Without meeting in person and attending those valuable networking opportunities, it's hard to amplify your message and tell people about your business. But, not all is lost. As you've heard a million times before, it's time to re-think how you're managing your business (we hate the over-used word, 'pivot', so we're not using it here!). And here are five easy things you can do while you wait for the world to open back up again.
1. Get to know your existing clients...(again!)
What does this mean? It means really understanding what's happening in their world. Have they had to change directions (again, we hate the word 'pivot')? And, if so, what does that look like now? For example, if they're an event management company, are they doing more online events or thinking about smaller, more intimate employee celebrations, rather than the big Christmas parties for 1,000 of your nearest and dearest? Now, is the time to really understand what your clients are doing and how you can fit in with their new 'normal'.
2. Get comfortable with social media
We all know that when you can't meet in person, the next best thing is online. But, some people aren't comfortable with this form of communication and we all know that face-to-face communication will always be the best. But, desperate times call for desperate measures and whether you embrace social media or avoid it like the plague, it's time to get comfortable with it. It's not going anywhere and the last thing you want is your customers thinking you've become a dinosaur. And, if you do decide to up-your-game on social media, make sure that you consistently show up and your posts are relevant. Just sayin'....
3. Take a hard look at your communications strategies
The reality is that things will look different once the pandemic is over and that's ok. Change can be good. It's ok to re-evaluate your communications strategies.
What may have worked for your customers pre-pandemic, might not work now. The important thing to remember is to be kind, be compassionate and be understanding. Your clients may not have the budgets they once did, and as such, we need to adjust our tools and tactics so that we can help them grow again.
For example, simple things like re-evaluating the size and scope of upcoming events or revising editorial calendars with more relevant themes; or, even changing the language and tone of your newsletters, emails and posts so that it's not tone-deaf to what's happening around you. These are simple things that can make a huge difference with your customers and also gain more loyalty and credibility for years to come.
4. Everyone loves a good deal
Now is the time to maybe think about offering your customers a smokin' hot deal. It may be that you don't make much with your specials, but at least, you've got customers and really....it's all about building and maintaining your customer base right now. Budgets are tight and people need to do more with less, so cut them some slack (at least for a little while) and chances are, they will stick with you long after the pandemic is over.
5. Content is King (or Queen!)
Right now, you've got some time on your hands, so now is when you need to build that content library with all kinds of stuff that you can reuse, repurpose or recycle.
Start with your existing clients and ask to interview some of their SME's (subject matter experts). As we all know, they are SME's because they are good at what they do and usually they are so busy that they don't have time for you. But, remember -- we're all working from home and the pandemic has forced people to slow down. This is a perfect time to try and get inside their head and in doing so, you'll be building that library of top-knotch quality content to use later.
But just remember -- start with a list of questions that are relevant to your business and ask the SME what their thoughts are on the subject matter. Before you know it, you will have a plethora of information that can (and should be) used in writing an online ad, creating a small video clip, adding a testimonial banner to your website, or finally starting that blog you've been putting off for ages.
Living and working during a pandemic is not something we would want to do, but it is what it is. You might as well use this time to build that content library and figure out how you can be prepared when the pandemic is over and we're all back to our crazy busy lives.
