- Create a video and place it prominently on your website and social media
- Create Google My Business posts (they expire after a week, so keep them coming!)
Do your website and social media have a novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) update?
3. Pivot To Something You CAN Do
In-house dining in local restaurants may no longer be allowed in many areas, but they could pivot to takeout and home delivery.
Fitness studios can put their classes online via streaming video, but only for paying members.
Artists can perform online and earn advertising income, or sell albums through a webshop.
Take as much control over the process as you can:
- Build a list of clients and prospects – using email, SMS, Facebook Messenger, push notifications. Just make sure you have/get permission to contact them. Offer people incentives for signing up to your lists.
- Stay active on social media. Keep posting to stay top-of-mind with your target audience. Be helpful.
Contact us if you need help with anything.
